The sun is shining, the weather is sweet... makes me wanna move my dancing feet! Festival season is in full swing and so far has been a heap of fun.
The year started with my band Shakti Sacred Music playing in the rain in the Coromandel on Prana's Circle stage for the final New Year festival there. It was my 9th Prana and 5th as a performing musician, and a beautiful way to finish this chapter.
For Evolve Festival in Nelson - I teamed up with my mate Gareth Edwards amidst the bubbles.
For Wanderlust this year in Taupo, I created a soundscape accompaniment for a few of Vincent Boletta's classes using Native American flute, guitar and voice. It was very creatively satisfying to interpret the class into music and there was great feedback - my first time using flute for asana class, and boy, was it a pranayama (breathing) practice in itself! My friends Emma (Shakti), Gabrielle (The Gaya Tree) and I also shared a couple of tracks at the Open Mic on Saturday night.
Awakening Vajra Centre opening
The Awakening Vajra Buddhist Centre opened at Auckland's Kawai Purapura retreat centre and my group Shakti Sacred Music played in the afternoon amongst a fabulous line up - after us came Johnny Boon's Rhythm Interactive then Matiu Te Huki in the evening!
And there's more to come! Kawai Purapura's yoga festival is on 19-21 February. Shakti Sacred Music are playing Friday night and I'm playing on the kirtan stage Saturday 2pm. Sunday 4pm is my workshop Yoga, Singing and the Heart - it was beautiful at last year's festival and no doubt will be incredible this year too. I meet such lovely people with this type of sharing - maybe I'll see you there? On yogafestival.nz, straight away you'll hear my track Gayatri as the soundtrack on the video playing.
Shakti Sacred Music will also be at Voices of Sacred Earth at Kawai Purapura in March too. Also keep your eyes peeled for Earthbeat in early April.