Spot on…and well funny!

Came across this dude a few months ago. He nails it regarding certain issues in India. Issues that a lot of my fellow India-travellers seem to be blind for. Perhaps mostly through overdosing on (fake) spiritual crap. Anyway, Wilbur Sargunaraj…hope this man’s videos will spread a bit more. Enjoy and learn. (-°-)

Goa revisited prt.1

After working and living in Indonesia (95/96) I went (briefly) back to Belgistan only to find out that I’ve left my heart somewhere in Asia. Rapidly, I was searching for new ways to get back to it (Asia) ASAP! It didn’t really mind which country exactly…as long as it was in that region. But, I believe if you want something bad enough (in a healthy way mind), the Universe picks it up and will bring you closer to it. So while strolling through Antwerp one afternoon I stumbled upon a wee shop called “Ganesh & Co”. A typical hippie/India/incense/statue-shop that you’ll  find pretty much in every town these days. I got acquainted with the owner of the shop and during one of our conversations he shared his idea of wanting to start a guesthouse in Goa, India. If only he could find someone who was willing to run the place, since he (the owner) had to be in Antwerp most of the time. Needless to write I guess that I stuck onto his idea like flies to shit!

A few weeks later we both flew to Bombay, then the bus to Goa. (I’ll do a post soon on my first impressions of India, since it’s hard to describe it in just a few lines). We went scouting for locations and a suitable house…and found one in Anjuna (Goa). Anjuna was back then (already) pretty crowded. Especially on Wednesdays (tourist-season only) when the flea-market is held. It’s set up in a coconut grove edging the beach. Yes…there are worse spots to spend a Wednesday afternoon. ;)   And the market exists out of hundreds of stalls selling stuff coming from all over India. Tibetans selling beautiful silver jewellery. And even the occasional traveller with own leather-carving work, seashell jewellery, etc. Except that it has grown enormously in size since then (97) (it had already since the flea-market started back in the sixties), the flea-market still has the same vibrant buzz to it. Some will debate this…to each his own. (-°-)

Perhaps I should have called this post “Arambol revisited” rather than “Goa revisited”…then again….the word “Goa” probably scores better in the search-results, better leave it. ;) Since Anjuna demanded a pretty full-power kind of living-style, i.e.; too many of them “Goa-trance-parties” (which until this very day I loath!) and since there were just too many drugs on the scene it attracted (at least to me) the wrong kinds of people. And since, by nature, I get easily tired and bored of how people (mis)behave when they’re in groups…I set out on my motorbike from time to time to go and explore other parts of Goa. On one occasion I was driving up north from Anjuna when suddenly the road stopped at a river. I could cross with a shabby old beaten’ ferry. About fifty minutes later I was on the other side, driving through little roads crossing hills until I saw this sign saying “Harmal/Arambol”. I followed it and eventually I arrived at a very nice tourist-free beach. The beach had a nice cliff-side and near it big shark-tooth-like rocks sticking out of the sea. There was such an amazing pleasant vibe on this beach and the local people that I soon got to know were (and still are) diamonds! Guesthouses or hotels…if there were any at all at that time….were certainly not found by me. Someone in Arambol “town” had told me that there was a guesthouse in the village of Aswem called “Villa River Cat”. A peculiar name I found and checked it out. It was some sort of Portuguese roundhouse villa…ground-floor plus one  floor on top. It was set among coconut palms and the beautiful garden of the house edged on the river. It was an amazing lush beautiful exotic spot. (little did I know that some years later I’d be working here). The place had also a fair share of cats (hence the name) and some dogs. All peacefully living together. The whole place exhaled tranquility and seemed so far removed from the mindless pill-popping crowds in Anjuna. I decided to book a few nights. And promised myself that…from then on, if I should visit Goa again…I’d make Arambol my base. TBC…

Hilarious!

Dropouts (-°-)

Documentary about “Hippies” in Goa.
Enjoy. (-°-)

Learning = Available! (-°-)

Today is the day…my first single release, “Learning” is now available on beatport!!! (-°-)
http://www.beatport.com/release/learning/870083
Click Below to listen to a clip of the track. And please remember, takings from the track will be donated to the Cheb I Sabbah Cancer-Fund.

Arambolitis

Musically it has been a rather pleasant week.
A week ago I got my first contract with a label (Chill Om Records) in Delhi.
And since two days ago the project that I’ve been working on the last few weeks – Arambolitis volume 1 – has been released
An album that has been put together by musicians from Arambol (India) and the takings from the album will be donated to the Ebin-Foundation.
http://www.ebinfoundation.org
We gonna try our best to make this an annual thing/release.
Each year the musicians will choose a different organization to donate the money to.

Please spread the word people and buy the online album. It’s not even 5€…which is peanuts to most of us…and a lot of fivers put together can, and surely will, help those kids to get just that little closer to their goal!This is what Arambol is about…and what this community is about…to join forces and achieve something good!

Peace
The children and the Arambolitis Crew!

BOOM!

For years I’ve been cooking up half baked tunes and tracks that never made it any further than a Hard-Drive or a self-run website.
Never thought that anybody would actually be interested in them. But some rather nice comments (by some friends and others) recently on a few tracks (that I did share) made me decide to send some of my brews to a few labels. Only a few days ago I got contacted by – Chill Om Records – a label based in Delhi/India. If I would be interested for them to release – Learning – (the tune that I made for Cheb I Sabbah) as a single and putting it on a compilation also. And in time maybe releasing an album. I got the news last Monday, and I’m still on a happy buzz. :) We’ll see what comes of it…but the mere fact that someone noticed me and even liked it enough to release it through their label…never could ‘ave imagined that.
Big ups! to -Chill Om Records – thanks guys! (-°-)

bAck.

Namaste World,
Yes, it’s been a while…
Been busy working on my little home-studio and self-educating a bit on some new machinery during the last few months.
Will share some pictures and soundz soon.;)

The world’s been busy as usual and lots of good and less good stuff happened on this little planet.
I’ll pick two. nice…and sad…balance must be. (-°-)

First, the sad news.On 27th of November 2011, the great sarangi master
- Ustad Sultan Khan – passed away.
Been a great fan of his sarangi playing and singing for years, and even managed to see him perform with – Tabla Beat Science -
in London (2003).
Thank you for the beautiful music. (-°-)

The Dewarists:
About two months ago Star World (India) started to air a series called the Dewarists.
The series brings together musicians of different backgrounds but mainly Indian musicians as it is also filmed on
various locations in India. The musicians meet at a certain location, ranging from jungle to desert, and in a few days they record a song/track together.
The show is presented by Monica Dogra (Shaair&Func) and
she does a fantastic job. (She also joins the musicians on a few tracks.
As I write, so far 9 episodes have been aired. The neat thing is that only several hours after it’s being aired in India
it is put on youtube for the rest of the world to watch. :)

Here are my three most favourite episodes so far. A bit biased perhaps, but my favourite ones all seem to have a musician in there
who is/was linked with the Asian Underground/Asian Massive scene.
Starting with the latest episode (so far) which is episode 9 featuring Karsh Kale. Second one in line (episode 8) is starring MidivalPunditz and Humble The Poet.
And number three (episode 5) with Shri (Badmarsh&Shri) and Monica Dogra.
Enjoy. (-°-)

15th of August 1947: Independence day in India

I’ll never forget when I was in India in 1997…on the 15th of August…50 years of Independence…big celebrations everywhere.
Attached is a BBC documentary about the partition of India. Still I come across people in the west who don’t even know that before this date, India & Pakistan was one country.
Over a million of people were killed during this partition-process. Independence is more than hanging a flag out of one’s window.
A moment of silence in respect and remembrance of the people who lost their lives. (-°-)

Dhrupad

A form or genre in Indian classical music. Perhaps the oldest in that musical tradition. Here’s part 1 of a seven-part documentary on the subject.
enjoy.