Rock On, Hanuman

Here's a fun take on the story of Hanuman from M.C. Yogi, with some back-up kirtan from Krishna Das!

Rock On, Hanuman!

Yesterday's Twitter: Nirali Kartik - Raag Bhairavi

I follow Maati Baani at Twitter, and that's how I learned about this new YouTube video from Maati Baani's Nirali Kartik. This performance is part of a concert entitled "Krishna and I," and as she says in the YouTube notes: This concert celebrates Krishna in all his beauty! The lyrics are by Surdas, who you can read about at Wikipedia.

Nirali Kartik - Raag Bhairavi

Music Video: Maati Baani. Rang Rangiya.

This is one of my favorite Maati Baani videos, and you can see the English lyrics at the YouTube page: Rang Rangiya. Turn on the "CC" (closed captions) while watching the video to see the subtitles.

Here is what Nirali and Kartik have to say about this lovely song at Storyacious, and you can also read an article about the making of the song here: Pakistani, Indian artists jointly release song on Independence Day.

On the 15th of August, the sixty-eighth Independence Day for both Pakistan and India, we released a one-of-a-kind song called ‘Rang Rangiya’ to celebrate the true spirit of freedom. Real freedom is when the mind is free from thoughts of hatred, greed and vengeance. The song speaks of how our generation can change the world through the language and colors of love for our fellow human beings, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion and country. In response to all the violence that is unfolding across the world, we humbly present this offering of a joy-filled collaboration between several Indian and Pakistani musicians. And, just as we all have used our music to transcend the boundaries and barriers that exist between our respective countries, we hope that the song will inspire other people from both countries to reach out to each other similarly. We can all work towards building these kinds of new bridges as we go about our daily lives and work so that divisiveness becomes a thing of the past and the future is filled with colorful possibilities and opportunities.

Revelations: Celebrating LGBTQ Stories Through Bharathanatyam

Here is another wonderful video from the IndianRaga YouTube Channel: Revelations: Celebrating LGBTQ Stories Through Bharathanatyam. You can find out more about the Bharathanatyam dance tradition at Wikipedia.

Here is a summary of the story of the dance as told in words:

In honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), IndianRaga is proud to present this piece by 2016 Dance Fellow Aarthy Sundar that takes a glimpse into the life of a transgender woman who reflects on her past. She remembers a time when she was rejected, not only by society and her own family, but also by herself, as she was unable to even glance at her own reflection in the mirror.  After transitioning, going through both a physical and an emotional change, she is finally able cast away the shroud, and be happy with the reflection she sees in the mirror. 

Here is an interview with the dancer, Aarthy Sundar, who is from Plano, Texas:

LGBTQ Stories Through Bharathanatyam

This is a wonderful video from the IndianRaga YouTube Channel: Revelations: Celebrating LGBTQ Stories Through Bharathanatyam. You can find out more about the Bharathanatyam dance tradition at Wikipedia.

Here is a summary of the story of the dance as told in words:

The story starts by showing a close, affectionate bond between the Mother and her Daughter when the Mother says that she wants her Daughter to get married soon to a worthy boy. At this point the Daughter finally comes out and tells her Mother the truth about herself. The rest is a constant fight between the two until they reach peace and understanding. At the end, the Mother finally accepts her Daughter as well as her significant other.

The Sarod

This video will teach you about the Indian musical instrument called "sarod," and you can also find out more at Wikipedia.

Indian Music Mash-Up: Karsh Kale's Hallelujah

This version of Leonard Cohen's song Hallelujah by Karsh Kale features Ajay Prassanna on flute and Shilpa Rao singing the Hindi song Jhoola intermixed with the Leonard Cohen song, plus echoes of Warren Mendonsa's "Ode to a Sunny Day." You can see the lyrics and find out more about the song at YouTube.