Disciples of Sri Chinmoy presented their master’s compositions in a “Songs of the Soul” concert in Denpasar, Bali on February 8, 2019. Here are some excerpts.
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Ceremony at Bali Peace Airport
Five years ago the Sri Chinmoy Peace Airport Ngurah Rai of Denpasar, Bali, received a small statue of Sri Chinmoy in addition to the plaque within a beautiful little garden at the Arrival exit. Two weeks ago, a group of students of Sri Chinmoy organized a ceremony at this venue; here are a few glimpses.
Songs of the Soul Concert in Bali TV
Bali TV recorded the whole concert in Denpasar and made several interviews. This is the first clip that has been published on YouTube.
Songs of the Soul concert in Madeira
Music groups from around the world performed melodies of Sri Chinmoy in the church IHS Igreja do Colégio in Funchal, Madeira. The concert was part of a series called “Songs of the Soul” and took place on January 13, 2019.
Janaka receives “Order of the Rising Sun”
This year, Janaka Alan Spence from the Edinburgh Sri Chinmoy Centre received the Order of the Rising Sun, an honour bestowed by the Japanese government in the name of the Emperor. Janaka, who is one of Scotland’s best-loved poets and authors, received the award for his books of haiku poetry and his novels set in Japan, and for promoting Scottish-Japanese friendship and cultural exchange over many years. Created in 1875, the Order of the Rising Sun is Japan’s third highest honour, and is (with rare exceptions) the highest that can be given to non-royalty or non-politicians. The award was presented by the Japanese Consul-General, Daisuke Matsunaga, in a special ceremony at his residence in Edinburgh. The presentation ceremony was attended by a few dignitaries and friends from the arts, along with friends from the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Janaka sang one of the many songs that Sri Chinmoy wrote in honour of Japan, in both English and in Japanese:
Janaka published his first book – a collection of short stories called Its colours they are fine – over 40 years ago. His first book of poetry, Glasgow Zen, was published in 1990, and was followed by The Clear Light and Seasons of the Heart.Janaka has also written two novels set in Japan and inspired by Japanese historical events. The first novel, The Pure Land, was published in 2006. Night Boat was published in 2014 and retells the life of the Japanese Zen monk Hakuin.
Piano performance in Malta 1991
Sri Chinmoy plays the piano as part of a concert in Valletta, Malta in 1991, concluding with his final meditation. Filmed by kedarvideo.
Yogamaya Celebration April 1994
In April 1994 Sri Chinmoy celebrated the 100th birthday of his mother Yogamaya with a week-long celebration including many meditations and talks. This meditation took place on April 9 while the Bhajan Singers were performing.
Sri Chinmoy also spoke to his disciples and emphasized on divine manifestation as major role of a seeker. Both videos were filmed in the New York meditation Center in Jamaica, Queens.
Concerts for 100th Anniversary of Czechoslovakia
To mark the 100th Anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, members of the Sri Chinmoy Centre offered three special concerts dedicated to the friendship between the Czech and Slovak Republics. The tour began with a concert in Zlin on 15th November. The second concert was held at Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav Theatre in Bratislava on 16th November. The following day on the 17th November, the final concert was offered at Dvorak Hall, Rudolfinum in Prague. The 17th of November is also a significant date in Czech/Slovak history as it marks the ‘Velvet Revolution’ and the end of Communist rule. The concerts contained performances from four different musical groups, along with a video projection of one of Sri Chinmoy’s own Peace Concerts. The performers included Alap and Lucas on flute and duduk; the sitar-tabla-tanpura trio of Kanala, Sadananda and Ushika; and Shamita and Bhoiravi from Austria on strings. The finale was the international Sahadeva Ensemble, with over 60 members.
SAVITA in Switzerland
This is the first time that the spiritual music group SAVITA from Kazaksthan was on tour in Zurich, Switzerland. They are all disciples of Sri Chinmoy and played and sang their master’s melodies and also used two native instruments of their country: the Kobyz (a kind of violin) and the Dombra (a kind of mandolin). The members of the group are Akbota (leader), Anara, Nazerke, Akkerbez, Assemgul, Varvara and Anna. Enjoy the music!
Sri Chinmoy’s Art
To commemorate the 44th anniversary of Sri Chinmoy’s first rose drawing that he made in Canada on November 19, 1974, I am presenting a new journey through 81 paintings of the artist from the 1970s. He called his artwork “Jharna-Kala” which is the Bengali word for “Fountain-Art” – art that is created from within.
