Aykanna Shares Love of the Divine From “I am Woman” and “Adi Shakti” to “Jai Ma,” Aykanna blends sounds and genres from slow, sacred chanting to funky experimental beats. Through music and mantra, they express the many dimensions of the divine feminine. Aykanna is soulful Sukhdev Jackson and Grammy-nominated percussionist Akahdahmah. They are partners in [...]
In the 200 years that Eastern spiritual teachings have been filtering into American life, the disseminators have included great artists as well as gurus, scholars, and scientists. We have absorbed the principles of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Asian traditions through the poems of T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats; the novels of Herman Hesse, Somerset Maugham [...]
Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy: Living with Tibetan Chants for World Peace Mickey Hart, known for being the drummer extraordinaire in the long-lived and well-loved Grateful Dead, is passionate about world music. He’s toured with world musicians including Zakir Hussain in the Global Drum project (recently heard at UCLA and reviewed in LA YOGA) and has [...]
Alanis and Wade Morissette Rock the House Twins find Resolution through Ritual Onstage By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN “This has long been a dream of mine,” rock star Alanis Morissette announced to a theater full of fans. Her dream? To sit side-by-side with twin brother Wade Imre Morissette, who is himself a recording artist and [...]
The two areas of my life I’m most passionate about are music and Yoga. Rare is the day that I don’t engage in both. They have literally transformed me, making it impossible to imagine where I would be today without them. Each, on its own, has helped me create a greater sense of inner peace, [...]
Awakened Earth Offers Stellar Kundalini Devotional Music When it comes to super easy listening from the world of kundalini devotional music, it doesn’t get much easier than Awakened Earth. Violins, flute, and harp give this newest release from Mirabai Ceiba a strong classical vibe, yet the album stays grounded in the present with a light [...]
Music Cares Serves Those Who Sing For Their Supper Elton John and Cheryl Crow Photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage.com (c) 2010; Courtesy of: The Recording Academy(r) It’s a typical sunny day in southern California, unseasonably – yet expectedly – warm. The sky is clear, the trees are blooming. I’m on my way to live my [...]
The opening notes of Magic and Grace set the tone for an experience that is both meditative and expansive with Jeff Andrews’ hammer dulcimer dancing with Adrienne Woods’ cello. The magic continues throughout Philippo Franchini’s compositions on the gifted musician’s newest album. Magic and Grace reveals the artist’s exploration of Nada Yoga – the practice [...]
At this point, Tina Turner could do just about any music project. She chose Beyond, which will probably not sell a million units. That says a lot. This is the same woman who, in 1969, taught Mick Jagger to be a proper front man. The fusing of Buddhist and Christian prayers is a bold undertaking. [...]
“Man…tra; Man- means ‘mind’; -tra means ‘to free’,” Vijay Krsna tells me. The young Hare Krishna devotee from the UK who was born to the sound of his father singing Om Namah Shivaya on his guitar wants to share a kirtan experience with one and all. “To call out and have someone open their heart [...]