Ashram

Ashram presents new album cover

Boris Seidl — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 11:07:00 GMT

We are still working on the third Ashram album. Forming a band is easy, keeping a band together is difficult. Getting a cross-continental band like Ashram in line and producing songs together is a huge challenge.

Nevertheless, we keep working and trying our best that we can release the best Ashram album as soon as possible.

Today we are pleased to present the new Ashram cover. The artist Albert Pattiselanno has designed a fantastic cover.

Inspired by the grandeur of the 7 chakras, the powerful energy centers within our bodies associated with different aspects of our being. I created a captivating album cover that visually represents the harmonious balance and spiritual transformation embodied by the chakras, combining vibrant colors, sacred symbols, and intricate patterns, says Albert Pattiselanno.

We are very grateful to Albert, that he as a graphic designer got deeply involved with our music and designed a top album cover for us.

Thank you Albert!

Artificial intelligence is a dominating media topic at the moment, we asked ChatGPT about our new album if it could write us a text.

Here is the output of ChatGPT:

"Album Title: Siddhartha's Awakening: A Fusion of Cultures

Genre: Indian-European Fusion Rock

Album Concept:

The concept album "Siddhartha's Awakening: A Fusion of Cultures" by the Indian-European rock band Ashram is a musical exploration of the spiritual journey depicted in Hermann Hesse's novel. With 18 songs, the album combines the diverse musical styles and cultural influences of both India and Europe to capture the essence of Siddhartha's transformative quest.

Tracklist:

Call of the Soul

Rivers of Destiny

Seeking the Truth

Divine Encounters

Illusions of the Material World

Dance of Liberation

Serenity in Solitude

Ascetic's Path

Lotus Dreams

Embracing Love and Desires

Shadows of Temptation

Wheel of Life

Transcendence

Beyond Time and Space

Dark Night of the Soul

Resurgence of Light

Blissful Nirvana

Epilogue: Embracing Enlightenment

Musical Style:

Ashram, the Indian-European rock band, will infuse their signature fusion rock style with elements of Indian classical music. The instrumentation will include electric guitars, tabla, sitar, keyboards, bass, drums, and violin to create a captivating and unique sonic landscape. The music will blend rock elements with meditative sounds to reflect Siddhartha's transformation and spiritual journey.

Lyrics:

The lyrics of the songs will be inspired by the central themes of "Siddhartha," exploring the search for self-realization, the pursuit of truth, and the experience of suffering and happiness. The lyrics will be predominantly in English, with occasional verses in Sanskrit, evoking a sense of poetic depth and philosophical ideas from the book.

Visual Concept:

The visual concept of the album will draw inspiration from the cultural aesthetics of India, incorporating elements of Indian art, traditional patterns, and symbolic imagery related to Siddhartha's spiritual journey. The album cover and artwork will feature a fusion of visual elements from both Indian and European cultures, visually representing the blending of musical styles.

Summary:

"Siddhartha's Awakening: A Fusion of Cultures" is an extraordinary concept album by the Indian-European rock band Ashram. With 18 songs that blend the musical traditions of India and Europe, the album tells the story of Siddhartha's spiritual awakening. Through the fusion of rock and Indian music, Ashram creates a unique sonic experience that invites listeners to embark on their own transformative and introspective journey. The album transcends boundaries, offering a harmonious fusion of cultures and musical genres."

Rishi the shaman, musician, producer and longtime companion of our music project

Boris Seidl — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 15:21:00 GMT

Dear Rishi, you are part of Ashram from the very beginning. You mixed the first Ashram album, you contributed to the second Ashram album, you are an India fan and of course a musician, producer and artist for many years. Can you tell us about yourself, your musical career and your relationship to India?

Unfortunately, I was very lame the last few weeks (spring fatigue) and at the same time had a lot on my plate (tour, new girlfriend, looking for a new car). So here we go:

My name is Rishi Sigurd Vlote and I'm a self-taught drummer, multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer currently living in the Bergisches Land near Cologne. One of my great passions is trance dance and shamanic healing rituals. I lead seminars and retreats and play a lot of live music at smaller festivals, trance dance events and in so called Concious Dance Events (Ecstatic Dance, 5 Rhythms, Movement Medicine, etc.).

I held my first real drumsticks as a small drummer in the fanfare band, but my ambitions soon turned to rock music, jazz and fusion of all coleurs. After a period of searching for meaning by traveling to India and playing more with international musicians, I became interested in Indian, African and Latin American music and over the years my stylistic range has always evolved. However, I tend to be someone who draws from the large pot of world music and rhythms, but I feel no allegiance to any tradition other than the "groove" and the dancer. My goal was and is to move people.

What motivated you to support our band project Ashram back then?

When you made me the offer to mix your new CD, I was immediately fascinated by the great fusion of heavy blues rock and Indian elements. That appealed to me very much, because with my band Hamsafar at that time we had partly similar approaches. If I remember correctly, you had heard a CD by Prem Joshua that I had mixed and co-produced, and that's how we made contact. It was definitely a great collaboration and I continue to find your music very exciting. Also, I found this social, way of performing in prisons very interesting and noteworthy. I was also very pleased when you sought my collaboration on the 2nd album as well. Especially since the location and the little house in the mountains that we worked on together has a charm that I quickly fell for ;-). It was simply a very friendly and cooperative collaboration with a high fun factor.

As you may have heard, we will release our third album this year (Siddhartha / in honor of Hermann Hesse). Do you have a personal opinion about Hermann Hesse? What do you think about our idea to release an Ashram Tribute Album to the novel Siddhartha?

Hermann Hesse was one of the heroes of my time, and Siddhartha had made a deep impression on me during my personal "Sturm & Drang" period. It was, together with Erich Fromm's "The Art of Loving", the most formative novel of my life. The idea of translating this musically lends itself naturally (quite different musicians have already done this. I'm very curious to see how Siddhartha affects your music, and how you ultimately implement it. In any case, the little snippets on Facebook suggest some very exciting music again. I can't wait to drop your next album....

To exist as a musician (or as a band) is not always easy and often connected with many hurdles. You often have to motivate yourself or others and invest a lot of energy in musical project. Why do you think it's still worthwhile to keep believing in music?

I've been on stage for more than 40 years and I've been in a lot of bands, some of them for a very long time. In the end, the crucial question is always whether the chemistry is right. Then even hurdles are understood more as a challenge than as an obstacle. Even if there are exciting moments in the studio, the energy that arises between the musicians themselves and with the audience live is an essential part of the fascination of music. It's true that I've also spent a lot of great tunes and a lot of hours with studio productions, and in some cases I've really been eagerly awaiting the next album from certain bands. But there are many bands that open up a whole other barrel live. When a band is really well-rehearsed and the right atmosphere is present, there's a magic that doesn't exist on CD! And since Corona at the latest, many people have discovered live music in a completely new way and let themselves be turned on by it. Apart from that, music is an element that you can find in every culture of people. It connects people worldwide even without words and bridges borders and opposites. A life without music and rhythm is unimaginable for me.

Do you have any projects going on at the moment or what are your future musical goals?

Currently I am preparing for spring and summer tours. I will play Easter in Italy at a Conscious Dance Festival. Then it's off to Switzerland, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy.... The summer is packed.

Furthermore, I am working on a meditation CD with music to shake and dance to, as well as another trance dance album. It will remain exciting. You can find the dates on my website, if anyone is curious www.callofdrums.com

Since 2020 our world has changed significantly. Do you have an opinion about the current global developments? What should we do or do you see any need for action as an artist?

I was very surprised by what happened worldwide. I could not have imagined in my dreams that the largest part of humanity could be hypnotized so quickly and deeply. I was very disappointed both by the media, but especially by those responsible in politics and medicine, because in my opinion, this was the biggest redistribution of money that there has ever been, and the measures were, in my view, something like an intelligence test that most people did not pass. That probably sounds very arrogant, but that's how I felt about it. However, I think it is important not to get too concerned with the political part of the world, but to focus on what I have to give to the world (what is my gift to the world/what is my medicine for the world) to create the energies that support the kind of world I would like to live in. I believe positive alignment creates positive energy and synergy and a "better world". What I perceive is that many people are waking up to these occurrences and seeking, or developing, alternative paths.

I think similarly on the subject of war. Instead of supplying weapons, there must be immediate Ver-Hand-Lungen. In my opinion, the prevailing narrative is extremely influenced by the geopolitics of the USA and there are hardly any politicians at the moment who dare to contradict these powers. I hope that this trend will be reversed and people will decide to make peace.

Is there a final sentence which you would like to convey to us at this point for today's youth or to humanity here possibly?

I would keep it with the old Sting song: "I believe, the Russians love their children, too!" - Or, a bit more esoteric: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience - we are spiritual beings having a human experience!".

All the best and good luck, dear ones.

Make it count. I just let it flow....

Warm greetings from Schabernack

Your Rishi

Stalingrad Cowboys - 80 years anniversary of the Battle

Manuel Seidl — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:30:00 GMT

Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad. In 1999, the rock band Fur Balloon wrote an anti-war song about this terrible attack.

The singer Manuel Seidl, was at that time as a civilian servant in the old people's home in Traun. He had to take care of an old man who claimed to have fought in the battle of Stalingrad. When Manuel was washing the old man, he saw the typical SS tattoo on his upper arm. The old man made fun of Manuel and insulted him because he was not in the Austrian army, but was doing community service and had long hair.

The old man told Manuel about the war in Stalingrad and also about the hunger they suffered. That's where the first words of the song come from: "Five bullets in his hand, survival in his brain" - "His gun is trained on an enemy's head, not to win the fight, just to earn his bread." The old man told that they had few bullets and nothing to eat. The man sat in a wheelchair and pretended to sit in a tank.

It was the first album with Fur Balloon (Manuel and Boris Seidl, German Schwarz, Dominik Hofer and Christian Cermak) that we recorded as a rock band at that time. Every Austrian is intensely familiar with the dark past of the World Wars in school and family. Besides, the Leningrad Cowboys were musicians in 1999. Cowboys was just the right comparison for those soldiers.

Today Russia celebrates the defense of Stalingrad (today's Volgograd) and thus indirectly the end of the Second World War. At that time, the German armies were not fighting toward Moscow, but invaded Volgograd to capture important raw materials and energy in the Caucasus.

Today, 80 years later, history seems to repeat itself. Many countries are supplying weapons and supporting the war. It is hard to believe, but many are already talking about the beginning of a new world war. Have we learned nothing from the past?

"To fight for the leader's fame." No we won't!

These times are very disturbing. Every war is to be condemned, rearmament and more weapons have never brought peace in history. You can't fight fire with fire, says another Fur Balloon song 'Misled Crowed'.

How nice it would be if once again a peace fighter like Mahadma Ghandi could come and show us how to solve conflicts and fight injustice.

Interview with Sitar Artist Paulson

Boris Seidl — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:54:00 GMT

Hi Paulson, you are an artist from South India and a few weeks ago you recorded your special instrument Sitar for our third Ashram album. Since when and why do you play Sitar and what are your musical roots?

Since 1996 i am playing sitar. Sitar is my favorite instrument. Born in a musical family. I started my sitar lesson's at the age of 16. My first teacher was sree krishnakumar. Then i went to dharwad which is popular musical place. There i lerned under ustad Hamid khan and ustad Bale khan.

Can you tell us something about yourself? Is it difficult to live as a musician?

Some time financial problems will affect but i am really happy as a musician.

Do you still have a higher goal as an artist? Or do you have a vision or a message that you want to convey with your music?

Yes i have higher goal as an artist.

What's your next project? Can you tell us something about it already?

My next project is Telugu movie BGM recording.

You are now part of Ashram, since you supported us in the production of our third album. What do you think of our Indian-Western style of music?

Ashram production is really great. I enjoyed a lot. You people are really amazing artist.

The last few years have not been easy for us musicians or bands. Do you have a message for the future or for the coming days?

Last few years was really not good for artist. I hope good days will come do hard work and spread love.

Music video and single release unfortunately delayed due to difficult circumstances in Kiev

Boris Seidl — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 14:40:00 GMT

Soon Ashram will be back on with the new song Eternal Thirst, after years of absence. If there is such a thing as Indian rock, then this rock style Ashram invented. After songs like Kerala, The Chosen One or Try to die, now with Eternal Thirst a new song, including a professional music video, will be released. The music video is produced by young artists from Kiev. Unfortunately, the horrible situation in Ukraine has also affected our single release. Originally, we wanted to present the song on 28 October, but since the video could not be finished, we must change the release date. The power cuts around Kiev unfortunately prevent the music video from being shown. What we have noticed during the joint work so far, the video team is not in an easy situation. The collaboration for Eternal Thirst takes place and the band Ashram wishes only the best to the Ukrainian media artists. In any case, they did an excellent and creative job for our Indian-European fusion band.

The rock band Ashram was formed in 2004 during a trip to India and since then there has been no turning back and certainly no stopping. The band philosophy of Ashram is expressed with every track and with the new song Eternal Thirst. The philosophy is to live music without compromise and to keep going. It is not always easy to connect musicians of two different cultures, over thousands of miles of distance, pulling together, but it still works. The years on stage, in the tour bus and studio were a long process for all bandmates, which was related with personal sacrifices and investments. The Siddhartha anniversary of Hermann Hesse this year has given the band Ashram a special motivational boost, as the book and Hesse's life's work was simply unique. Especially the combination of India and German-speaking culture was the main inspiration. But when the band Ashram unites their energy, whether in music or video productions, at every concert the band performs as if it were the last time. Probably there will even be an Ashram live date (05.05.2023) in the Spinnerei Traun (Austria). This concert date is not yet one hundred percent fixed.

The new single Eternal Thirst is the start of the third Ashram album. The album was composed and produced in turbulent Corona-Lockdown, in times of smartphone - manipulation by the media and general global crises. This world is as it is, even if not everything goes according to our imagination. Ashram wants to remind the way of Buddha with the upcoming song (music video) Eternal Thirst and with the new Siddhartha tribute album. The path is the goal and in doing so to find oneself, to be oneself and to take a self-determined journey through life in the shadow of the light. So, every day is a new day, and every Ashram song is a new attempt to compose great music.

Ashram hopes to give you some hope and inspiration during times with our new song Eternal Thirst and the accompanying music video.

Here is also a Link from a newspaper in Austria (Bezirksrundschau OÖ):

"Ein Album zu Ehren Siddharthas"

Visit to the Hermann Hesse Museum in Lugano

Boris Seidl — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 14:05:00 GMT

Visit at Hesse's house in Montagnola - Exhibition: 100th anniversary of the first publication of Siddhartha.

"Perhaps society will one day discover that there are worlds quite different from the schemes of East and West". (Hermann Hesse | Source: Unerschrocken Denken p.69 | Publisher: Suhrkamp)

"My compassion has never been where the power is." (Hermann Hesse | Source: Unerschrocken Denken p.60 | Publisher: Suhrkamp)

"Only the thinking that we live has any value" (Hermann Hesse | Source: Unerschrocken Denken p.85 | Publisher: Suhrkamp)

The writer was devoid of anything elitist - he always wrote in such a way that he could be read and understood. One of Hermann Hesse's peculiarities was that he could package social phenomena in simple words.

The Museum Hermann Hesse in Montagnola, above Lugano, presents personal objects such as a painting box and a typewriter, as well as numerous photographs, books, and watercolours. These objects give an impression of Hesse's life in Ticino.

The visit by motorcycle was fantastic, alone the view from Hesse's home, the Casa Rossa, was unique. From the small village of Montagnola, you look out over Lake Lugano and have a picturesque backdrop in front of you.

The museum is perhaps a sacred place. You feel a certain energy, but maybe it's just a subjective feeling. No cars drive through the small alleys on the mountain and there is a very special silence. Through this natural silence, one is automatically transported into a spiritual state. On the facade of the house hangs a famous photo of Hermann Hesse, with his round glasses. In front of the entrance was a wooden easel for painting (on top of it a white hat) and there are some chairs in front of the entrance, as if it were a small restaurant or cafe. Across the street are beautiful palm trees, the sun is shining, and you would think you were in paradise. This place certainly reflects the spirit of Hermann Hesse.

What he conveyed in his novels: that all people have dark and light sides. That one may and should discover and explore them. Wisdom cannot be learned; it can only be acquired through experience. In 2022, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Siddhartha. This October marks the centennial of the first book publication of Hermann Hesse's story Siddhartha - an Indian Poem. It is one of his most important and most widely read works worldwide and has contributed significantly to his fame as a poet and writer to this day. Here Hesse described in "Indian form" his own course of development in the search for a non-denominational wisdom and religiosity.

"I am not Siddhartha, I am only always on the way to him" (Hermann Hesse).

The Siddhartha exhibition addresses the biographical as well as Indian and Chinese influences that were prerequisites for the creation of the narrative: his origin from a family of missionaries in India, studies of Indian philosophy and Buddhism, a trip to "back India," self-experiments in asceticism and yoga, and the discovery of Lao Tse, as well as the application of psychoanalysis. His book was translated into numerous Indian languages thus returned home to the country where his grandfather Hermann Gundert is still honoured as a language mediator and scholar.

"Most people have no personal opinion, but that of their caste". (Hermann Hesse | Source: Unerschrocken Denken p.40 | Publisher: Suhrkamp)

Hesse did not live to see the extraordinary success that this work had in the United States from the mid-1960s, where Siddhartha was published in millions of copies and inspired not only the hippies but also the middle class. (https://de.hessemontagnola.ch/programm | source accessed on 05.09.2022)

Anyone who can see the Siddhartha exhibition at the Hesse Museum in Montagnola should do so. It is an absolute experience.

The trip was a great inspiration and motivation to finish our third Ashram album perfectly. We will do our best with Ashram to honour this special anniversary with our upcoming songs.

Hermann Hesse Siddhartha vs Ashram Siddhartha 2022

Boris Seidl — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 12:12:00 GMT

For several years we have been working on bringing our cross-continental band Ashram together again and in this process we will also release our third album. Our vision is to present a tribute album in autumn/winter 2022 on the occasion of the centenary of the novel "Siddhartha - an Indian poem" and to do a few concerts in Austria or in the German-speaking countries in April 2023. In doing so, we let ourselves be inspired by the spirit of the book Siddhartha to compose our own songs in each case. The lyrics will be in Sanskrit, Hindi, Malayalam and English. The lyrics will be partly about the individual chapters, but these lyrics will be written individually by our band (so no lines of text will be taken from the book Siddhartha one to one). The album title will eventually be "Siddhartha2022". Our band would like to dedicate the new songs and the concerts to the life work of Hermann Hesse.

We have already received some support pledges for our musical art project. We also have contacts in India, such as the Cultural Exchange Department of Kerala Bharat Bhavan (Mr. Pramod Payyanur), where we will possibly hold joint events in the summer of 2023.

How would the life of the Buddha of today look like?

Buddha in the age of globalization - we find him in restaurants, as a furnishing object, tattoo or in business houses. He is worshipped all over the world and almost represents a brand of balance and inner harmony. One could think that Buddhism has conquered the West.

In the 60's the followers of the American peace movement revisited the novel Siddhartha and Buddha was introduced into modern society as an esoteric niche culture. The hippies discovered the Indian meditation technique yoga for the West. In the process, German-language writer Hermann Hesse indirectly laid the foundation years earlier. His book Siddhartha was a bestseller in the U.S., and his story of spiritual enlightenment and self-discovery initially delighted readers in the post-World War I era.

We arrived in the digital age long ago, and the Internet has truly become a global network. Young people have never known a world without smartphones and the Internet. Today, a large part of our lives is determined by social media and so our identity and first impression is determined by our online image. How do we present ourselves online? Is that me? Would the Buddha, for instance, go on a pilgrimage with a smartphone and perhaps post his wisdom or proverbs on social media?

Be careful what you post, what you search for and where you leave your likes. This data world cannot forget and we have already become transparent people. The development goes partly further towards the uncritical, pseudo-harmonic screen consumer. The Corona Age has made a further contribution to winning over the last technology refusers and increasing the time spent in front of screens, active Internet users. Real, physical, thus real social meetings, are nowadays considered as highlights, which have to be earned. A ticket on the digital, personal monitoring device is becoming a black and white passport that divides our society into categories.

How would Hermann Hesse draw his Siddhartha a hundred years later? How would Siddhartha follow his path through life in our time? Self-discovery is just as relevant in today's world as it was a hundred years ago, which is why Hesse's work has lost none of its relevance. Hermann Hesse, the Nobel Prize winner for literature, became the most widely read and translated European author of the 20th century. He became the inspirer, role model and mastermind of many ideologues and musicians. That the enthusiasm for Hesse was already present in the music world is shown, among others, by the legendary rock band Steppenwolf, which even named its band after Hesse's novel.

For our Indian-Austrian fusion band Ashram, the goal is to let the spirit of Buddha's time return in a current, musical form. What particularly impresses us about the figure of Siddhartha is that this teacher was not a demigod, he was a human being who was searching for the meaning of life. Our musical art project will be a tribute to this Far Eastern figure.

What connected Hesse with India?

Since early childhood, Hermann Hesse was surrounded by Indian atmosphere. Growing up in the small Württemberg town of Calw, he listened to the stories of his mother's grandfather, Hermann Gundert, who had worked for a long time in India as a missionary of the Basel Mission. Gundert lived in the southern Indian province of Kerala, learned its Malayalam language and wrote fundamental books on Malayalam, most notably the "Malayalam and English Dictionary" (1862) and "A Grammar of the Malayalam Language (1868), which are still important today. Hermann Hesse's mother was born in Kerala; she and her husband also worked there as missionaries, but they had already returned to Germany when Hermann Hesse was born.

Hesse's upbringing, however, was not influenced by Indian spirit, but followed strict Pietist-Protestant standards. Young Hermann first had to free himself, with suffering and effort, from the narrow piety of his childhood before he became open to other philosophical and religious possibilities of life. Looking back on his early years as an adult, he writes:

"Compared now with this Christianity so closely clamped [...] the world of Indian religion and poetry was admittedly far more enticing. Here no closeness oppressed me, here it smelled neither of sober gray-coated pulpits nor of pietistic Bible lessons, my imagination had room, I could let the first messages that reached me from the Indian world into me without resistance, and they have had a lifelong effect."

Growing up, Hermann Hesse was able to assert himself over his parental home and his pietistic socialization, and he began to discover Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism and to accept these religions as spiritual alternatives. He read the sacred scriptures of Hinduism, such as the Bhagavadgita and the Upanishads, and he participated in the discovery of the "East" through reviews and newspaper articles. The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries marks the time when German Orientalists made the sacred scriptures of Asian religions accessible through authentic translations from the original languages. (Source: https://interrel.de/hermann-hesse-siddharta-eine-indische-dichtung / accessed 20.06.2022)

If you have any questions about the upcoming new Ashram Album Siddhartha 2022, we are happy to answer them as best we can. More detailed information can be given in writing via email (ashram@gmx.at) or in a personal conversation.

Night Voc - on a journey through sleepless gray nights

Boris Seidl — Mon, 23 May 2022 13:59:00 GMT

Hi Night Voc!

You are a Rockband from Linz (Austria). Why did you choose rock as your music style and where are your musical roots?

“Rock” comes really naturally for all of us 6 musicians, because that’s the kind of music we enjoy! Even though one might prefer metal or progressive or pop, we bring it together in our own style and try to create something that we all will love to play! At the core of our sound are our two female lead singers, who sometimes remind people of bands like “Heart”, but interestingly, this was not a direct inspiration for us. After all, we don’t intend to fit a certain genre and enjoy experimenting with all kinds of directions.

Can you tell us something about your band members? How did you come together?

The band name alone started way back in the 80s as “U.Voc”. Our keyboarder Manfred kept band projects under similar names rolling over the years until 2016, when the band as we know it now started to form - with Thomas on drums, a true rocker with a latin heart and our (secret?) metalhead bassist Reini who never passes on a catchy ballad. Singer Michi was only 16 when she started as front woman and developed the staple harmonic voices with another former singer. With Lisa joining in 2018, we got a second strong and unique voice that is very different from Michis and a lot of fresh creative input. Our latest addition to the group is guitarist Gernot, who convinced us with his versatile sound and great intuition when it comes to arranging a variety of songs.

Your song „Sleepless“ is very nice and interesting. Great that the song shows the lyrics on your YouTube channel, but „Gray Nights“ I don't understand the lyrics exactly. Can you tell us something about this lyric lines of that song?

Thank you! “Gray Nights” is a song by Lisa, which shows her indie influences in the lyrics and themes quite a lot. It’s about a transformation, an important event that permits you to “feel life rush through the veins of time”, so really live in the moment, an equally sacred and animalic pursuit. The sacred shows in the lyrics (“life and death are battling in their golden halls”) and the animalic wolf's howl is the other essential component. In “Gray Nights” those two extremes meet and we might emerge with a decision in the morning light. Which event might have caused these thoughts however is entirely up to the listener.

Do you have a big goal that you want to achieve as a band? Or do you have a higher mission or a message that you want to convey with your music? What is your motivation?

The big goal that we might be chasing for the rest of our time is to create things we are proud of, pieces of music that touch us and others in some way. We always want to aim higher and improve our musicianship qualitatively, but in the end it’s the song that counts and the wonderful memories we made on stage.

You have already performed many concerts in Austria. What was your best performance, a highlight? Or what was an interesting or funny experience at a concert?

Among our favorite aspects of performing live is how much effort Michi and Lisa put in their stage outfit/makeup/hairstyle - and you’ll never know what comes next! One time Lisa came with hair like Robert Smith from the Cure, that’s definitely a fond memory! Also, every year in summer there is the “Royal Bäcker Hall” Benefizkonzert where we love playing if possible. They arrange for amazing locations, like one time the Granitarena in Plöcking. With the stone amphitheatrical space, we felt like we were Pink Floyd in Pompeii. And we could contribute to a good cause as well!

What is your next Project? Can you tell us already something about it?

At the moment, we are working on a music video for our song “Easily” that will show our chemistry as a band in the rehearsal room as well as on stage. It will be the perfect video to get to know us and our passion for music and it’s coming out in the beginning of June! On 10th June we are playing in the Rockhouse Laakirchen at 8 pm and afterwards we will continue to work with new material, improving our sound and maybe even producing independently with our own studio setup.

I saw a photo on your website (nightvoc.at) of your guitarist wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. We are hughe Zep fans too. Do you have anything to say about Led Zeppelin? Having met Jimmy Page in London a few years ago, I would be very interested in your personal connection to this band.

We all like Led Zeppelin, but Gernot especially does. He is sending the following picture (picture1) with the words “Any more questions?”. I think Zep influenced a whole generation of guitarists and Stairway to Heaven is one of the classic pieces everyone learns when they start. It sticks with you, and in a way it stuck with us as a band. In times where it has gone out of fashion, we still choose to keep e-guitar, drum and organ solos in our sound, because that is just how we enjoy playing!

The last few years have not been easy for us musicians or bands. Do you have a message for the future or for the coming days?

Stay strong and don’t lose sight of your passion! Sometimes the “world is dark” (ha, ha), but at the end of the day, art brings us together, so let’s celebrate it!

Thank you for the interview and for the insight into your band. We wish you all the best, lots of fun and success for the future!

Homepage: https://www.nightvoc.at/

photos@nightvoc

Live concert - Spinnerei Traun 2011 - Good old times!

Manuel Seidl — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 23:00:00 GMT

Unfortunately, it's been another ten years since Ashram released the last album "Prison Without Walls". On the tour Manuel Seidl, Boris Seidl, Sebastian Obermaier, German Schwarz, Christian Cermak from Europe and Ajayan Gopi Kumar, Sooraj Santosh and Hari Krishnamoorthy rocked.

The main presentation took place at the Spinnerei in Traun. Here is a previously unreleased song "The Chosen One":

PLAYLIST LIVE CONCERT - Spinnerei Traun 09.12.2011

This song is about a person who realizes that he is the chosen one. Unfortunately, this burden is too great and the person becomes more and more insane. The whole thing ends in disaster.

Here are some photos from the live concert:

Big thanks to Geri Horvath for the photos and LM Media for the video recording.

Interview with Ms. Ulrike Thönniges, Tatort Association on the project Jail Children in the Philippines

Boris Seidl — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 18:31:00 GMT

1. Dear Ms. Ulrike Thönniges, you are the managing director of Tatort - Straßen der Welt e.V. (Crime Scene - Streets of the World) and your organization is committed to freeing prison children in the Philippines. Can you briefly explain how the Tatort association starts here?

Since the founding of the association, we have been supporting the PREDA Children's Rights Foundation in the Philippines, which gives street and liberated prison children a new home and a new perspective. PREDA, founded by Father Shay Cullen, focuses its work on helping children who have been sold into prostitution by human traffickers or who are unlawfully imprisoned. Specially trained Rescue Teams handle the release from abusive situations and captivity to provide protection and support for the young victims. PREDA offers the children a new home where they receive therapeutic care and loving attention. They are given the opportunity of schooling and vocational training, which opens the way to a self-determined life. The new boys' as well as the new girls' protection center were built with the financial help of the Tatort Association.

2. Why are children always locked up in the Philippines? How can a state do such a thing?

The situation of many children in the Philippines is alarming. There is a Juvenile Justice and Protection Act that sets the age of criminal responsibility at 15. This means Filipino youths who are 15 years old or younger cannot be arrested. However, this law is repeatedly circumvented, and children are arrested for even petty offenses - for example, loitering, petty theft or sniffing glue. Helplessly at the mercy of fellow prisoners, without legal counsel and without hope, they often spend months in prison under inhumane conditions.

The most common victims are boys from poor families. They have left school to earn money. They often experience domestic violence at home. Since their tiny dwellings in poor neighborhoods are overcrowded, the children spend a lot of time on the streets. Many children, including those under the age of ten, escape from extremely difficult home conditions. Out of hunger, they steal food or things they can sell quickly. Many sniffs glue to numb themselves and end up behind bars for that reason as well.

In addition, there is a lack of youth welfare facilities in the Philippines to take care of street children and children who have committed crimes.

Children in "conflict with the law" are the most disadvantaged marginalized group in society, even before they are sent to so-called "reformatories" in the Philippines. In the "reformatories" they also do not get enough to eat, are without medical care, without psychological and legal care and do not even have enough space to sleep. The conditions are atrocious: they are mistreated and abused by guards and older youths. In these so-called "reformatories" or "youth centres" there are thousands of children who have no chance of being released on their own. Without legal assistance, they remain behind bars for months, sometimes years, under inhumane conditions.

The Philippines signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. With its signature, the Philippines committed itself to recognizing and realizing the rights of children. They are required to submit regular reports to the UN on how they are progressing with the implementation of children's rights. In the Philippines, there are sufficient national laws that address the protection and rights of children. But the laws are ignored and not implemented.

The Child and Youth Welfare Code of the Philippines states, among other things, that children and youth have the right to adequate nutrition, educational opportunities, and protection from violence, exploitation, and neglect. The Special Child Protection Act of the Philippines even prohibits the detention of children behind bars. This law also lacks any implementation.

3. Why do you and the Tatort association support the children in prison in the Philippines? Where does your personal drive to help here come from?

We campaign for children's rights all over the world. The campaigns and projects we support and initiate ourselves aim to promote children's rights, fight poverty and provide sustainable help for self-help. From our founding history, there is a focus on the Philippines. For some years now, however, we have also been active in Eswatini in southern Africa, in Kenya and in Uganda and have been campaigning for equal educational opportunities for all children in Germany.

The association "Tatort-Straßen der Welt e.V." was founded in 1998 in the wake of the filming of the legendary WDR crime thriller "Manila". During the filming in Manila at the end of 1997, which was accompanied by a team of journalists, the crew and the actors were so deeply impressed by the depressing living conditions in the slums of the city that the idea of founding an aid organization was born on the spot. Back in Germany, the prominent actors, members of the film crew and members of the journalist team founded the association "Tatort - Straßen der Welt e.V." (Tatort - Streets of the World).

4. They told about a person called PREDA and that she frees children from prisons. On the one hand, this sounds very exciting, but one can well imagine that this is connected with a lot of effort, great idealism and harassment. Can you tell us briefly about Preda and its work?

This is about the children's rights organization PREDA!

The child rights foundation PREDA - short for People`s Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, was founded by Father Shay Cullen in 1974. The PREDA Foundation is known worldwide for its commitment to children`s rights. With numerous successes, it has gained international attention in the fight against child prostitution and other human rights violations. Father Shay Cullen was born in Dublin on March 27, 1943. Not long after his ordination in 1969, he was called to the Philippines. In his luggage he had courage, civil courage, and the vision to change the world as a missionary. But very soon Shay was confronted with the conditions in the Philippines: Girls and boys were being sexually exploited in the bars and brothels surrounding a military base. Street children were put in jail for the smallest of offenses. Many children and teens were addicted to drugs, showing signs of torture and abuse. It was clear to Father Shay Cullen that something had to change and so the impetus was given to found PREDA.

PREDA's work focuses on helping children who have been sold into prostitution by human traffickers or who are unlawfully imprisoned.

Through PREDA, Shay Cullen's goal is to restore dignity to people, especially children. He takes away the hunger of these children, gives them a home and new perspectives. In addition to supporting abused women and helping the indigenous population in the Philippines, Cullen also wants to protect the environment and actively combat the prevailing poverty with the help of small loans and fair trade. A mammoth task that seems hopeless, almost impossible, in a country marked by arbitrariness, violence and corruption. Father Shay Cullen has taken on this task, and he has emerged from it with great success, as evidenced by many of his international awards.

Currently, a total of 53 employees works at PREDA in the girls' and boys' protection centres.

More information can be found on our homepage: https://www.tatort-verein.org/engagement/philippinen/preda/ and on PREDA's homepage: https://www.preda.org.

5. When you see the documentary films or the videos on YouTube of children locked up, these recordings are very disturbing and very close to your heart. Can you perhaps share with us an individual story that you personally remember particularly strongly?

The story of Marlyn Capio. The 39-year-old social worker often works undercover for the child protection organization PREDA, often in crisis areas, bars and red-light districts.

as well as in bars and the red-light district. Then she is on the lookout for sexually exploited young girls. She has been able to rescue many of them from prostitution. Marlyn Capio's own tale of woe began when her father died, and her stepfather raped her when she was ten years old. At 13, Marlyn ran away, fled to a friend's house, lived in parks, and had to go begging. Child traffickers forced her into prostitution in a sex bar. As a 14-year-old, the girl was brought to Germany by child traffickers for three months with fake papers, abused and mistreated. Back in Manila, she continued to live on the streets as a child prostitute. Marlyn's dramatic experiences were the basis for "Crime Scene Manila." At the age of 14, Marlyn was found on the street by PREDA's social workers and freed; she came to PREDA's Girls' Protection Center. She went back to school, successfully graduated from high school and, with a scholarship from the Crime Scene Association, went on to study to become a certified social worker. Since then, she has supported Shay Cullen's child rights work, caring for street children, and helping many children who were also victims of child trafficking. Marlyn initiated hundreds of criminal cases against child molesters in the Philippines and lectures around the world with Shay Cullen about her work. She runs the PREDA girls' shelter. Marlyn speaks openly about her path into prostitution, her therapies, and her work as a social worker at PREDA: she goes to hotels and trains the staff on how to recognize the sex tourists among their guests. She regularly trains parents, teachers, and police officers, among others, on why girls need to be protected from pimps - always using their own past as an example.

6. We (Ashram) have played concerts in over a hundred prisons in the last few years, including playing in juvenile jails. An official told us that most of the time the juveniles reoffend after their release or hardly ever manage to lead a normal life. What is the situation like for the freed children in the Philippines?

PREDA offers the children a new home in the Girls' Protection Centre and the Boys' Protection Centre, where they receive therapeutic and legal care and loving attention. They are given the opportunity of schooling and vocational training in handicrafts, which opens the way to a self-determined life. In 2019, PREDA launched a vocational training program for the boys together with the state agency TESDA. The training offered enables the boys to develop a positive attitude towards work, industry and productivity.

In the homes, the children are cared for by educational and psychological professionals to help them come to terms with their terrible experiences. PREDA helps them continue their education and prepare them for reintegration into a life of value and dignity. The role of parents in the healing and recovery of children is crucial. PREDA provides the opportunity to maintain a close relationship between parents and

children and to strengthen family bonds through constant communication. Apart from telephone calls several times a week, there are home visits, visits of family members to the center and twice a year the holding of the Family Day. Children are accompanied by social workers when they visit their families at home. Some are allowed to stay there on special occasions. All of this is aimed at preparing the child for life after the PREDA stay and helping to build a loving and caring relationship with their family. For example, last year 31 girls were reintegrated into their families. Most children continue to receive aftercare services to ensure that the children are safe with their families/guardians and - whenever possible - attend school.

Last year, with the help of PREDA, 18 convictions occurred - most offenders received life sentences. This is remarkable and an indicator of the success of the PREDA program in healing children and empowering them to testify in court directly, credibly and convincingly against their abusers and rapists.

For more information: https://www.tatort-verein.org/engagement/philippinen/preda/

https://www.tatort-verein.org/engagement/philippinen/kinder-hinter-gittern/

7. Is there a major or overriding goal that you want to achieve with the Tatort association, or have you resigned yourself to the fact that you may be fighting windmills here? What would be your personal wish in this matter?

Our overriding goal is that we stand up for children's rights worldwide. The campaigns and projects that we support and initiate ourselves aim to promote children's rights, fight poverty, and provide sustainable help for self-help. We want to continue to do this in our project countries: Philippines, Eswatini, Kenya, Uganda and in Germany. Our project work goes on and on because the problems on site are unfortunately not solved all at once.

We continue to stand up for children's rights, also in the name of our founding fathers Dietmar Bär, Klaus J. Behrendt and Joe Bausch. Just as the 3 continue to use their notoriety for the association.

8. How do you finance the project jail children in the philippines? Is there a possibility maybe to support your association in a form?

The project, just like our other projects, is financed by donations and grants from our association and partly public donations from the BMZ.

You are welcome to support our association. We are looking forward to your donation.

Donation account: Sparda Bank West

IBAN DE37 3706 0590 0000 6666 66

or via our homepage: https://www.tatort-verein.org/spenden/

9. Perhaps there is a message you would like to share with our world?

Or maybe you can find some words how to deal with or to face the many injustices on this planet?

"In the little world in which children live, there is nothing so clearly recognized and felt by them as injustice" *Charles Dickens

Thank you for your honorable commitment and for answering our questions for this special interview! We wish you and the Tatort Association continued strength and energy in this important work!

grafic: https://youtu.be/h1thON23Sx0

Slyd Blvd - Bridges form both Sides

Manuel Seidl — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 07:17:00 GMT

Hi Slyd Blvd, welcome to Ashram´s music blog!

You are a musician, singer and composer, but you call yourself a poet.

Why? From where are your musical roots?

My musical roots are quite shallow, so I suppose that is why I self-identify more as a poet. Since I

was a child I have been hearing words in my head, and had them interconnecting with my thoughts

and feelings. Consequently, I studied English literature in University, and back then it was not

unfashionable to be a poet. The Canadian poet Irving Layton, a contemporary of Dear Leonard

Cohen's in Montreal, even gave me a Poet Card, with the specific intstructions to carry it proudly and

present in lieu of a business card. This was about the time that I was teaching English in the

Canadian school system. I was playing guitar then, but was not very proficient, and I did not have

enought self-confidence to try and sing, so Poet and song writing was about all I could muster as a

creative outlet.

Can you tell us something about your debut album, which is called

“Bridges from both Sides”? Why did you choose this album title?

I pulled the title from the Album song 'Being Human', where I am looking at the many bridges that

cross the Mississippi River, “I sat on that river in Memphis, watching bridges from both sides”.

Bridges are supposed to connect Worlds, but sadly even with all of these bridges that “black and

white divide” remains so solidly entrenched in our society. So, it seemed to me that we don't really

look at bridges from both sides, only from our side. These were my observations about 10 years ago,

when I literally sat in a boat under those bridges that connect Arkansas, Missisippi and Tennesee.

Since then, the entire nation has gotten worse, not better, and even found more and more things to be

brazenly divided about, and it is infecting the entire World. I suppose that this title and this

sentiment runs through a lot of other songs on the Album as well, The Waters, This World Shot Em

Dead, The Black, and The Miner, particularly, so hence the title.

When we listening to your songs, one notices that you sing about very

different topics. Can you tell us something about your musical mission and

your lyric lines?

I don't analyze that so much. I don't have any mission, but I do believe that lyrics are equal or more

important than the music. The music needs to understand and help the lyrics to portray the message

and the emotional feel of the song. My Songs come from somewhere - but usually there is no

contrived plan to write a song specifically about this or that. It starts with an idea and then it just

expands and flows in to a narritive. It's just driven by whatever feels right at the time. We do have

some ballads and love songs on the “Bridges From Both Sides”. Chasin' Wine is about a feeling, not

actually about wine, in this song a shy introvert has a clear picture of the relationship he wants to

have. “That Call: is quite personal, because my wife and I had a long distance relationship for many

years due to our work commitments in various parts of World. Eventually, we had to make some big

decisions, and because our love was so strong we survived it. We made the right call. “When The

Blues Come Knockin' At Night”, is a break up song in which our narrator is the one being left by his

wife. This is pretty standard stuff, but in this case their are children involved and he is also grieiving

the fact that he is also losing his children in the process, “you know, you'll never get back the son”.

As you know we (Ashram) have played concerts in a lot of prisons in the

last years, you told us that one of your songs is about a death row prisoner.

What is the song about? How did you come up with this idea?

The song, called I'm Done, was orginally a poem, which I wrote deades ago, so that is one of the

reasons that we made the song more of a spoken word narrative. I think I had read a newspaper

article about a mysoginist murderer who had for a long time stocked a girl that he wished (and

imagined was) his girl friend. In his mind they were a couple, but the girl barely knew him and did

not want anything to do with him. He ended up sentenced to death in the USA for his crime and

never showed any remorse. I just imagined him speaking about it prior to his execution. He is very

matter of fact and even turns the blame on the girl, which is really infuriating dark and haunting.

This is why we made the backing music and the harmonica minimalistic, yet as disturbing and

uncomfortable as we could.

You are known as the world's best curling coach and have been to 5

Olympics and celebrated many sporting glories. Now you are starting a

music career in a completely different field, which is very unusual but

interesting. Why now?

Simply, if not now then when? And my Poet career was not tracking as well as it had for Layton and

Cohen, and bills need paying and families members need feeding. Interstingly, my father who in my

youth supported me nobily in all of my sporting endeavours, never believed that one could make a

living in curling, (he was nearly right), but eventually and forunately I was able to prove him wrong

on that. He passed away more than a decade ago, and I never told him that in my soul that I was

actually a Poet. He would have been right to question the ability to earn a living in that vocation.

What do you expect from your first album? Is there a goal you want to

achieve with your songs?

I have no goal beyond that I would like many people to listen to the songs with some real intent. I

would be interested in how others interpret the songs. I would be very pleased if listeners could find

other messages or emotional keys in some of the songs. Some songs like The Waters (which actually

has 8 verses, we only picked 3 for the Album), The Miner, is kind of a Manchurian Candidate kind

of song, Grey Skies Blue Skies, is about a guy with Bi-Polarism, and so on.

The lyrics of the song Human sound very thrilling and interesting. Can

you tell us something more detailed about the message you want to send

with this song?

I realized during my times in the USA, mostly preparing for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and

then later for the Vancouver Winter Olympics that the society in the USA was moving in a more

divided way. Not just in relation to race, but in everyway. There was no space for alternation, you

were either rich or poor, with me or against me, democrat or republican, urban or rural, my friend or

my enemy. I loved Memphis, and it seemed to me on my visits that it sits on this divide. My musical

roots connect through the blues. Memphis connects (or divides) the north from the south, country

music and blues, black and white. The history is vivid and riviting. Martin Luther King was shot

there, the cotton industry was centered there, the strife in the 60's festered there, the garbage strike,

and on and on. The pain and the driving force of the song comes out of all of that frustration. The

lyrics like, “you say you believe in justice, who's justice anyway”, or “when you chomp down on

your pain, don't let your in human rise again” try to push through it. But, it's not all no hope and

darkness, it is just a message and reminder, “from the sunshine to the rain, from the brown to green

again, feel that rain,,,,,” offers faith.

You have experienced a lot, were very successful in your profession as a

curling coach, lived in different countries and were always artistically

active as a poet. What tip or advice can you give to the youth of today?

I don't think that I have any advice for the youth of today. But generally if I did I would say

this. Don't be boring, and more so don't be bored. Don't waste your own time doing what

everyone else is doing. Do many things, be intersted in many things. Learn how to work, be

proud to work and of your work, and be happy to work. Inspiration does not come from outside it

comes from inside of you. Learn how to do as many things as you can before you decide what you

are going to focus more of your time and energy on. Be balanced, you have to have many skills

not just to survive in this World but to achieve the self worth and goals that you target. Stop

hating. Find the value before you criticize. Don't be a judgemental smart ass, just

because you have a little bit of knowledge, or read something about something. Most of

all be kind, be human.

Thank you very much for this interview and your answers!

Link: https://www.slydblvd.com/

Lazie Indie Magazine - Ashram story

Manuel Seidl — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 09:13:00 GMT

Many thanks to Jay N Pillai (Lazie J) from the international "Lazie Indie Magazine" for promoting our band!

In this magazine you find also the following stories:

DeBendedetta - Barry Benedetta (page 5-12)

Ashram (page 13-19)

Dellacoma Rio (page 20-24)

The Fiasco (page 25-29)

Jimena Arroyo (page 31-35)

Regarding Henry (page 36-41)

The Mainestream (page 42-44)

Liz Mandevill (page 44-51)

Keshet (page 53-58)

The World 66 (page 59-64)

Colm Gavin (page 64-67)

Vin Sinners (page 68-74)

Bongo Boy TV (page 74-78)

Link to Lazie Indie Magazine

Sarro

Manuel Seidl — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:41:00 GMT

Hi Sarro! You are a musician, singer, and composer from Dakar in Senegal. From where are your musical roots?

My musical roots come, I think, from my early childhood. If I ask my most distant memories, I remember when my great music-loving father used to play pop music, jazz with the Tina tuners, Bibi King, James Brown etc. I can say that I was not aware at that time of this kind of music, I didn’t know it, but it rocked my childhood to some extent. I must also say that I am not a music lover myself, I started playing music before listening to music. It was in the recent past that I started to listen to music on my own. Let’s say I started listening to music in the last seven years, but I started my musical career now for twelve years. It should also be pointed out that my father, who was a great music lover, had suggested to me not to listen to musicians very much at the risk of not finding my own style. I followed his advice. Today I listen to music to cultivate and enrich myself, and not to do as others do, it’s different. To come back to the question of my musical roots, I will say that it is my family environment, my childhood in the historic city of Rufisque, in the suburbs of Dakar in Pikine, the smells, the noises, the men and women I meet in my country Senegal etc. And today, it is also the meetings, the trips, the exchanges. I take inspiration from everything.

Can you tell me something about your musician? Where are they from? How did you come together?

I work with a lot of musicians. I work with Senegalese musicians who live in Senegal. Also, I collaborate with the ST Fusion group which is a Japanese-Spanish project based in the Canary Islands in Spain. It is a band that has been around for a long time and my meeting with them was in 2019, then we recorded together my second album «Touki Touki». The promotion of this album was stopped with the spread of Covid19 but it will probably resume next year. In addition to these groups, I collaborate with musicians from all over the world in the projects I lead solo.

When I am listening to your songs, I can feel freedom, but I don’t understand your lyrics! Can you tell me something about your musical mission and your lyric lines?

My music is a hymn to hope, a hymn to African youth. In Senegal, a song that does not carry cultural or social or political messages is considered a waste. In our collective memory, a song must be used to awaken consciences. I therefore agree with this dynamic. I mention a lot in my texts, most of which are sung in my mother tongue, wolof, the theme of resilience, of hope, of believing in oneself and especially of awakening in the face of a political class that is often crooked. I also mention the theme of love, friendship, etc.

You wrote a song about Mahatma Gandhi! What is the song about? Can you translate the meaning for us? What do you love about Mahatma?

Actually, the song Vaishnav Jan To, Tene Kahiye Je is a text in Gujarati that Mahatma Gandi liked to read, it was like a prayer for him. Many singers took it back by changing the melody but kept the text. The text describes in a way the behavior of a prodigal man. For my part, it was the Ambassador of India to Senegal in 2018 who asked me to compose a song on the text Vaishnav Jan To, it was on the celebration of the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi. What I like about Gandhi is of course the resistance. His resistance against the former settler has spilled oil in all the other former Asian and African colonies. India was the first independent country already in 1947, which stimulated all the other colonies in their struggle for independence and Gandhi is the main architect. For that, I respect him very much.

In 2018 you played on a tour through India. Where did you play and what was your experience?

Well, I toured India in 2018 where I played in Bangalore at Windmills Craftworks and in New Delhi at the Piano Man Jazz Club. I had a great experience during this trip, I discovered other cultures, other Us and customs, other flavors. I was also struck by the vastness of the country, by the world that could be in the streets etc. In short, I had a good stay in India.

The LINK to the song FEET!

Your next Project is titled as the #countryProject. Can you tell me something about this?

The Country Project is a meeting between Africa and its diaspora around the Polarity question? That is to say: what is the cultural link between Africa and its diaspora today? We consider that there may be differences between black peoples, but we must inevitably move towards a great junction. The polarity exists is a fact, but we must summon the zero (0) which is able to unify the polarities because, as long as we go to the East we will meet in the West and as long as we go to the West we will meet in the East. Africa and its diaspora have a destiny intimately linked from where the interest to know each other better. This project also directly challenges Africans of the continent to consider themselves as a receptacle capable of welcoming their brothers and sisters of the diaspora, our responsibility as Africans is enormous on the fate of blacks of the whole world. The day Africa is respected, the blacks of the whole world will finally be free from persecution. In fact, it is the poverty/black association that creates all this discrimination. The Country Project is a sociological and anthropological work that combines music and science. Science being an area of exact knowledge requires a lot of observation and experience, it is in this that we invite Africa and its diaspora beyond the slogans as «Black lives matter», we must ask the real debate in order to have real answers.

What is the song FEET about? And can you tell me something about your special guest Noumoucounda Cissoko!

FEET is the first step in the Country Project, which involves the participation of artists and scientists from Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Egypt, Brazil, the United States and Jamaica. FEET, it’s a featuring with brother Derajah Mamby, great Jamaican man reggae, very prolific. We invited Noumocounda Cissoko, a great Senegalese musician and Kora player to participate in this piece. He did a remarkable job there.

I saw on your website, that you also played many concerts in Europe and Africa. When are your next concerts?

My next concerts will be in Cape Verde where I have to go on tour very soon. I am also preparing a very big European tour.

Thank you very much for this great answers!

website: (https://sarro-sarro.tumblr.com/)

photos @ Ndèye Mané TOURE

Children Behind Bars - Alliance Human Rights Philippines

Boris Seidl — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 15:31:00 GMT

Ashram has played concerts in over a hundred prisons in Europe and in Asia in the last few years. Recently we saw a documentary film about the prison conditions in the Philippines. The footage of children's prisons and the reports of the inmates shocked us very much and made us think. In the Philippines, about 20000 children and young people are held in prisons and prison-like detention centres, under conditions that would not even be expected of felons elsewhere. Since we have been confronted with many destinies and life stories of prisoners through our prison concerts for years, we were particularly affected by a TV report where children and young people are locked up in an unpleasant and inhumane way. Already at our concerts in Austria, where we played in a youth prison, it was very sad to experience how young people became criminals in connection with their problematic life situation or life process. With this blog article, we here as a band would like to draw attention to the precarious situation to give an impulse to think about improving the human rights situation especially for Filipino children behind bars.

Here is a short TV report from ZDF, which gives an insight into the problem:

Here are some links to aid organizations working specifically for human rights in the Philippines:

https://amp.ngo/

https://www.unicef.org/philippines/what-we-do
https://www.misereor.de/spenden/spendenprojekte/philippinen-menschenhandel

What happened with a newcomer of the year 20 years later?

Manuel Seidl — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 07:24:00 GMT

Twenty years ago, Fur balloon played with the bands Shotgun Wedding and Grassfather in Linz. The small hall, which could fill around 200 people, was completely sold out. Boris was at community service at the time and appeared in solidarity in civil service trousers and a fur coat.

In 2001 Fur Balloon, the Austrian part of the band Ashram, won the "Newcomer Award" in the categories "Best Show" and "Best Live Band".

In 2004, Boris traveled to India and met Ajayan on his journey. 2005 Fur Balloon played already under the name Ashram. Here is an article that was found in the archive of the Rock magazine “earshot” (German).

Gharana Fusion Band

Manuel Seidl — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 22:00:00 GMT

This time I want to interview the Fusion Band Gharana!

Hi Susnata!

From where are you and your Band members? Is it right that you are an Indian-Russian Fusion band?

I am from the city of Calcutta (east India),

our flutist - Gurpreet Singh (from Punjab, INDIA),

our bassist - Ekaterina Aristova (from St. Petersburg, RUSSIA),

our percussionist - Argha Dey (from Assam, INDIA)

We do not have any country-oriented approach. At present, it is an Indo-Russian combination, but again in near future, another musician might join from another country. We only focus on the nice enjoyable presentation, carrying the true essence of 'Music'.

I like this attitude! Can you tell me something about your band formation, who is playing which instrument?

Gharana Fusion band was formed by me and late Probir Narayan sir, in August 2006, while we used to work at BIRLA educational organization in Calcutta. He used to play Tabla, Pakhawaz, Khol and sometimes on semi-classic vocals. Together, we have performed in various arts and music festivals, cultural centers, signature events, corporate and college shows, theatre background score etc., in many Indian cities and other foreign countries. There have been few musicians changes in course of time and sad demise of Probir sir in 2021. But now we are with a great lineup.

Susnata Har (ethno guitar, backing vocal),

Gurpreet Singh (alghoza, bansuri, sarangi, melodica, ocarina, dizi, vocal),
Ekaterina Aristova (contrabass),

Argha Dey (tabla, khamak, cajon, djembe, cymbals, cheek-beats, bols)

Does your Band name Gharana has its roots in the Hindustani music. Do you play in the way of Indian Ragas or are your song composed through? Do you use also Carnatic elements?

Our band name 'Gharana Fusion' has the Indian Classical music's term of 'Gharana'. But we do not play pure classical. As we are born and brought up in India, listening to the legends of Indian Classical music, so we are inspired by their playing and in many ways our compositions have a mixed-feel of the Indian Ragas. We do not have any particular Carnatic element in our music. We have huge respect for the pioneers and legends of both the Hindustani and Carnatic domains.

All our compositions are originals, composed over the years and played from our heart.

Susnata, on your website there is a quote from Prem Joshua. There he said that especially the sitar player has a very nice touch, and that the fundament of your sound are your beautiful musical ideas. How do you create ideas?

Mother Nature is our teacher. We love travelling to different places, mountains, forests, lakes, seaside and riding my bike, crossing river streams, eating at roadside small-shops, meeting new people, knowing the history of their lands and experiencing new cultures and traditions. All these inspire us a lot. And finally, the vast expanse of the nightsky, the darkness-feel when we sit on the rooftop, gazing at the stars...brings out some unique musical ideas.

I am really impressed! I know that is the right way of making music!

On the song "Royal Embrace" you have a very special guitar sound? What is the name of this guitar and how do you create such an oriental style?

The guitar I play is known as the 'Silent Guitar', manufactured by YAMAHA. It is an amazing guitar. Moreover, I experiment a lot with different effects (delay, chorus, harmony etc.) to design the perfect sound which matches the theme of any composition. Once I delve into the theme, automatically different combinations start taking place.

'Royal Embrace' song started developing long time back, while I used to do some humming according to my inner feelings. This song has Sawal-Jawab (instrumental question answer) and Jugalbandi (unison), well accompanied by Gurpreet's Bansuri and EWI tonality, resulting in the eccentric oriental flavor.

What is your most famous song? What was the inspiration for this song and where did you record it?

There are quite many famous songs of our band, namely, 'Tides of Time', 'Ray of Hope', 'Dariya', 'Ecstasy', 'Bagmati', 'Nightsky', 'Through the Veil', 'Colors of Meera', 'Storm Dance', 'Armani', 'Dard-e-Wafa', 'Flights of Fantasy', 'Royal Embrace'.

As I said, Mother Nature is our greatest inspiration. We recorded few in India and some in Armenia (East Europe) and in Latvia and St. Petersburg also.

Listening to your music makes me feel of in hypnosis? Can you explain your feelings while playing this style! Are you completely in a flow?

Thanks for your appreciation of our music style :)

Yes, while playing, we all are in a flow, sometimes happy, sometimes energetic, sometimes soothing and heart-touching etc. An interesting aspect about our music is that all the compositions have evolved over many years, say for last 10-12 years...the more they evolved, the more richness got added with our playing expertise and thorough research.

On your Facebook site I found that you got Airplay on Radio Agora 105,5 an Austrian Radio station! Do you have worldwide connections or is there a link to Austria from your side?

Yes, our music gets airplay in many radios worldwide and we get nice magazine reviews. We are thankful to all the radio presenters, hosts, and the music journalists.

We do not have any direct connection to any radio station. Just that, our music connects us with our well-wishers and fans in different nations.

What are your next concerts? What are your upcoming projects?

We have some upcoming Europe/Russia concerts in 2022, along with some concerts in South India.

We are presently working on our next album 'Tale of the Nightsky' and we have an aim to stage that in some great cultural centers.

We very much hope that the Coronavirus scenario will improve after 2021.

Thank you so much for this interview!

website: (http://gharanaworld.com)

FB: (http://facebook.com/GharanaFusion)

photos @ Gharana Fusion

Dozen years ago - concert in Linz (Posthof)

Manuel Seidl — Thu, 27 May 2021 22:00:00 GMT

It has been a dozen years since we last rocked as a headliner at the Posthof in Linz. Back then we were supported by the support groups Colt and Kitty Cat & the ugly heads.

The program booklet of Posthof Linz (28.05.2009):

When it comes to setting up the stage, Adi was skeptical:

The concert was great, as musicians we found it overwhelming.

Hari while playing Mridangam, Tabala and Ganjira! The man who created the groove and started the party in the after-show!


Ajaya played the takil and other percussion instruments. He knew how to make the audience dance.

It was a great evening; the middle room was well filled and the party after that never came to an end!

Unfotunately, the following year on September 3, 2010, the manager of the Posthof in Linz, Werner Ponesch, died at the age of 56. With him, the underground cultural scene in Linz collapsed. The good guys always die too soon.

Bc El Club

Manuel Seidl — Sat, 22 May 2021 08:48:00 GMT

Hi Bobby!

On my search for inspirational music, I found your project!

Bobby, is it right, that you are from Cuba, but live in Los Angeles? Did you grow up in Cuba? What was the reason to go to America?

Indeed, I was born in Cuba and after having traveled to other countries, I decided to return to Los Angeles where I have lived for some time for work reasons.

Where are you from in Cuba?

I am from Santa Clara.

In 2002 Boris and me (Manuel) made a trip through Cuba. We have visited Varadero, Havana, Trinidand, or Colon. We had there a great time! We met a lot of musicians, also a few members from the “Buena vista social Club” in Havana. We felt great vibes in Cuba. Is “music” the religion of Cuba?

No, but we have a very strong musical culture and tradition and a very high-level musical education.

photo (c) Bc El Club (Bobby)

Do you have a Band in L.A.?

Yes, I have a Band in LA.

All the members of my Band are Cuban, very talented musicians.

Reinaldo Padrozo- Bass Vocal

Jorge Carbonell - Timbal Drums

America Hernandez - Congas Drums Vocal

and Myself Bobby Cuba - Piano Lead Vocal and everything of production.

What the song “Aprovecha” about? What was the inspiration for this song?

Aprovecha, it is an original song that I wrote, which addresses existential problems, that some people experience, when they reach a certain age.

Are you planning concerts in the next months?

Aprovecha, be part of the album "El Club llego", which will have 12 songs, there are already 6 songs ready to be released. I am currently working on the production of the remaining songs and the release of the finished ones. There are no plans to do promo gigs yet.

Thank you for the interview,

and all the Best,

Mani

Website of Bc El Club

photo (c) Bc El Club (Bobby)

Cuarteto Tafi

Manuel Seidl — Thu, 13 May 2021 14:48:00 GMT

Hi Ludo, I have seen “Yo Soy El Indigo" on YouTube. Over 60.000 views in a month are a great response.

What is this song about?

The lyrics for this song were originally written following the assassination of George Floyd in May 2020 in Minneapolis. We couldn't breathe either. Indignant by the police violence of the last demonstrations in France, I needed to write down my anger and make it musical.

People who have lived through oppression have often shown throughout history an indestructible force that has united them. History often records that of the victors, while it is the fight of the vanquished, who never surrendered, which has marked an essential part of all our lives.

These three entities, these bits of life, these three parts of the world, these three characters who represent Latin America, India and the African continent tell us about their linked destinies.

A bond, a fusion, and a final elevation through this color.

On your homepage I read that you are working on your fourth album. Can you tell me something about your history?
We are all 4 from Toulouse (France) but it was during a trip to the north west of Argentina that we wanted to train the Cuarteto Tafi. We wanted to bring our touch personal and original to world music by mixing singing in poetic and committed Spanish - sweet nostalgia for the Argentinian exile of singer - to the sound of the eastern Mediterranean of the Greek bouzouki, to the softness and dexterity of the flamenco guitar and the rhythms bewitching Afro-Latin percussions.

Each with our history and influences of metal, salsa, flamenco, rock. Of our different personalities and musical histories, we have created an entity, 4 albums and a notoriety noticed in the national scene.

With the new album AMANECER (spotify link), our musical style is decompartmentalized, uninhibited, propels and frees oneself: an original fusion between music with Latin American influences and sound arrangements modern. More current and ambitious than ever, the songs on this album resonate like a hymn to life and its essential joys. We fly from the shores of the Mediterranean to those of the Pacific Ocean and, along the way, we encounter what humanity has most profoundly: love, exile, revolt, or friendship.

How long are you playing together?

We've been playing together for almost 10 years!!!!!!!!!!!!

What have been deepest emotions in you band history?

Each album is a strong, deep story that is different from the other. The composition is the result of personal research at the beginning but which, by sharing it with the rest of the group, becomes collective and much richer. Our human and musical relationships are constantly evolving, enriched by what we go through as a human and an artist.

How come you to the idea to use the fantastic Greek instrument "Bouzouki" on your tracks?

I met the bouzouki during my first trip to Greece. I, who played the guitar, fell directly in love with the sound, the form, and the history of this instrument. When we decided to form Cuarteto Tafi our idea was precisely to mix cultures, sounds. Bouzouki has therefore found its place in this project!!

Which types of rhythmic instruments are you using?

Our percussionist uses several instruments: Cajon, Bongos, Congas, Tom Bass, Cymbals, shaker, sometimes Bombo (Argentinian percussions), chekeré. For the Amanecer album we have added Pads allowing it to trigger electronic sounds.

fotos (c) Ludo, Cuarteto Tafi

We love world connecting projects! Where did you play already? When are you planning your next live concerts?

Until now we have played mainly in France, but we have just met turners from Latin America. I hope (when the situation permits) that we will have the opportunity to play in another country. Here is the AMANECER tour:

08 July – Espace Larreko – Saint pée sur Nivel (64)

10 July – Montricoux (82)

11 July 2021 – Festival Bissy sous les étoiles – Bissy sur Fley (71)

14 July 2021 – Festival Au coeur de l'été - Amiens (80)

15 July 2021 – Beaurain (59)

16 July 2021 – Nogent le Rotrou (28)

18 July 2021 – Festival de Robion (84)

22 July 2021 – Jardins Bonnefoy – Toulouse (31)

23 July 2021 – Festival El mediodia – Corbarieu (82)

24 July 2021 – Festival Ô Merle – Le Vigan (30)

25 July 2021 – Les scènes vertes – Goudourville (82)

01 August 2021 – Jardin des plantes – St Cyprien (66)

02 August 2021 – L'Oasis du Gaifé – St Jean de Laure (46)

12 August 2021 – Lavaur (81)

03 September 2021 – Festival Festi Céou – Concorès (46)

05 September 2021 – Jardin musical – Bouloc (31)

10 September 2021 – St Cyprien – Toulouse (31)

02 October 2021 – Théâtre Municipal Cornillon – Gerzat (63)

10 October 2021 – Théâtre du cloître – scène conventionnée – Bellac (87)

15 October 2021– Salle du Pigeonnier – Frouzins (31)

16 October 2021 – Revel (31)

17 November2021 – Université – Montpellier (34)

25 November 2021 – Bibliothèque du Périgord – Toulouse (31)

26 November 2021 – Le petit Kursaal – Besançon (25)

05 February 2022 – Théâtre municipal - Roanne (42)

We would love to see you life! Thank you so much for the interview!

Homepage Cuarteto Tafi

fotos (c) Ludo, Cuarteto Tafi

The Artwork of Ashram I

Manuel Seidl — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 06:01:00 GMT

Today we want to thank Ernst Peter Hager! In summer 2007 he worked hard on the design of our Digipack Album Ashram I. He had the idea with the colorful peacock, he designed the ornament and persuaded us to make the lettering in gold. Thank you Peter, you did a great job!

Here are some of the details:

Download the booklet!

"It's been a long time since we rock and rolled"

Manuel Seidl — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 15:21:00 GMT

Exactly ten years ago the music group Ashram was interviewed by Liza Georg. A report for the concert in Trivandrum at the time, organized by the Goethe Institute. A few days later the prison in Trivandrum was rocked too! We are working on the comeback in 2022 and want to rock the stages.

Link to the article - The Hindu

Covid battle

Manuel Seidl — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 16:36:00 GMT

We as band decided to support the Keralan covid 19 battle foundation. So, we will donate all the income from the album prison without walls from April till end of June 2020. We would beg you to support our project. Every week we will inform in detail.

Vision Ashram 2022

Manuel Seidl — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 16:33:00 GMT

For many years we try putting our band Ashram back together. In the past we were trying to compose new songs for a third album. Our over-continental music project was and is not easy, because we put a lot of money and time in the productions and concert tours in recent years. Similar like a friend of us always used to say: Too often I bite on granite. In this case, we bit on granite several times. However, the idea of Ashram does not let us go, as people keep asking why we stopped making music with Ashram. We had some difficult times, especially on our last tour in 2011, where unfortunately we missed the return flights of our Indian musicians due to a traffic jam. At that time, we vowed to leave this musical project to be able to feel free again, simply because the organization and the financial burdens were too strong. According to the motto of the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, we may still in love with our chains. – The whole world yearns after freedom, yet each creature is in love with his chains; this is the first paradox and inextricable knot of our nature. – Sri Aurobindo

What Ashram has to do with the terms of chains and love or being in love with our chains is hard for me to describe, if it is love, then certainly a form of love-hate relationship (maybe it is just chain love as Aurobindo said). That is my personal definition. Anyway, we feel like Ashram should try again to make music together. Therefore, we are currently planning a major project, with plenty of preparation time, so this time nothing should goes wrong. We plan to produce a tribute album for Hermann Hesse in 2022 (especially for his masterpiece Siddhartha – an Indian poetry). Now we are in the creative and organizational period in India. We already had very constructive talks with, for example, the Kerala Cultural Exchange Department Center. Coincidentally, there was an interesting lecture recently about Hesse and Siddhartha at the University of Trivandrum by Prof. Dr. Vridhagiri Ganeshan.

India is already preparing for the Siddhartha Jubilee 2022. So, we are planning a bigger India concert tour for 2022, where we want to present our Siddhartha album live on stage. However, we do not want to anticipate too far, as we are currently dealing first with legal matters (publishing law Suhrkamp). I hope everything goes well, we do not expect that we will have any financial benefits, but of course everything has to be clarified before we will publish the „Siddhartha Tribute Album “. Of course, we don’t want to get in conflict with copyrights or publishing rights. In an emergency, our album might have to be titled differently. The songs are written by us anyway, without using direct quotations from the book Siddhartha. If you want to know more about our project, you should take a look at our new created Ashram Instapage „ashram_music“

I would like to conclude this blog article in the words of Hermann Hesse: One must try the impossible to achieve the possible.

Ashram starts recording the 3rd Album

Manuel Seidl — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:43:00 GMT

Elz / Austria. Mani, Boris und German built up their studio to record music again. Planed is a concept album titled “Siddhartha”.

Here some impressions of our last recording:

Reunion

Manuel Seidl — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 17:00:00 GMT

This week we had a special meeting with Ashram’s Indian band members. However, not all former musicians had time, so Saju Nivas and Sooraj Santhosh couldn´t join that evening. It was a very beautiful evening. We looked back at our shared moments in a relaxed atmosphere. Also, we talked about a possible reunion of Ashram.

Often we get asked the question why we cannot continue with Ashram. My personal view: This transcontinental band project was or is very difficult to finance. We loved making music together, but all bandmembers always had to spend money on it. On our last tour in 2011, on the way to the airport, we came in a very long traffic jam, we missed the flights of the three Indian musicians. Then we had to book another three new tickets, although we already had a broken bank account anyway. At that time, we organized two spontaneous „flying charity concerts“where our friends, supporters and families gave us a lot of support to minimize our financial loss. At this point I would like to thank for all the help with those who have assisted us with ticket sales, concert visits and other support over the years at the Bandprojet Ashram!

What about the public perception of the second Ashram Album?

Someone once asked me why the professionally produced album „Prison without walls“by Grammy Award winner Thom Russo and the pre-contract with Universal music did not work out as supposed. Here I would also like to make my personal statement: The album was produced with Thom Russo and then released independently. Concerning to Universal music we had a precontract, which was coupled to an Austrian music promotion (Link: https://www.musikfonds.at/). We applied several times back then, but never received the promise. In the period 2009 – 2010, where we applied, bands like Bilderbuch, Russkaya, Rauhnacht, Herbstrock, etc. receive the funds. I still remember the year 2009. Back then, when the now famous in Europe band Bilderbuch was still a school band and we met them at their concert in the castle Weinberg in Linz / Upper Austria. They were very impressed by our band project, since we worked with the world-famous producer Thom Russo and also had contacts to record companies like Sony and Universal Music Austria. Nevertheless, our intercultural band project had still no financial basement.

Although we were rejected twice, Harry Gruber of Universal Music still gave us the confidence and we went into a third application. But this time we asked the Musikfonds for an appointment with Big Boss Mag. Harald Fuchs. He then told us that he personally loved our band Ashram. He said he often heard our first album while cooking at home. And he explained why we have always been rejected: „This is a jury decision and in principle no information is given in case of rejection of a project. But I can tell you, that the project has to less relation to Austria. “

Honest answer of the person in charge. That answer was very disappointing for us at the time. We considered whether Manuel might sing in German in the future. At that time, the reasoning was incomprehensible to me. Today, I respect the decision and think that the jurors certainly did not have an easy job either. However, I would like to mention that other bands were still promoted, even though they sang in English and submitted with private labels and unknown producers. In my opinion, we were with Universal music, Thom Russo and our special style of music and so fulfilled many more application criteria for the music promotion institution than other bands at that time.

I think that we were ahead of our time back then. At that time, the deciding jury did not see the chance of India (one fifth of the world’s population). We were one of the first bands who made proper rock music as a fusion band in India. Today there are many rock bands, and the young, Indian generation is discovering and loving Rockmusic. We were pioneers and already implemented the vision in 2004. At our concert in Trivandrum / India, we had an audience of 3,000 people, even though we had no management or subsidy budget to support us.

This article is a personal concern to me as we have invested a lot of time, money, and energy in Ashram. Therefore, I ask for your understanding, that I wrote this article very emotionally. But likewise, maybe it had a good reason, that this project failed. In life we will never know if it’s good or bad, when we cannot enter a door, that we want. Maybe back then I should have named myself „Seidl Seppn“, which is a typical Austrian nickname, to fulfill the criteria of the Musikfonds…