western (black/white) music

[Kumar_Das]

Please post your favourite tunes. From jazz, blues, soul, funk, disco, pop, rock, electronic(drum and bass or house etc) or hip hop.

Yes I do have some reservation against posting. Since its music and may be "tamasic".

But the way I see it. Eating food/having a drink as a luxury out of indulgence rather than doing it out of a dire need due to hunger/thirst, watching television shows and movies that have no scientific/philosophical/spiritual meaning behind them, wearing clothing to present oneself as "fashionable" and taking part in other activities that does not increase one's skill in something that may help you in the path of spirituality and done as a form of leisure - all fall under the same class.

I think its safe for me to say that most people here carry on with living in this materialistic world and have a lifestyle not even close to that of an ascetic.

I see this as a seperate thing. And I don't really see a harm in this. So long you as don't subjugate spiritual activities and substitute them with this or feel you cannot perform them because you feel drawn towards this more, otherwise there is nothing out-of-the-ordinary about this. But then again I do remember that this is a Hindu forum and what place does this have here? I wouldnt play this in a temple. But we do have a joke thread so in the same vein, this is absolutely off-topic.

[Kumar_Das]

I love black music. It was born out of people suffering and under hardship. They took all their pain, sweat, tears and blood and sang/rapped, channelling all the negativity that affected them and turned it into something empowering or just wanted to have a voice and be heard. Hip Hop nowadays is just atrocious. So sad to see a scene which people of back in the days invest so much of their heart and mind in, get taken over by wannabe gangsters getting reception from legions of brain dead fools, rap about how hungry they are for hoes and all other puerile garbage that only clueless teenagers would find "cool".

I find that there is something to learn spiritually from this too. Suffering may make us feel hopeless. But greatness is born out of suffering.

oh goodness, these guys were geniuses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNSMtLjnLlY

when they define what cool and chill is the way they did, who can even beat that, oh wait and they did put down the definition themselves, how can you even top that? so slick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nLknje5E9E

what a hardcore classic, insane beats, insane vocals straight at you, so raw, so deep and so real
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXeAZQE5QOI

[Mana]

Yes I do have some reservation against posting. Since its music and may be "tamasic".

Namasté Kumar_Das

I am intrigued, why do you say that Music may be tamasic? On what do you base this notion?

Little wing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAG-kX_IlUw)

Autumn Leaves (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSXYu-3r1S8)

praNAma

mana

[nitinsharma]

watching television shows and movies that have no scientific/philosophical/spiritual meaning behind them, wearing clothing to present oneself as "fashionable" and taking part in other activities that does not increase one's skill in something that may help you in the path of spirituality and done as a form of leisure - all fall under the same class.



Exactly.So listen to 'music' that is actually meaningful,spiritual....but you do not know of such a thing do you?

[quote=Kumar_Das;72999]I love black music. It was born out of people suffering and under hardship. They took all their pain, sweat, tears and blood and sang/rapped, channelling all the negativity that affected them and turned it into something empowering or just wanted to have a voice and be heard. Hip Hop nowadays is just atrocious. So sad to see a scene which people of back in the days invest so much of their heart and mind in, get taken over by wannabe gangsters getting reception from legions of brain dead fools, rap about how hungry they are for hoes and all other puerile garbage that only clueless teenagers would find "cool".

I find that there is something to learn spiritually from this too. Suffering may make us feel hopeless. But greatness is born out of suffering.

/quote]

What you said above is just BS.There is an edit button for a reason you know.I know you will say its a matter of taste and whatnot.....but that music is just reeking of decadence,filth.IT SUCKS!In fact I tried to ignore this whole thread,but I couldn't let you get away with such lies.
This is proper,pagan music,so it should do for us too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tLn-h5lNV0

Aah Transcendence....
(BTW,thank God that you got away so lightly)

[Kumar_Das]

I am intrigued, why do you say that Music may be tamasic? On what do you base this notion?


Orthodox Hindus abhor any music except Carnatic music. Music is considered to be aversive to spirituality. This thought permeates all proper Hinduism, for example verses of Vedas are chanted without any accompaniment of instruments.

I remember when I was in my schooling days and living in Tamil Nadu, one day my ghatam teacher came to my house to speak to my parents due to them wanting him to teach me. He surveyed my room and threw away my rock and hip hop albums and told my parents that I shouldnt be listening to such music.:( Good man and expert musician he was nonetheless.:)

[Mana]

Namaste Kumar Das,

What do you think came first, the word or music?

Rigidity about these issues are exactly that which separates generations. Music and ritual can either bring generations closer together or push them apart. It should bring together. It is my opinion that distancing of generations can come from music; however music is not the cause, we are the source of tamasa, enabling music to carry this portent. The music is just a reflection of a deeper movement, and It is never wise to shoot a messenger.

I struggle to play my Guitar if I haven't re tuned it to the chord which I am playing around. We in the west use a "Tempered" scale which I really don't like, the "major" scale which is the root of western music, sounds discordant to my ears, which search for the deeper harmony which exists within the tempered scale of Pythagoras (just using the name descriptivism here). these are centimes of a tones difference. So I should like to learn the true pitched scales derived from the fractions of the music, between the tempered scale.


I believe the Christian church calls these extra notes 'The devils notes".
But they are great for adding feeling to music. Blues depends upon it.

Music is also used for war, it is a very powerful accompaniment to battle and has been used as such for 1000's of years, well; in the West.


Are you familiar with the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamlin? Muses and musicians feature heavily in our folk law, that is other than the Latin laws.

praNAma

mana

[Adhvagat]

Arrested Development is one of the best rap groups I've ever listened to. I used to enjoy a lot, I only have one album of their best songs called 'Classic Masters', however my favorite song is Mr. Wendal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyqp2f6VPos. I also love The Roots, such a great rap band with Questlove, one of the best drummers in the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojC0mg2hJCc.

Pop rap is really pretty weak in theme, just a way to glorify lust in every aspect of life. Blame the blind western mindset that is so shortsighted it can't see any pleasure outside materialistic enjoyment.

Lately I've been listening a lot to electronic music, but not the usual rajasic things, more like chilly dreamy ambient electronic. This DJ duo named Hybrid made this album purely of ambient remixes of famous film score pieces and other famous electronic music and it is amazing! It's the first disc of an album called 'Soundsystem 01', here's an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbQM9YaJQk

Alan Parsons experimental album named 'A Valid Path' where he goes from pop to experimental electronic has been coloring my mindscapes as well, like this modern revisited homage to The Alan Parsons Project's song 'Dream within a dream': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIELATYxwyg

[nitinsharma]

Rap is ****.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: From my view, all music reflects inner sounds. So, in a sense, it is just a manifestation of something that is already residing within cosmic-consciousness, or the ethers. Within that substratum of mind, reality is that its layered, just as we have 7, 14 or 21 chakras, depending on how deep you're looking.

Most of us are cognizant of the grosser forms. If a musician is spewing hate in his words, or a country musician is twanging out a love song, or we hear beautiful flute music, we are aware of the general feeling that we personally get from it. Where is this feeling on an inner level? From my POV, its in the chakras. Chakras can spin in either direction, having energy go up or down. Personally I think the term 'uplifting' came from this idea, but its long since been forgotten.

There is a magnetism to these feelings because in either case, there is movement. Most of us seek a shifting of consciousness. Even if it's 'downward' it's still a shift. So unless we are keenly aware through years of yoga, and development of a keen keen sense of the nadis in our nerve system, its hard to tell with some forms of music.

Personally, therefore, I error on the side of caution, and limit my listening to Hindu bhajans, singing of thevarams, carnatic, etc. I feel safe with that because of the origin of the music.

At one time I was more open, and occasionally paid for it.

Aum Namasivaya

[Adhvagat]

Vannakkam: From my view, all music reflects inner sounds. So, in a sense, it is just a manifestation of something that is already residing within cosmic-consciousness, or the ethers. Within that substratum of mind, reality is that its layered, just as we have 7, 14 or 21 chakras, depending on how deep you're looking.

Most of us are cognizant of the grosser forms. If a musician is spewing hate in his words, or a country musician is twanging out a love song, or we hear beautiful flute music, we are aware of the general feeling that we personally get from it. Where is this feeling on an inner level? From my POV, its in the chakras. Chakras can spin in either direction, having energy go up or down. Personally I think the term 'uplifting' came from this idea, but its long since been forgotten.

There is a magnetism to these feelings because in either case, there is movement. Most of us seek a shifting of consciousness. Even if it's 'downward' it's still a shift. So unless we are keenly aware through years of yoga, and development of a keen keen sense of the nadis in our nerve system, its hard to tell with some forms of music.

Personally, therefore, I error on the side of caution, and limit my listening to Hindu bhajans, singing of thevarams, carnatic, etc. I feel safe with that because of the origin of the music.

EM, I was there as well.

When I was younger I hated songs that manifested anguish and sadness in me so I took the decision to completely avoid them (I still largely avoid them, but not entirely anymore, I learned to better deal with this).

I should also bring attention to the fact that avoiding these types of emotion doesn't mean you don't have them in you. I avoided mainly because I had too much of it and I had to deal with it in a healthy way.

Indeed the most uplifting music I've been listening to lately is Jai Uttal and Krishna Das, one more dynamic and modern and the other more traditional and devotional, both dealing with Hinduism and spirituality.


At one time I was more open, and occasionally paid for it.

Aum Namasivaya

What do you mean? Like in concerts? :)

[Eastern Mind]

What do you mean? Like in concerts? :)

Vannakkam: No, like getting dragged down into 'negative' astral worlds of darkness, and then being open to forces such as cravings ... general lack of self-control. Attracts the darker sides of humanity as well. That sort of thing.

Aum Namasivaya

[Amala]

Namaste

Ever hear of the band Tabla Beat Science? It's an experimental group put together by Michigan's bass guitarist Bill Laswell and India's tabla player extraordinaire, Zakir Hussein. Do you include western classical music? I love Bach, too.

I must admit, I rarely listen to any music unless it's chanting. What I'd like to do it combine western sounds with s'lokas. I think that would be a great meeting place for fun & spirituality for folks whose ears might not be tuned for eastern scales.... and for those whose are! :-)

Rock on!

Om shanti om