"Ma" is the third single from Mirabai Ceiba's album The Quiet Hour, a devotional kirtan piece that invokes the universal mother principle. Released in 2021, the song features Angelika Baumbach on vocals and harp, Markus Sieber on guitars and charango, and Jamshied Sharifi on keyboards and bass. Filmed at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, the music video integrates sacred sound with stunning visual landscape, creating a meditative experience that draws on devotional traditions while showcasing contemporary production artistry.
What is the devotional concept behind "Ma"?
"Ma" is a Sanskrit term with profound spiritual resonance, translating to "mother" but extending far beyond maternal reference. In Hindu and Yogic traditions, "Ma" represents the feminine principle of creation, nourishment, and universal compassion. Mirabai Ceiba's invocation of this theme positions the song within a lineage of devotional music that honors the divine feminine—whether as Kali, Durga, Saraswati, or the undifferentiated creative force itself. By choosing "Ma" as the single's title and focus, the collective signals their intention to create a space where listeners can access qualities of tenderness, protection, and spiritual motherhood regardless of personal background or religious affiliation.
How does the musical arrangement support the devotional intention?
The instrumentation of "Ma" reflects Mirabai Ceiba's signature approach to contemporary devotional music. Angelika Baumbach's harp work provides the sonic foundation, an instrument traditionally associated with celestial and meditative states. Her voice carries the melodic content, anchoring the listener in the emotional core of the piece. Markus Sieber's guitars and charango—a ten-stringed Andean instrument—add textural layers that bridge Eastern devotional sensibilities with world music influences. Jamshied Sharifi's keyboards and bass create harmonic depth and rhythmic grounding, preventing the piece from floating into abstraction while maintaining its contemplative quality.
This layered approach allows "Ma" to function both as a listening experience and as a potential point of entry for personal meditation or mantra practice. The production—mixed by Jamshied Sharifi and mastered by Martyn Heyne—ensures that each instrumental voice remains distinct and audible, honoring both the individual contributions of the musicians and the integral whole of the composition.
Why was the Cliffs of Moher chosen as the visual setting?
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland, are among Europe's most iconic natural landmarks—towering sea cliffs that rise up to 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. The choice to film "Ma" at this location is not arbitrary. The cliffs evoke qualities of transcendence, timelessness, and the sublime: they are simultaneously ancient (formed over millions of years) and perpetually renewed (shaped by waves and weather). This visual metaphor aligns with the spiritual principle of "Ma"—the eternal mother who births creation anew in each moment while remaining unchanging in her essential nature.
Filmed and edited by Igor Nieto Joly with drone footage by Colm O'Neill, the video integrates the vastness and power of the natural landscape with the intimate human presence of the musicians. This approach suggests that devotional practice is not separate from the natural world but embedded within it, accessible wherever consciousness meets beauty.
What album does "Ma" belong to and what is its context?
"Ma" is the third single from The Quiet Hour, Mirabai Ceiba's fourth studio album. The album's title itself suggests a thematic coherence: the quiet hour is often understood as a moment of cessation from worldly activity, a space where inner listening becomes possible. By positioning "Ma" as the third single released from this project, the collective invites audiences into progressively deeper layers of the album's meditative and devotional landscape.
The production of The Quiet Hour reflects the collective's global, collaborative approach. Tracks were recorded at multiple locations: Dolmen Studio in Mountshannon, Ireland (where Markus Sieber tracked his contributions) and PotaPota Studio in New York City (where Jamshied Sharifi recorded his parts). This distributed recording methodology—facilitated by modern digital technology—allowed musicians to contribute from their home bases while maintaining the coherence of vision that Executive Producer Karan Khalsa and producers Jamshied Sharifi and Markus Sieber upheld throughout the project.
How does Mirabai Ceiba approach contemporary devotional music?
Mirabai Ceiba represents a particular lineage within contemporary devotional music: one that honors traditional kirtan and yogic chanting while incorporating world music instrumentation, contemporary production values, and visual artistry. Rather than purist recreations of classical Indian devotional forms, their work suggests that sacred sound can speak across cultural and linguistic boundaries when held with genuine intention and musical skill.
The collective's name itself references Mirabai, the sixteenth-century Rajasthani poet-saint famous for ecstatic devotional poetry and music, and Ceiba, a sacred tree in Central and South American indigenous traditions. This naming embodies a deliberate fusion: honoring both South Asian and Mesoamerican spiritual lineages within a single artistic identity. "Ma" extends this impulse by creating music that invokes the universal mother while remaining accessible to listeners from any tradition or none.
The production credits reveal the care taken with every element. Post-production work by Anna Ampleyeva Voronina and management by Irina Drozdova-Schastlivtseva demonstrate that contemporary devotional music requires not only musicians and composers but also technical artisans committed to translating vision into finished form. Publishing through Manners McDade Music Publishing Ltd. and release through Spirit Voyage Records positions "Ma" within established channels for conscious music while maintaining independent artistic control.
What does the song offer to listeners and practitioners?
For listeners unfamiliar with devotional traditions, "Ma" offers a gateway into the emotional and sonic texture of contemporary kirtan—the call-and-response chanting practice central to bhakti (devotional) yoga. The song's meditative qualities and accessible melodic content make it suitable for background listening, contemplative practice, or active devotional engagement.
For seasoned practitioners, "Ma" represents Mirabai Ceiba's continued evolution as composers and performers. The piece honors traditional devotional principles while refusing musical nostalgia, creating something simultaneously ancient and new—a sonic embodiment of the principle it invokes.
The integration of stunning visual artistry—the vast Irish landscape, the flowing harp, the musicians in natural light—transforms "Ma" from a song into a complete sensory experience. In an era when devotional music is often consumed through headphones while commuting, this video-centric release emphasizes that sacred sound practice can be visually and spatially grounded.
Where to go from here
Listeners interested in exploring more of Mirabai Ceiba's work can access the full The Quiet Hour album across major streaming platforms via the Spirit Voyage Records link provided. Following the collective on Instagram, Facebook, and their official website offers ongoing access to their creative practice, upcoming performances, and new releases. Those drawn to the devotional content of "Ma" might explore the broader landscape of contemporary kirtan artists, classical Indian classical music traditions, and the bhakti yoga philosophy underlying these practices. The Cliffs of Moher themselves have become a pilgrimage site for visual seekers; understanding how sacred geography shapes spiritual practice adds another dimension to the video's intentionality.
