Hello and welcome back to a better world.
This is your host Mitchell, J Raven and we're very glad you're
joining us again. Today.
Today, we're going to have a Another very interesting show.
We have two, lovely guests with us, Deva premal and Mitten.
They were in New York recently. Performing at cyanide house, it
was sponsored by be yoga. And they gave us a beautiful
concert and really it was more than a concert.
It was, by no means any ordinary concert.
It was a time of creating a spiritual space where everyone
was participating. They engaged the audience, To
sing with them. And it was really a beautiful
scaffolding of sound that emerge from that space because of the
way they conduct their concerts. So we're very glad to have you
on today. Yeah, he's been traveling the
world for now, at this point, some years, right?
And you've recorded like nine or ten CDs.
You've been playing together for about 12 years and loving each
other, because that's obvious, it comes.
He's through with the busic magnificently.
Yeah. What originally promote kind of
inspired you to go in this direction as a musician and it
just all happened, you know it wasn't a decision or it wasn't
even when you didn't know about, you know, I didn't even wish for
it. It's the most beautiful thing
which happened but it just all fell into place.
First, I met me 10 and I wasn't singing, then I wasn't a
musician and I just fell in love with him as a Person is the
beautiful person is that's a good end reason to fall in love.
And you talking about, I mean I have a kind of a musical
background with my mother being a musician and my father being a
drama. So it's kind of in my blood and
it's in my childhood. I had lessons with violin and
piano and stuff, but it was very, I wasn't exceptionally,
great added or anything, you know?
But I had a musical ear. And then when I, when I first
Fell in love with me 10. I thought, maybe we could sing
together, you know? Because I knew I could somehow
hold a tune that much. I knew, right?
But you hold a Bhajan, we actually fell in love in ashram.
The music is born out of spirituality and our connection
with the Divine. So we never played anywhere
other than international. Well, before I was a rock and
roll musician for many years before, but I'd stop playing
music for many British rock and roll a British Rock.
The instruction. Oh yeah, that's a long time ago.
I forgotten most of it. Fortunately but the the mantras
came purely out of a space of Devotion to a master and, and we
eventually left India and started to share it in the west.
And it just kind of organically grow into what you saw the other
night. It was it's never ever been a
performance. Never been a decision.
Let's make music to be famous or let's make music to do.
Whatever you saw the other night, it's only very or for us.
It's a very organic procedure. It's actually like to call it
Tantra, you know, with clothes on, you know, just sit there and
we just share our love and our connection to the Divine through
the music. That's our thing.
Well, that much was really clear, actually really close.
Yeah, yeah, it's true. What Master fan asked wishing
redfish. Yes.
The sex guru. Yeah, I wanted to Therefore, all
the fun. Well, it's, you know, I mean, I
know there was some interesting publicity but after twenty odd
years and of meditation is meditations and his guidance, I
can only be totally grateful for for what he gave us from our was
still in his meditations at 11 years old.
Oh yeah, she's been, she's been meditating for ever when we met
she chaotic meditation. I did that many years going.
Graduates me when I went to graduate school.
Very nice. Yeah.
It was designed for the Western mind, you know.
Yes, designed to help anybody quieten, exactly.
Yeah, yeah. So, you know, he was a
interesting guy. God created.
A lot of waves and and I'll be always taught be grateful to him
now. Yeah, now, I feel like with any
Master, he Really an exception. You know, I mean he the other
person that comes to mind who is from the East that mastered
Western psychology. I feel was trungpa rinpoche both
of these men, Osho rajneesh and Troopa.
I mean from Pain went to Oxford and studied psychology
comparative religion, Etc, and English and Osho just had this
natural affinity for the Western mind, me just like, Got us.
You know, you know, I mean exactly.
It just came through a lot. I think the difference is that,
you know, I'll show you, he didn't have this lineage of the
Tibetan teachings. He was basically making it up as
you went along and that was the beauty of it.
You would always kept in the moment and challenged, you know,
this is very amazing and yet at the same time, though, he's a
tremendous amount of learning behind us, you know?
I mean, it was really notable, I mean, I'm talking about
Kierkegaard and schopenhauer. I mean, you know, it was
extraordinary. Know you could speak on Zen for
month and become a Zen master and he could speak on Tanger.
The next month to become attention master and it's
pictures that are very good enough.
I used to just love, listening to listen to the tapes, like 19
drive, just loved his voice. We're just like, permeate into
your bones, you know? So that's where you met in India
in Pune. And you true love, you began
singing and your voice is so beautiful right now.
It really is. You just hit these tones.
And now I understand if you've been doing chaotic meditation,
since you were 11, there's no, there's nobody.
That's what is never. She's never sung in a club.
She's never said, because she wanted to make, make a career,
right? Exactly.
It was born of love and of spirit.
I mean, it's really totally untrained, but I make sure to
get this today. I just I just got discovered
your voice changes when you change inside, you know it's
like a reflection of your inner being.
Yeah. And I'm really terrible with
technique or I don't practice really but I just always could
feel my voice changing like in you know, suddenly it would
sound different and the great thing is it goes both ways.
You know, so when you, when you work on your voice, you also
change your insides. It's like, you know, exactly.
You do power Awful because they're not disconnected, right?
No, I know. You mean, were you raised in the
ashram? No, not really.
I mean, I became his disciple when I was 11 my own choice, but
then I kept going to school, I was wearing the red clothes and
the Marla, you know, it's with Alexis, in Germany must have
been popular. I don't know.
I think everybody was too shy to ask me like what it was about.
Yeah. Reserved, you know, I have to
bring the that's a nice. I like actually to be in Germany
because you don't get any, any, any hassle of vibe somehow, you
know, people are very much in their own space and respect
that, I like that. So that's why I think that's
what happens now. So it's sort of like a space of
let be let you know. Let's will sort of.
Yeah. I mean, despite what might be
going on on the inside the outer It is, you know, they're not
going to bother you, and you can just, you know, and so you were
a rock musician. And yet, I guess it was the
spiritual life that brought forth this deeper wish to sing
bhajans and chants and mantras. Yeah.
Yeah, basically, the music came back to me.
I'd stop playing music. When I, when I actually
discovered meditation was not necessary anymore for me too.
Justify my existence through making music.
So it was a gift for me not to not to play anymore and let that
old life go and everything else that went with it.
She was like for me was a rebirth and when the music came
back it came back and very it came back in a fresh and new and
very innocent way, you know, and I've been a songwriter forever.
So the songs the songs were bubbling Blowing up.
And most of them were just we'll all of them were just songs of
gratitude you know and for the last 20 years that's that's
basically what I've been doing. So you are you write the songs
that you do all of them? Some those that are not known
bhajans? Well yeah, the bhajans we either
compose ourselves, The Melodies and the chords and stuff.
Or we have friends who come in, we have some good musician,
friends. You know, bringing bringing In
good, Melodies. And so, we have a little family
of Deva premal, support support people, you know?
Yeah, it's a very beautiful family.
I'm sure. I mean, the sound of your voice
is too and you will all have a chance to hear.
At the end of the show, they'll be doing a couple of songs for
us. So The sound.
The there's this like, golden blend that happens.
As I noticed your color, it really is kind of a golden blend
of the way. Your two voices.
Relate to, you know, you've got the, you know, it's like the
masculine and The Feminine energy is very powerful, but so
complementary that it just creates this, like no other.
You know, it's almost like giving birth in a way.
It's like the male and the female coming together and
creating a third being, you know, but it's all done.
One on the level of sound that was my experience in hearing and
listening and being there, you know, as I say, unlike any
concert, or what have you, I was able to just kind of sit back
and meditate and just totally ride the wave that you guys kind
of started, you know? That's a, that's a healing, you
know? Yeah, that's why we do it.
We do it. We traveling so much and we
traveled in, like, least for the last 10 years, around 10 months
of the year, we travel You know, 10 months, 10 months of the year
and then we take a couple of months off and then we're on the
road again and we've been doing that for ten years.
Now that only way you can do that is if when you play the
music, it's a healing. Yeah, it's a relaxation, you
know? And that's what like a coming
home. It's coming at home and it's
also so beautiful because he really meet people on a deep
level and Not only with it, you know, we like you you were
there. We always invite everyone to
sing. But then also people come and
meet us in after the concert and you meet all these beautiful
people and it's in your hug and it's just such a family feeling,
you know, it's really so beautiful create that atmosphere
and people meet you, they go via the other distance.
So you've got a happy family. Yeah, yeah.
It's kind of Woodstock which that's right.
Be visited, right. When you do wherever you play,
but it's part of a it's about, it's part of our nourishment,
that that interval we never want to leave the stage and we never
want to leave the place. We just hang out there with
people so we can connect and meet and meet afterwards it.
It's not we're not interested in performing, you know, or
creating a performance or yeah, that kind of energy because then
the pressure pressures off, you know?
Like if you remember the concert the other night, there was a
couple of mistakes on one of the pieces, but it didn't faze
anybody or anything. It's not hilarious.
Yeah, and that's really comfortable, you know, he
basically said I'm lost. That was just so beautiful
because it showed some of the internal workings, you know,
some of the mechanics like, wait a minute.
I really got to be with where I am.
You know, I have to be really present and know where I'm
going. Musically.
It was, it was in very intense. Got a song with a line in it.
I've got the courage to be wrong and that gives us a lot of
freedom, you know, need the courage to be wrong.
There's no problem. Exactly, exactly.
Isn't it interesting? When people just tell the truth,
what happens, it's wild. I wish we knew that more
collectively you know, as an ordinary just piece of reality,
you know? Now, you've been traveling
around and also performing with, or for such people as his
Holiness, the Dalai Lama Holiness, the Dalai Lama my
there was phenomenal, wasn't it? It was just this past week in
New York. No, it was two years.
Well, we've played now for him twice, in the first time was the
most intimate. It was it was at a conference
for scientists and religious leaders and It was a very
intimate Gathering Colorado in Munich in Germany and there was
an intimate pre-concert pre-conference Gathering of the
15 scientists and Alejandra different different climb with
you. Oh you know actually there was
there was questions to his Holiness regarding his spiritual
practices and but mainly it was just talking about their field.
And it was some Far outside, it's like looking at the
relationship of quantum physics. Basically to religion and
spirituality and the Confluence coming there in, you know, I
love it. We were invited in that
situation to to just play a mentor for him as a we were play
in the concert in the evening for the evening Gathering.
But this pre-conference was an intimate time for where we could
meet him and and play plays favorite Mentor for him, I'm
tardy to tally. Which was it was just an amazing
gift, wasn't it? It was really, it was very
special and it was also very ordinary.
I know it was one of those because he has this kind of
warrior quality, as well as the childlike innocence, you know,
if it is very present and very strong and and clear, but also
is very easy and relaxed. And, you know, loving and like
this compassion, you just feel it.
So strong. I was a little kind of nervous
in the beginning. I must admit just, you know,
also kind of cold start. You know, just suddenly you
there and standing in front of him.
Yeah. And but then very quickly, it
was just the silence in the room.
It was like, magic. We explained to him that we
wanted to sing his favorite manager.
He's very good. Very good.
You know, and and then we started.
That's your Indian accent. Not your job.
Anton, no. No.
I'm sorry, I'm about you bet it's not so good as me.
Not to worry not, you know English but but as soon as
promotes sang on the on this beginning of the man show that
there was a hush in the room and And it was just a sacred,
beautiful silence when we sang the mentor.
And then when we finish the television cameras, the
interpreters, the scientists everybody was in a space.
It's just silence. And we just let it be there
until he is a very good. Beautiful, beautiful.
I didn't say very good Beauty. It was a very special moment
will never forget. Sure, what a great honor to do
that before him in his language. No less.
Yes. Actually, you know, in the
larger sense we've made so meaningful to him.
I think so, because it was apparently, it's his favorite
Mentor. We were asked, people were asked
to sing it for him when he went into a hospital in India a year
or so before, as for his healing.
So we knew it was a special Mentor for me.
Yeah. That is part of the, it's part
of the journey. We've met and, and played for
many amazing such as your life and such as who.
Yeah, well, I mean, the people that come to mind we I don't
know. Eckhart Tolle is is one of our
favorite philosophers and teachers and myself as well.
He came to a concert of algae Munich and in the Hamburg in
Germany in the so we ended up being Connecting with him and
hanging out in the dressing room.
And now we're going to do a retreat with him and, you know,
play for is Retreat and Ramesh behl Circle.
So we played for and, and even share, whatever played for sure.
She has the other end of the spectrum, but share recorded one
of our mentors to Gayatri mentoring.
That she loves to do yoga to one of us.
It is called the essence. Oh, really sir.
Favorite City to do yoga too. And then the Gayatri Mantra
touched her so much that you wanted to include it in her tour
with she just did was gonna Fair well to it.
So, she's been seeing this guy a tree in hours and to this, like,
I don't know, 10,000 people every night blessing, the whole,
it's just so precious that it goes wrong.
Do you think she has any idea? Yes.
Yeah, I do. I mean you did you explain it to
her? She means she's not stupid.
No, no. But the Gayatri Mantra is a very
specific, you know, but I really think she knew what she was
doing and that's why I was saying to, you know, that I feel
like I was we were in tears you know, because we looked around
this Arena of 10,000 people and Sher Singh in the Gayatri
Mantra. You know, that's amazing.
I'm like shit. Thank you.
And and even if the people don't know what they're getting, you
know, it's it was raised subliminal, absolutely, no
matter what. You know, it's just kind of
funny. I'm just listening to the store,
and I'm thinking, if somebody had told us 20 years ago, that
this would be happening. You know, that share would be
singing, you know the Gayatri Mantra to thousands of thousands
of people would say, I don't think so.
You know, that's really unlikely.
You know, I was so drunk. I want to tell you that when she
finished a Gayatri, the next song was I Got You Babe.
Perfect. It's perfect.
You know, so yeah, so that's the way it goes.
Yeah, sacred to the profane and back to the sacred, you know,
we'll listen, it's been just a real joy to have you here and
chatting with us about your lives and and your music and
it's it's really beautiful. I mean you're really helping to
spiritualize the planet really are and I have a chance now to
say that I've witnessed it, I've been there and I feel like just
please keep going there's a lot more.
You have to do and you know fully what struck you make
Shirley thank you. Absolutely absolutely.
So would you grace us with a mantra room, song or two?
Yeah, that would be great. Seen a lottery, see the lottery.
Seen a lot of the world so many people on over, sit in myself.
Everywhere I go, each one of us you can for connection
everybody's on the phone. But nobody's home.
So how do we share? How do show and everybody's on
the line? Wasting time.
Hungry for connection. Reach Out And Touch someone.
Everybody's innocent here. Everybody's got a song to sing.
Everybody's got a private fear, reach out and take somebody's
hand. Here we stand.
As of God, WeChat got the MP3.
I got the mini disc. Got a world of information.
At my fingertips. I've got a young son.
Living with his Walkman. Just like he's looking for
connection. Reach Out And Touch someone.
Everybody is in the same here. Everybody's got a song to sing.
Everybody's got a private fear, reach out and take somebody's
Here We Stand, we reach it.
You have to go in there if you're going to do it like that.
You can't do it that way. Okay.
We do it the long way. It's just okay.
Let me just do one more time. Let's try it one more time
because it's not. So it's it, it just condenses it
a little. So we don't really think it's
worth it. Just trust me this time.
What I'm like I'll be with you try again.
Why do you always have this is It's good.
You cannot better.