Vande Mataram (album) effort. Both, Rahman's music and singing, were appreciated, and the lead track "Maa Tujhe Salaam", with its brilliant orchestration, is a befitting '90s ode to the motherland. Another highlight is Rahman's duet with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, "Gurus of Peace"." Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a vibrant, exciting album that has the potential to reach beyond the traditional world music fan." Initially there was some negative criticism against Rahman for using phrases of India's national song "Vande Mataram" in the title track; "Maa Tujhe Salaam". With
I Exalt Thee GMA Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year. "I Exalt Thee" reached #15 on "Billboard"s Inspirational LPs. AllMusic gives the album 4.5 stars. The album includes three original songs by Driscoll, three standards, and three modern tracks from other songwriters. The title track, "I Exalt Thee", had been written by Pete Sanchez in 1975 and copyrighted in 1976. It was not, however, until Driscoll popularized it with this 1983 eponymous album, that the song and Sanchez gained national and international attention. The album was the first collaboration between Driscoll and producer, arranger, and songwriter Lari Goss, spawned by a