"Beautiful music, so strangely familiar to me, yet hauntingly new and different. Exquisite. A completely different experience from other meditation music, a level of subtlety that resonates within and enriches the world." Peter (Australia)
Overwhelmingly well received by audiences both in Australia and overseas, samjjana offers deeply soothing, soul nourishing, blissful music that speaks to the aspiring heart of humanity. Not fitting easily into any genre, they prefer to describe what they offer as 'new consciousness music'. 'samjjana' (pronounced 'sum-ya-na') is a Sanskrit word meaning a ceremony for harmony, consciousness and unanimity.
samjjana’s previous three instrumental albums (Gently Now, Elixir and Peace Within) honour the raw simplicity of their unique instruments, while their latest album ‘Follow your Bliss’ takes a new direction...immersing themselves in the creative joy of multi layering, adding vocals to offer many beautiful and potent messages, and inviting guest musicians to bring their special brand of magic through percussion and strings.
Being very different from their previous albums,'Follow your Bliss' is bound to surprise (and delight) those familiar with their music ~ while preserving what was special about their previous albums - the offering of a delicate tapestry of soothing, nurturing simplicity and a blissful expanse in which to rest in the tranquility of Self.
Their reputation and fan base is growing. They are in awe of the rapid unfoldment of their musical journey since they formed in January 2009. They feel very blessed to be able to touch people's lives with their unique and very precious instruments, original compositions, improvisations, soulful songs, harmonies and chants.
After a more conventional musical background, Maia’s world changed upon first experiencing the hang. The hang is an enchanting, ethereal, profoundly gentle instrument that has been described as 'for this world, but not of this world'. This uncommon, intuitive, improvisation 'sound sculpture' is captivating and speaks to the heart. Totally mesmerized, Maia undertook the somewhat complex journey of obtaining a hang, and an ongoing unfoldment of magic has been happening since they started their journey together in April 2008.
Sahayak has been inspired by three major influences- firstly the Native American Indians. While running across Apache and Navajo Indians' sacred homelands in 1994 he had a powerful and lasting connection with an eagle whose presence he has carried in his heart ever since. The second has been through his spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy - an inspired musician who composed and performed with limitless freedom, opening Sahayak's heart to the transformative power, freedom and peace of meditative music. The third influence has been Maia's 'sound sculpture'- the hang, which captures all that is sacred and pure. Sounding it is a powerful meditation, listening to it opens the soul to the infinite and boundless freedom of the universal Self.
Although not aligned with any religion, Sahayak and Maia resonate with the core values at the heart of all true spiritual paths and faiths. Their lives and their music are based on universal love, peace, joy, unity, compassion and kindness. Their music is dedicated to the aspiring heart of humanity and its journey towards a higher consciousness.
samjjana's 'family' of instruments also includes Alchemy crystal singing bowls, sansula, Bansuri flutes, harp and Indian harp (swarmandal).
A percentage of profits from their albums are donated to the Playing For Change Foundation (playingforchange.org) in support of their wonderful ‘peace through music' initiatives and projects.
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