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The Adidam Sacred Music Guild is happy to announce Radiance, a stunningly beautiful and powerful 2-CD set of nearly two hours of devotional music featuring live chants and sacred offerings from Adi Da Samrajashram — all recorded since Tropical Cyclone Winston hit Adi Da Samrajashram in February, 2016.

This brief excerpt is from Track 2, "Ruchira Avatara". This was recorded during the first sacred occasion in the temple, Is-Da Happen, after the cyclone. (More information about album tracks here.)

Radiance is available as a 2-CD set from the Dawn Horse Press; or as MP3 downloads from CD Baby or Amazon.com. You can listen to samples from all 12 tracks at CD Baby.

Proceeds from this album will go toward equipment for Sacred music at Adi Da Samrajashram (e.g., better amplifiers, microphones, etc.).

[If you enjoy this album, help us let others know about it! Write a review on Amazon.com or CD Baby.]

The exquisite devotional offerings on Radiance bring us all directly to Bhagavan's Holy Feet at His Great Hermitage and remind us that, despite the damage wrought by the cyclone, His Divine Presence remains Sublimely Untouched and Present there. Devotees and friends from all over the world came together to serve and restore the Holy Places and we offer this Sacred music at His Blessed Feet with all our love and devotion. All the recordings were made by the Adidam Sacred Music Guild during live occasions in the various Temples on Naitauba.

Compiled and produced by Antonina Randazzo and Caroline Lindsay; sound production by Aaron Nakagawa.

Chants composed by Chris Merz, Caroline Lindsay, Dalia Zirkiev, Antonina Randazzo, Rick Evans, Aura Bakker, Steve Brown, Jacqueline Clemons, Simon Llewelyn Evans, and Lucy Arqué.

The painting by Nara Wood on the CD cover is of the "chanting room" at Samraj Mahal (on Adi Da Samrajashram), where countless musical offerings were made to Avatar Adi Da during His Lifetime when He was spending time there.

Album design and layout by Matt Barna.

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John Wubbenhorst interviews master dhrupad player Rishabh Dhar (via Skype). Rishabh lives in Calcutta, India. He is the son of the first lady dhrupad singer in India, Ashoka Dhar), and travels around the world giving concerts and workshops.

Rishabh first talks about having spent twenty years living in his music Guru's house, immersed in in-depth learning of his musical craft in the traditional Gurukula (family of the Guru) manner.

He then talks about the many times he has played music for Adi Da on Naitauba in Fiji. He recalls giving a sacred musical offering for Adi Da, and about an extraordinary occurrence that took place when Adi Da gave him prasad after the offering. He also talks about the amazing resemblance of Adi Da and Swami Vivekananda which holds a special significance for him.

Devotees describe the beneficial impact of sacred music on their practice of the Way of Adidam, during the Celebration of Da Purnima on Adi Da Samrajashram, in July, 2014. The music was performed by John Wubbenhorst and Peter Van Gelder (sitar), on many different occasions.

John writes: "It was a very full Celebration of Da Purnima at Adi Da Samrajashram in Fiji. Peter Van Gelder (sitar) and myself (bansuri flute) came for music service and we were very busy every day. Each morning we would sit for several hours practicing the most refined compositions from Peter's music guru Ali Akbar Khan and we would chose what we felt would be the best gifts for our Guru, Adi Da, that day. Almost every day there would be offerings and also many chanting occasions. It is very tangible the difference between playing at Adi Da Samrajashram and playing music anywhere else. The island is so full of Beloved Adi Da that as soon as we would start to play, we would feel the music coming from a deeper place and that would in turn help everyone to drop into deeper communion with Beloved, which would then allow the music to be deeper — and on and on."

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Peter van Gelder (sitar), John Wubbenhorst (bansuri), and Samrat Kakkeri (tabla) will perform a Sacred Offering of classical Indian ragas on 2pm on June 3, 2012, in Land Bridge Pavilion at The Mountain Of Attention.

This is a fundraising event to support sending musicians to Naitauba for Da Purnima.

Suggested donation: $15. (No one is turned away.)
For more information, call: 301-346-0789.

Event poster here.

Words by Avatar Adi Da Samraj (below).

Soundtrack is from the CD, The Teaching Manual of Perfect Summaries Recitation and Chants, by the Adidam Sacred Music Guild (vocals: Rosa Guilfoyle and Elaine Dixon).

Images by Ute Possega-Rudel.

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John Wubbenhorst (bansuri) and Samrat Kakkeri (tabla) provide a Sacred Offering of North Indian ragas. Concert benefits sacred musicians' travel to Naitauba, Fiji.

Time: 2:30pm, June 12, 2011
Place: Land Bridge Pavilion, The Mountain Of Attention Sanctuary

$15 suggested donation.
Call 301-346-0789 for more information.

Tags: Facing East   John Wubbenhorst   Samrat Kakkeri   bansuri   tabla