Editor
Music of Joy is a unique, multicultural group of musicians in Australia who believe the purpose of music is to create and share joy. Exceptional joy – jubilant, relaxing, profound. Joy that reverberates with audiences, offering elation, bliss, solace.
Much of the group’s repertoire stems from Bhajans – songs of the spirit, songs of praise and adoration. To these ancient songs, Music of Joy has added Indian traditional village songs, music from Pakistan, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, England, Israel, Russia and Africa, as well as a number of home-grown compositions by members of the group.
The experience that can result from sharing this unique world music is thoughtless awareness, a relaxed meditative state which can be understood and developed through the Sahaja Yoga Meditation practised by these musicians. It’s an experience the musicians love to share.
The group is made up of about twenty male and female singers and instrumentalists who come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Core members of the group have been performing together for more than fifteen years. Under the direction of John Smiley, an experienced music teacher and choral instructor, Music of Joy’s repertoire is accompanied by a great mix of Eastern and Western instruments, such as harmonium, guitar, bass, flute, saxophone, clarinet, tabla, dholak, djembe, chimtar, tambourine and didgeridoo. As understood in many musical philosophies, the rhythm section of the group is the heartbeat of the music, without which there is no joy.
Music of Joy has toured extensively locally and overseas. They have performed at numerous festivals and special events around Sydney. Further afield, they have delighted audiences at the Ganesha Festival in Helensburg, the Winter Magic Festival at Katoomba, Canberra’s Floriade and the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland, as well as many cultural events in Newcastle, Wollongong, Goulburn, Ulladulla, Bateman’s Bay, Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga. In addition, they have performed dozens of joyful concerts in centres throughout New South Wales.
Music of Joy featured in the NSW Art Gallery exhibition, Dancing to the Flute. Their overseas performances include meditation seminars, with audiences ranging from 500 to 8,000 people, in New Zealand, India, Italy, and most recently in the United States, where they received the acclaim of visitors from all around the world.
To hear Music of Joy singing the Bhajan, “Namostute”, click the link below. Enjoy.
[audio:19 – 19 – Australian Bhajans Group _ Namostute.mp3]
After the Sahaja Yoga Realise Australia Tour in November 2006, we have continued with the regular Sahaja Yoga meetings at the Kelso Community Centre in Bathurst. Many young Aboriginal children come and play at the centre and often join in the sessions. We often adapt the program to suit the children, and hence the programs are very spontaneous.
We found out that a River Dreaming Festival is being organised for Bathurst, in November 2007, to unite all the cultures. It will involve the making of a Big Rainbow Serpent Lantern which will move down the banks of the Macquarie River at twilight. The Rainbow Serpent is the Kundalini in Aboriginal culture. The festival will consist of a parade of various cultural groups in Bathurst with their banners, supported by stalls and music.
Two banner-making workshops were organised at the Kelso Community Centre which is mainly for the Aboriginal people of Kelso. The workshops coincidentally were on the same day as our weekly Saturday program, and we were asked to join in the festivities by making a banner.
Madhavi and I proceeded to make a banner, not knowing what to create. We spontaneously began by tracing Madhavi’s shadow as she stood with her hands
outstretched in the sun. We then painted little Kundalinis on the palms. Above the head we painted a template of the River Dreaming Festival Logo. It represents the elements of fire and water and the river at Bathurst which the festival’s director said is a feminine energy.
Madhavi suggested that blue should be used for the body to represent the cooling down that occurs as the Kundalini rises and is felt over our palms, head and body. We used yellow and orange for the background to represent the heat and dryness of the drought. When asked what the banner meant, we said that if people cooled down from within then the earth would cool down, too, and bring rain. A week later the area had 45 mm of rain!
Many different people were there from a variety of cultures, including people from Malaysia and Ireland, white Australians and people of Aboriginal heritage, all creating their own banners. Madhavi and I could feel the connection among everyone there as we worked together in this united cause.
The Aboriginal children also joined in, making their own little banners or helping with ours. I could feel their Kundalinis were so cool. I observed the oneness of their culture while they all sat together and made little badges.
Kelly Langdon
(Photograph: wikipedia)
Over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, 9-11 June 2007, Sahaja Yogis from Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Wingham came together in a small rural village called Bobin to present a Sahaja Yoga program.
The initial idea had been to have a stall as part of the Taree Envirofest on the Saturday but that was cancelled due to the wet conditions. Instead, the group made an excursion to Ellenborough Falls, followed by a meditation program at the local radio station.
On Sunday, the planned public program was held at Bobin Hall. Music by Music of Joy and Sahaj Quawwal supported the program, and a presentation of traditional Indian Dance rounded off the evening.
Thirty people received their self-realisation, with several staying on to dance the evening away and share a meal. Many telephone calls have been received since then from people who couldn’t make it to the public program but who would like to come along to local public programs.
Many thanks are due to the local radio station for promoting the program and providing the hour on air.
On Saturday 30 June 2007, a Sahaja Yoga program will be held at Erina High School Hall, Ernest St, Erina from 2.00 to 5.00 pm. There will be a guided meditation, a dance performance and a selection of world music played by “Music of Joy”.