Interview

PA ~ When did you take up your artistry and how long have you been involved with it?

We started the Temple Bhajan Band in 1999, but I have been doing kirtan since 1975

PA ~ Musically, how would you describe your sound/genre?

We are Kirtan Music and also World Music.

PA ~ What gravitated you toward your artistic work ?

My spiritual lifestyle

PA ~ Who are your influenced by?

I played blues and folky stuff in coffee houses in the early seventies and loved blues singers and Neil Young

PA ~ I understand you have a CD, Temple of the Heart what is the listener / viewer in store for?

Some very sublime traditional Indian Music by western musicians and singers.

PA ~ How is the CD being received?

We have a very nice following and have distributed over 10,000 CD's.

 PA ~ Do you have a favorite composition on the CD?

Mama Mana mandire is my favorite, the first track.

PA ~ Will you be touring to promote Temple of the Heart?

We tour every weekend all over Southern Ca for the last 7 years.

 PA ~ Any other projects or follow ups in the works presently?

We have a new CD in progress called, Bhakti Seva.

PA ~ Do you perform solo or normally with a group?

 We have a group of about 5 performers. Harmonium, Mrdunga, Kartals, Esaraj, flute and tamboura.

PA ~ Any performances coming up you'd like to plug?

Our schedule is at our website www.templebhajanband.com we perform every weekend.

PA ~ What would someone expect attending one of your shows?

Chanting, Dancing and most times Veggie dinner.

PA ~ Do you perform outside of your hometown?

We go mainky in Southern CA but played this year in Kansas City, Toronto, Davis, San Rafael, Encinitas, Las Vegas, Colorado, Philadelphia, Wash D.C....... We get around.

PA ~ During your artistic journey so far, any interesting (funny, bizarre, highlight, nightmare etc...) stories come to mind you'd like to share with us?

We went to the Rainbow gathering in CO last month and played for 6 days and nites. Our camp would serve out veggie dinner and the people would crowd around to get fed and chant. The first 2 days at both breakfast and lunch, while the sun was shinning, the rain came pouring down during and after our serving so that hundreds of peeps had to make their way into the tent with our chanting for a much more up close and personal association.

PA ~ Give us your thoughts on the indie music scene good and not so good.

Alot of oportunities for Indies these days.

PA ~ How is the artistic scene in LA evolving?

Here in L.A. the World Music genre is at an all time high. Just 3 weeks ago we played at the Roxy, Gangs for Peace in South Central, and a yoga center in Redondo Beach, on a Monday, Thursday and Saturday nite.

PA ~ What has the highlight of your career been?

We played alot of nice venues. Playing for the artivist festival at the Egyptian theatre, to St. Augustine Church Christmas Bizarre.

PA ~ What are some goals you hope to accomplish in the future?

We hope to stay busy and expand our playing into more land more areas of the mainstream.

PA ~ What are your other interests outside music?

I do Yoga, kickboxing and paddle tennis. Love to camp and go to outdoor festivals.

PA ~ What was the best piece of advice you ever heard that motivates you in pursuit of your artistry?

Sometimes less is more.

PA ~ Where can someone find out more about you?

 www.templebhajanband.com