Govi (musician)

Govi (Santoo Govi) (born February 27, 1949) is a new age/ambient Hawaiian-German musician. Each of Govi's albums has reached the Top 10 on Billboard's New Age chart.

For other uses, see Govi (disambiguation).
Govi
Birth nameSantoo Govi
Born (1949-02-27) February 27, 1949
Germany Germany
OriginUnited States U.S.
GenresNew age, new flamenco, instrumental, World, ethnic fusion
Occupation(s)Musician, guitarist, composer
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1988–present
LabelsReal Music, Higher Octave Music, Govi Music
Websitewww.govimusic.com

Biography

Govi was born Werner Monka in Germany. During his teens, he lived in Minden/Westfalen (Germany), near Bielefeld. There he performed as the lead guitarist in bands like Blackbird (1962), Virus (1971), and Weed (1971, with Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep[1]) that played everything from rock to blues. These experiences led to his first professional gig as a member of a group that played original material and won a national band competition and a recording contract that allowed them to tour throughout Germany.

Although a native of Germany, Werner Monka decided to make a radical change and leave Europe. He sold his electric guitar, a Gibson Les Paul, to pay for the flight to India. There he changed his name first to Govinda, then to Govi. He spent eight years living in India.[2] He started playing the mandolin, mandocello, sitar, bouzouki, charango and the 8-string ukulele. While in India, he established a friendship with the German new age artists Deuter and Karunesh. Deuter co-produced Govi's first album Sky High, throughout which Deuter can be heard playing flutes and keyboards.

A prolific artist, Govi has released 19 albums to date. His fifth album, Guitar Odyssey, became one of the most successful albums in its genre, reaching the top ten of the Billboard new age albums, eventually climbing to number three.[3] In 2022, Govi released a new EP[4] featuring four new songs in his signature style.

Govi currently lives in Kula, Hawaii.[5] He often collaborates with a fellow German musician, Karunesh, who also lives in Hawaii.

Discography

Studio albums
  • 1988 - Sky High
  • 1991 - Heart of a Gypsy
  • 1993 - Cuchama
  • 1995 - Passion & Grace
  • 1997 - Guitar Odyssey
  • 1999 - No Strings Attached: Govi at his Exuberant Best
  • 1999 - Andalusian Nights
  • 2000 - Seventh Heaven
  • 2001 - Your Lingering Touch: Govi at his Romantic Best
  • 2002 - Mosaico
  • 2004 - Saffron & Silk
  • 2005 - Havana Sunset: The Best of Govi
  • 2007 - Jewel Box
  • 2008 - Touch of Light
  • 2011 - Guitarra Mistica
  • 2013 - Pure at Heart
  • 2015 - The High Road
  • 2018 - Luminosity
  • 2022 - Four 4 U (EP)

Other compilations
  • 1997 - Tranquility (A Real Music Sampler) [6]
  • 1997 - Rhythm: A Real Music Sampler [7]
  • 1998 - Eternity II: The Encore-(A Romantic Collection) [8]
  • 2001 - Letting the World Go By [9]
  • 2002 - Moonlight Fantasy [10]
  • 2004 - Confort Music 1 [11]
  • 2006 - InSPAration [12]
  • 2006 - iRelax During a Busy Day [13]
  • 2006 - iRelax Leaving the Workday Behind [14]
  • 2007 - iRelax for Lovers [15]
  • 2007 - iRelax in Traffic [16]
  • 2012 - Reverie
  • 2017 - Relaxation Collection 2 - Cool Breeze, Gentle Rhythms

Other compilation appearances

See also

References
  1. "Ken Hensley".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Biography - Govi Music". www.govimusic.com.
  3. https://www.billboard.com/artist/govi/chart-history/
  4. "Album Four 4 You (EP), Govi | Qobuz: Download and streaming in high quality".
  5. "Govi | New Age Musician | Real Music".
  6. "Tranquility | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  7. "Rhythm | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  8. "Eternity II: The Encore - (A Romantic Collection) - YouTube". YouTube.
  9. "Various Artists - Letting the World Go by: A Vacation for Mind & Soul Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  10. "Moonlight Fantasy". Amazon.
  11. "Comfort Music 1 | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  12. "InSPAration | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  13. "IRelax During a Busy Day | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  14. "IRelax Leaving the Workday Behind | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  15. "IRelax for Lovers | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
  16. "IRelax in Traffic | Compilation of New Age Music | Real Music".
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