Music for the Soul
We all know how powerful and transformative the vibrations and frequencies of sound can be for our body and soul. But I never fully realized how powerful this experience could be when sharing it with a tightly cuddled cluster of 400 open hearts surrendering to the music and then emitting that Love vibration back into the Universe. The Thursday night Balispirit Festival concert line up was merely a teasing precursor to the magic the weekend nights will also hold. The mood for the evening was elegantly set right away. Comparable with most practices we began the evening with 3 spacious “Aums” (Oms), bringing in the love and light and settling all into the NOW moment. Never underestimate the repercussions of this element.
As we finished our Aums and the music began its first enticing melodies, I could feel the energy of the entire space transition from an anxious, electrifying, unsettled feel into a calm and collected, cohesive center as we prepared for the healing vibes to flow through us. Creative melodic runs coupled with tight flawless harmonies kept everyone entranced in the present moment. This was a beautiful way to kick off the evening, most notably the closing song of the first set. A massive, what I can only describe to be, didjeridu cannon was played while sound practitioner Shervin Boloorian applied a soothing Latin prayer song. What I loved so much about this was, as the musician played his didjeridu he held it up and made large circular movements as to direct the sound waves into every corner and every being in the room. I was blasted with a geometric sound wave pattern that permeating every cell of my being. I could literally feel a physical alteration in my body as I was flooding with non-stop chills.
The second act of the evening was Sufi Soul Sangeet with Tahir Qawwal. This was my first experience with any type of Sufi music and I was very impressed. As a musician myself I must say I was very impressed with by the technicalities and complexity of the music created here. A violin, a hand pumped piano box, sporadic yet technical bongo beats, and three singers wailing improvisational heartfelt runs from the soul all gelled together for a perfect recipe for Love. I have never witnessed an audience held in such captivation as I saw when Tahir was singing. The emotion portrayed through his voice was felt deep in my soul. Even though was singing in a foreign language to me, I could understand his mood and emotional conveyance. I was entrained with this group as they took me on an intimate journey through Pakistan and India. Highly recommended!
If you haven’t seen Kevin James yet, you HAVE to! Kevin closed the evening off in his usual style of what I would describe as family togetherness. Instead of performing up on stage, Kevin was seated in the middle of the floor while everyone surrounded him. The stage itself became the venue for the concert goers circling in around Kevin. It reminded me of an intimate campfire gathering with your best friends. Kevin kept to the theme of the night in reminding us all that we truly are ONE collective consciousness. Doing this through mantras and song has a very impactful resonance behind it. When Kevin struck the first chord of his set, a buzz of energy surged through the crowd as if it was our first Christmas morning! 400 hearts connected in spirit affirming mantras building with excitement from each strum and mantra repeat. Everyone in the building was moving and singing to the tantalizing rhythms. What an un”bali”able night of music! The remaining nights are a MUST for me, I definitely wouldn’t miss out on this euphoric experience! Much love to the talent and emotions shared from all these musicians!
Written by : Christopher Fannon