We have been intently following the lead up to Karen Salicath Jamali‘s album, Om Mare Shangri-la by featuring the singles, Wild Birds Flying High, Mary’s Song, and Only In Love We Are, so naturally, when the album came out in full, we couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves fully in her sonic universe and share our experience.
For some context, the title of the album evokes poetic notions of the concept of a “sacred peace/paradise” or “a spiritual paradise”, which aligns with the energies of the already released songs and Karen’s wider purpose as an artist.
Om Mare Shangri-la opens with a track called The Ocean of The Seals which expands with rippling acoustic arpeggios, a high spiritual quotient and immersive strings. The song is about a deep spiritual connection with God/the universe with the ocean, waves, and seals symbolizing God’s presence, love, and the eternal nature of that connection. Karen shows us that even when life ends and “the sun don’t shine anymore”, she and God will meet again in the “ocean of the seals”. The tempo changes are organic and the track reminds us of early Antony and the Johnsons with a cinematic allure that would be perfect for an Ayahuasca ceremony or a TV show like Nine Perfect Strangers.
Next is Only In Love We Are which has an ethereal, spiritual, stripped-back sound. It combines atmospheric acoustic guitar, delicate vocals, cosmic tones, and gentle drums to create the feeling of an intimate meditation. Its meaning is that love is the deepest and most enduring reality, connecting us to one another and to a greater universal consciousness beyond the temporary physical world. The spiritual subject matter of what Karen creates always resonates with us on a soul level.
This brings us to Angel of Mercy which manifests as a more cosmic experience. The song has a dreamlike, deeply spiritual sound and feeling. It describes love as an overwhelming ocean in which we can lose our sense of self before being transformed and reunited with something greater. Its meaning is about surrendering completely to divine or universal love, moving through loneliness and darkness into light. This existentialism is a common thread in Karen’s art, due to her personal story and lived experience.
Mary’s Song has an ethereal, cinematic and meditative sound. It is built around delicate guitar arpeggios, microtonal textures, and raw, spiritual vocals which create a feeling of quiet inner reflection. Its meaning is about returning to the heart and reconnecting with the peaceful, innocent part of ourselves, learning to listen inwardly and rediscover our connection with God, love, and the deeper force that connects all life.
Now we experience, Never Forget Who You Are which reminds us of early Nick Cave with a Spanish guitar twist. The song is about recognizing that we all come from the same divine source of light and are spiritually connected as one. It encourages us to remember who we truly are and see that our shared oneness is the foundation for peace. The switch ups from light arpeggios to bolder strums help to cement this message.
Seeds of God naturally has an ethereal, cinematic, meditative sound, with spiritual whistle tones, atmospheric arpeggios, and otherworldly vocals. It creates an almost shamanic atmosphere. The song’s meaning is about humanity as “seeds of God”, connected to one another, nature, and a greater divine consciousness, rooted in love and the unity of all existence.
In The Sea of Love resonates like a mantra or love energy and self-realization, whilst Wild Birds Flying High, with its melancholic guitar, ethereal vocals, and subtle tempo changes reflects emotional intensity. Its meaning is about breaking free from blame, hurt, shame, and old emotional patterns, with the wild birds symbolizing forgiveness, acceptance, freedom, and the discovery that beneath everything, love is who we truly are.
Finally, we experience Falling Back In Eternity which has a more reverberating mix, almost like a trippy and psychedelic culmination of everything that we have experienced thus far. It’s the most existential track on the record, like a final connection with source, God and the universe.
Om Mare Shangri-la feels like a natural progression of everything Karen Salicath Jamali has been exploring and clearly connects with her 2021 NDE. Through these songs, there is a real sense of spirituality and existentialism.
She leaves us with these beautiful ideas around love, God, forgiveness, death, freedom and who we really are underneath it all. Sonically, the record moves between intimate acoustic moments and more cosmic, psychedelic passages, which keeps the journey interesting from beginning to end. We are in awe of what Karen creates, and have added a selection of Om Mare Shangri-la tracks to our various playlists.