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I have some footage for you from Saturday night at the Orpheum Theatre with Snatam Kaur. One of the best parts was right before this was filmed... she invited me on stage for a song we had not rehearsed: Guru Ram Das Raakho Saranaa-ee.
This song played on repeat throughout my entire birth with my second son (read about my freebirth) here. It's kind of amazing how that happened!
Alright, here is Snatam and I singing her Longtime Sun together.
I was so blessed to be part of this class at Bhakti Fest. Kia Miller is an amazing hatha and kundalini yoga teacher. I love playing music for her classes. And at Bhakti Fest! People are so engaged and appreciative to move their bodies to live mantra music/kirtan.
Thank you to Monica Page Subia, Chad Wilkins, Chad Wilkins and Oshri Hakak for joining me in making a joyous noise!
After the nice comments I got about my full album video of The Cosmic Gift, I was inspired to make one for my latest release: -8.
This album means a lot to me because it marks my return to the world of producing.
For those of you who do not know what that entails, producers make music sound like more than just a live recording. They make the artists you know and love sound like "them."
Chad Wilkins was my co-producer on this album, and he added so many great elements, like a reggae vibe on "Ra Ma Da Sa", and all the ukulele harmonies that sound like harp to my ears sometimes. Without his contributions, this album would sound very different.
And given that I LOVE the way this album turned out, I'm glad it doesn't.
Chad also played most of the instruments on this album including ukulele, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, and even a little bit of organ (for "Ra Ma Da Sa").
In fact, I appreciated the elements he added so much I decided to release a spin-off album called Minus Vox. It's everything except the voices.
The other contributors to this album added equally uplifting additions: Jai Jot Singh on percussion, Ram Dass Khalsa on clarinet, and Caleb Michel on drum kit for "Kabir's Realization."
I had so much fun making this album. And I felt so grateful to have been able to devote as much time as I did to it, thanks to my sister-in-law watching my children 4 days a week.
This was my first endeavor since having children that made me realize I could mother AND chant, and have enough time for both.
On Friday night I did a kirtan with my longtime musical partner, Monica Page Subia. In all the years we have played live shows together, I had NEVER seen her lead chant herself. This is humorous not only because she does it way more often that I do, but also because she is AMAZING at it.
I will post one of the songs that she led very soon. For now, I did the opening invocation - "Bhalay Amar Das" (from -8) and an unrecorded version of "Ong Namo."
Monica wanted me to explain what "Bhalay Amar Das" meant in the beginning of the kirtan, and, honestly, I was a little stumped. Besides knowing that it is a song written in praise on Guru Amar Das by Bal the Poet, all I could do was say how it FELT to me.
That seems to be a lot more in the forefront of my chanting these days. I pick chants based on how I FEEL about them... how I FEEL when I chant them... how I FEEL when others chant them with me.
I have a bit of a different perspective when it comes to writing songs in English, where meaning is very important to me. I suppose that is because I am WRITING the words, rather than interpreting them with new melodies.
I really liked the way these songs turned out. Our band was great. The people who showed up were ready to use their "outside" voices. And how could you not love the name of the studio we played at: Joyful Yoga!?
If you enjoy the opening song, this is a video of the recorded version.
