A couple of weekends ago, I went to a noon concert by Sarah Spence. Some of us in the yoga scene also know her as Premratna, and she is a founder member of Shakti, a female singing group.
I shall never, ever, forget my first meeting with Sarah. I can't remember the year, but it must have been twenty or so years ago? Myself and a friend were working at a yoga school that I was half owner of, when a woman, in her twenties, came in and asked if she could go into our sadhana room (where we taught), and practice on our harmonium. Of course, we said yes.
My friend (Yogamani) and I listened outside the door as soon as Sarah started singing. We were wide eyed, grinning hugely, as we were amazed at Sarah's singing. Seriously, you have to hear her to believe it. We were transfixed, and I had never heard chanting of this quality before. Trust me, I had decades of chanting and going to kirtans, behind me.
Luckily for the yoga community, Sarah became a fixture at chanting session (kirtan), and she also went on to be a co-founder of Shakti, a group of female musicians dedicating their songs to the many forms of the Divine Mother.
Sarah sings many types of songs
Sarah sings more on her own these days, and has a very impressive repertoire. Not just yoga songs and chants. Not at all. From time to time though, she holds kirtan (yoga singing) in her town, Tauranga.
Anyways, if you get a chance to go listen to her singing somewhere, and she does move around quite a bit doing this, I 100% recommend going.
I don't go to kirtans anymore, as my life is so full, but if Sarah holds any in Auckland. where I live, I'll be doing my best to get there.
And I notice that there is a Hare Krishna house just around the corner from my home, so when I can..... I'll be there. Oh, and having some of their yummy food too 😚
What is it, about music?
It's such a personal thing. We either love certain music, or we don't. I missed the 1980s music (for which I am thankful 😃) so I don't really resonate with it. But the music of the 1970s? ah, yes. Being young and "with it", I loved most of the songs from that era. And jazz blues from a much earlier time. Mum and Joe (stepfather) loved Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, and I do too. I was on a radio slot (KFM) on Saturdays for quite some time. The Boss wanted me to talk about chakras and spiritual stuff. I had the best fun, ever. So much laughter with Shannon, the DJ. Due to my having actually listened to Mum and Joe when they talked about bits and pieces of these jazz greats (whom Shannon also loved), I gained quite a bit of mana from Shannon with my wee stories.
My first ever LP (long playing record - pre CDs and uploads 😆) was a gospel group called Black Nativity, with a great singer called Mahalia Jackson. Nanna let me play it loudly whilst I studying (which of course was only pretend studying). Looking back, I realise how accommodating she was towards me.
Links to Sarah:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/premratnasarah
and
https://www.facebook.com/sarahmarlowespence
Intsagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmarlowespence/
Link to Global Unity Festivals on you tube, here. I'm in the Wave 1, Asia/Pacific episodes.
Link to a post explaining Global Unity Festivals, here
link here about the two types of healing that I do at our clinic
about our clinic here
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