Saturday, May 01, 2010
On Saturday, the 1st May, Nada Bindu Raga Sagara was held in the prestigious Orange County Performing Arts Center. The grand theater, the sheer size, the tiered balconies, huge Pipe Organ on the stage added to make the experience a very unique one. Teachers / leaders of different religions were present. The concert was named as “Universal Music concert”. Sri Swamiji music stood up to it. Among the several Ragas played in the concert, Sri Swamiji played a four note self created Raga, Eeshaanana. Sri Swamiji had composed this Raga in Youngstown and waited until California concert to play it. Raga Eeshaanana has just four notes “Sa, Ma, Pa and Ni – C, F, G, B”. To create a enjoyable tune out of such short scaled Raga is indeed a challenge, albeit for Sri Swamiji. The master musician He is, weaved and waxed the synthesizer and a harmonious, enjoyable formation spurt forth. Sri Swamiji was at ease with this newly created Raga and the audience were in musical bliss. The main composition of the concert was “Nada Bindu Raga Sagara” – a four Raga piece (Eeshaanana, Yogini, Kokilam and Sarasangi – Bhajan-Saptashvarudham). Sri Swamiji’s music transported the audience to musical bliss. Sri Swamiji too was at His musical best. Raga Ragini Mangala did not make the audience stir. No one felt like leaving the seat which had taken them through an amazing musical journey, captained by Sri Swamiji – showing the wonderland that is – Celestial Music. The peaks and the crevices, the panoramas, the vistas, the microcosm of each note – the beauty of the short silence passes, the wonder of micro notes. As Sri. Don Ganguly offered vote of thanks, there was a thunderous applause.
Playbill, the official magazine of the Orange county Performing Arts center, had published a special feature on Sri Swamiji’s “Nada Bindu Raga Sagara”. Sri. Kuppa Krishnamurthy had penned a small essay on the meaning of the name of the concert.
After the concert, Sri Swamiji met with Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious leaders and spoke about His music and the goodness music brings to inter religious harmony. In the meeting were:
Reverend Paul Swavely, Orange County Center for Spiritual Renewal
Kaliji
Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Unity of Tustin
Reverend Carolyne Mathlin, Ministry Director, Unity of Tustin
Scott Robinson, Exec VP, Hospice Care West (presented garland)
Shaikh Mohammed
Before the concert, When Sri Swamiji had inspected the stage, Swamiji was keenly looking at the gigantic pipe organ that was on the back wall of the stage. Mr. Tom, who observed Sri Swamiji’s interest, asked if Sri Swamiji would like to play it. Hearing Sri Swamiji’s yes, he organised 5 minute pipe organ playing for Sri Swamiji after the audience had emptied. After the concert and the meeting with religious leaders, Mr. Tom led Sri Swamiji up to the Pipe Organ. Sri Swamiji sat on the stool, with levers, keys, pedals and key boards awaiting the divine touch. Sri Swamiji played the Pipe organ for about 15 minutes. Later Mr. Tom took Sri Swamiji to the insides of the mechanism of Pipe Organ. The multitude of mechanics… all cleanly assembled in a five story high room was mind boggling.
On Sunday, Sri Chakra Puja and Ganapathy Homa were performed in the Sanatana Dharma temple in Cerritos. Sri. Bhiku Patel, founder of the temple offered garland to Sri Swamiji. During the discourse (which was of a informal question-answer type) Sri Swamiji spoke about the Eeshaanana Raga.
