November in Berlin and Hamburg and my fourth album for 2013!

I am writing to you from Cape Town today, where I started my tour this year in April. We have been back for a few days now and have taken some much-needed ‘time out’.  I am so grateful that now I have more time to dedicate to my own daily yoga practice.  This is an essential part of being a teacher and a healer and believe it or not, a mantra singer! Yet my personal practice is often the part of my day that gets eaten up by traveling and taking care of others whenever we are on the road. So I’m glad to be at yoga almost every day now.

Wow, what an amazing eight months have come and gone.  So much achieved and such a journey and experience for me, and my (wonderfully supportive husband) Fabian.  And I am also grateful to all of you who followed, supported and cheered me on along the way.  It’s been fantastic to observe and experience just how many awakened people there are out there, and I have had the privilege of interacting with so many of you on my travels.  I have noticed that there is definitely a ‘shift’ of consciousness happening around the world, even in places and with people I would never have imagined it possible. And on a seriously positive note - I feel that this wave will continue to propagate into a tsunami of awareness that will sweep across the planet.  It already feels like it is happening.

All year while on tour, Fabian and I have exclusively stayed with people, which brought with it its own immense learning curve in tolerance, compassion and even more gratitude.  Over this time, I have really gotten to know myself better.  I have come to recognise that the more I know myself, the more I know about the world and the people in it. And yet strangely, the way I got to know myself was through my own interactions with all these new people who have now become friends.

When I last wrote my blog it was the night before my TV interview.  On the 18^th of November, I was interviewed on Astro TV in Germany. I got to sing three of my own compositions and spoke about my album Uplifting Mantras for You, which is now being distributed by Silenzio Records, exclusively in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Silenzio is Deva Premal’s record label and the biggest German Music Label for Spiritual Music).

I was interviewed in German, luckily Fabian was there to translate, because of my sparse knowledge of German (which is a very complex language to learn…yet it’s still on my bucket list).  I was told to keep my answers short so my words would be easy to translate…… but somehow I think Fabian added in a bit more information in his German answers than I gave, which is his acute sense for PR coming to the surface!

Here is a link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoD2O_XKvto

That afternoon I left for Hamburg and went to stay at a friend’s house just outside the city where the recording of my new album would take place. I spent five inspiring days with some superbly talented musicians recording my yet to be titled fourth mantra album for 2013. It will be out soon so please watch this space!

Then I finished off the last part of my tour in Germany with a packed out kirtan at the Golden Temple Tee Haus in Hamburg before flying on to London and then on to sunny South Africa.

So that’s me, signing out for 2013, I wish you all a wonderful, calm, loving and relaxing festive season which starts around about now. Please watch my facebook pages for further developments and events in Cape Town: https://www.facebook.com/the.nicole.sky

With much love and blessings to you as always,

Sarab Deva

Los Angles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York and the Remix Album is Finally Here!!!

Autumn has come and gone and now we are drifting into Winter in the Northern Hemisphere.  I have been on tour for seven months now and Summer is finally over. It was such a delight to feel the cool crispness in the air this Autumn and to see the leaves turning golden orange.  It is a constant reminder to us that nothing lasts forever and that the cycles of life, death and rebirth go on.

In October we were in Los Angeles where I chanted during Wahe Guru Khalsa's class at Golden Bridge Hollywood, at Naam Yoga in Santa Monica, at the Yogi Tree in North Hollywood and also at Power Yoga in Santa Monica.  I was in Las Vegas at the Grateful Yogi, with the lovely Ashley Wynn, and also in San Francisco where I chanted mantras in Berkeley.  We flew to New York and I had a lovely opportunity to offer a kirtan at Naam Yoga in New York.  They asked me to come back two more times while I was in town!!!

GoldenBridge, Hollywood

Grateful Yogi, Las Vegas

Naam Yoga, NYC

Sarab Deva and Fabian-ji in NYC

And some wonderful news; since July this year I have been working on getting a remix album together with the help of some great DJ/Producer talent from around the world, from DJ's from very diverse backgrounds, such as South America, Asia, Europe and of course Africa.
And finally after almost six months of hard work and organisation, I am happy to announce that "Uplifting Mantras Remixed" is finally ready and will be released on 

Monday the 18th of November on Bandcamp: http://sarabdeva.bandcamp.com/album/uplifting-mantras-remixed

I just came home from the YogaCircle Kirtan in Berlin which was a wonderful success with almost 50 people present!! Going to bed to get some beauty sleep for tomorrow's interview.

With love and blessings,
Sarab Deva xxxx

The Spring Kundalini Yoga Festival and other adventures in South Africa

This year has been quite a whirlwind of events.  I released 2 albums (with more on the way) and have toured (so far) through Germany and the East and West Coast of the USA, and I have met some amazing new friends!  And now the adventure continues.....

If you have not heard my latest album release yet please go to: http://sarabdeva.bandcamp.com/album/aquarian-sadhana-by-the-river

In order to promote my new album, Aquarian Sadhana by the River, we flew to the beautiful Mother City of my homeland, Cape Town. It was so good to see the ocean, the mountain and all my friends again.   

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa and Gurushabd Singh Khalsa were holding a Kundalini Teacher Training in conjunction with our dear friends at Guru Ram Das.  I was invited to lead chanting at the Sadhana (early morning class).  It was such an exquisite experience to chant mantras with new teachers in the making.

To those I missed this time; we will be back in December for four glorious months!  I am looking forward to settling down in one place to be calm and creative, before the Chinese Year of the Horse gallops in to carry us all away into even more new adventures around the world again :)

From Cape Town we flew up to Johannesburg, my old home town, to attend the Spring Kundalini Festival in the beautiful Magaliesburg. I was reminded of my love of the Highveld, of the old places I used to call home, of the craziness of Johannesburg and it's bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine in Wintertime.  However because I have changed, so have the places and people changed. It has been almost ten years since I left, and interestingly all the people seem to have changed for the better!!  

Chanting at Sadhana on a chilly Spring morning at the SKY Festival, Magaliesburg.

They say that when you change yourself, the people around you will change too....even those you may not have been able to connect with in the past. They will be different because you are different. What a wonderful lesson to learn first hand in my own home town!

I had the lovely opportunity to chant mantras and offer Kirtan at Ishta Yoga which is a beautiful yoga studio in Sandton: http://www.yoga-sa.com

Starting the Kirtan at Ishta with a short satsang

Leading the mantras

Tuning out

The beautiful garden of Ishta Yoga, with Koi Pond, Mandarin Ducks and a fierce white hunter!

He even allowed us to take his portrait

A big thank-you to Angela and Wendy for hosting us in their stunning space!!

I am writing to you now from Los Angeles. We arrived here a few days ago and have been getting over the jet-lag.  More exciting news on the way. 

Lots of love, 

Sarab Deva xxx

Summer in Berlin, The New Album and my personal creative Think Tank!

 

I have been in Berlin since my last blog post, enjoying the European summer, recording music with some great musicians and basically just living the dream! In August I played at the Berlin and Leipzig HoliOne Festivals and have been working with various DJ Producers to remix Uplifting Mantras for You.

I have had a couple of new album ideas floating around my creative space this year.  What with my travelling and meeting so many new and wonderful people, how could an artist not have some fantastical sparks of inspiration?  They say that everyone has a book within them somewhere.  I certainly feel like I have one or two brewing in my personal creative think tank too (I really like that term: ‘think tank’), but the books will come later.

I have also started a very intensive daily meditation called the Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, which has taken me into a more relaxed and neutral headspace.  One of authenticity and of self acceptance. Which brings me to the idea of how a person's own creative 'think tank' is always chocka block full of random stuff at any given time. We absorb so much data every minute of every day, which mostly is just clutter. This doesn't do the nervous system any favours and as difficult as it may be, it's a good idea to include an 'internet fast' into your weekly schedule!

In order to create, one needs to clear head space!  I certainly do!  And that is what the Sodarshan Chakra Kriya is meant to do.  It clears the subconscious mind of the junk we overload it with on a daily basis before those junkie thoughts become a part of our unconscious programming.

Hence this new album due to be released this month is very different to Uplifting Mantras for You.  I have been on quite a journey of learning and discovery since I begin this tour in April.  This new album is about me really getting back to basics and the authenticity of my own sound and the authenticity of my personal relationship to mantra and to the Shabd Guru.

This new album is an Aquarian Sadhana album with just seven Kundalini mantras on it, usually chanted each morning before sunrise.  We used a traditional approach of voice, guitar, shruti box, tabla and sitar for the musical composition.  For those of you who are not familiar with Kundalini Yoga or with the Aquarian Sadhana, you can read more about it here : http://www.sikhdharma.org/content/sadhana

"Sadhana, daily spiritual practice, is the base, the foundation of all spiritual endeavor. Sadhana is your personal, individual spiritual effort. It is the main tool you use to work on yourself to achieve the purpose of life. It can be done alone or in a group. Sadhana is whatever you do consistently to clear your own consciousness so you can relate to the infinity within you. Before you face the world each day, do yourself a favor and tune up your nervous system and attune yourself to your highest inner self. To cover all your bases, include exercise, meditation, and prayer."

From The Flow of Eternal Power by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

I was asked to perform one of the mantras from my new album at the Sikh Temple in Berlin last week Sunday, which was a great honour for me!

Sarabdev Kaur with Surjeet Singh at the Berlin Gudwara

Here is the video from this performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alc4LCeo630

Looking forward to sharing this new album with you as soon as everything is ready to be launched.

I would like to say an eternal thank-you to my devoted husband Fabian-ji (Sarabdev Singh) for his undying support and love, and for always being right behind me on this journey. Siri Akaal!

Love and blessings,

Sarab Deva xx

P.S. Next Stop is South Africa where I will be performing at the SKY Festival in Johannesburg.

Never judge a book by it's cover (or colour):

Gurmukh in LA and HoliOne in London

Before finally saying goodbye to LA and California, I had the immense privilege of working with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa.  She is perhaps one of the world’s most iconic Kundalini Yoga Teachers alive today.  A direct student of Yogi Bhajan, Gurmukh has taught the likes of Madonna, Gwenneth Paltrow, Courtney Love and many others. 

After Gurmukh's class at the Hollywood Hills Solstice Yoga Festival 

By grace, I was able to support Gurmukh with music and mantras during one of her classes at her studio in Hollywood Hills, known as Golden Bridge...an experience I will never forget.

We flew out to NYC and travelled upstate into Massachusetts where I offered a private kirtan for those attending our healing workshop that weekend.  Then we flew on to London where I prepared for the HoliOne Festival in Battersea Park. 

I was the first artist to go on stage and I was a little unsure how mantras would be received by the crowd.  Up until now I had performed in intimate settings with yogis and meditators often sitting in lotus posture or lying down and taking in the healing frequency of the mantras.  This festival was moving me into a very different crowd as the line-up of artists were all DJs.  Nevertheless, I went up on stage (feeling quite nervous) and endeavoured to really bring the true spirit of what the Holi Festival really means to me. 

Hiranyakashipu, on the lap,
being killed by Narasimha,
an incarnation of Vishnu

There is some Hindu mythology around the origin of Holi and in a nut shell, those who are faithful to the Divine (in this case Vishnu) and who turn away from falling into the darkness, will be rewarded for their loyalty.  Nowadays Holi is generally a Springtime celebration held in India and a time when all people are considered equal and when everyone can do and say what ever they want, despite their social ranking or skin colour.  And of course they throw the coloured powder at each other so that no one can be recognised by their exterior appearance.  So in this case you certainly can't judge a book by it's cover/colour.







So, of my own accord, I just spoke to the audience appealing them to all connect with their hearts and to grasp what HoliOne really means, and to begin to understand how powerful each one of us can be when we live from our hearts and connect with each others as though we are All One :)

Sarab Deva at HoliOne London, UK

The crowd really enjoyed the mantras and one of the security men came up to me afterwards and genuinely thanked me for what I said, saying that there was definitely something in the frequency of my voice that really resonated with people, as he had been watching the crowd's response while I was on stage talking to them and singing.

I thought that was quite lovely and it made my heart glow to know that a deeper sense of spirituality and connectedness is likely just waiting to be awakened within the people that I may not have imagined to be receptive to the Light. So, never judge a book by it's cover! And never imagine that someone might not be ready for a spiritual shift!!

HoliOne taught me that, but somehow not in the way I would have expected!

Here is a video of me chanting the Gayatri Mantra (over a track called Love & Fear by the band Amaya) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RavmQiEk84s

That's all for now, but watch out for my new release "Light" coming to http://sarabdeva.bandcamp.com/ soon.

Love and blessings, Sarab Deva xx


For more of Amaya's music: http://www.amayasounds.com/