What sort of music do you like?

[mradam83]

I was really absorbed in religious music. My music tastes changed from violent, explicit gradually without realising. I was doing a lot of mediation and worship so I was in a completely different frame of mind. I became an empty canvas and over time found a balance; old favourites and new gems. I still love Rammstein, System of a Down, Otep and the others but I dont get the same enjoyment of of it as I used. I LOVE dance music, Bollywood, arabic especially from Lebanon and Egypt. Oldies like Lou Reed, the Velvet Underground, Echo and the Bunnymen. 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and I will unashamedly admit I loved the boy band/girl band era! Current music, I can only think of Cut Copy, Florence and the Machine, CSS and Joanna Newson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RUnf8vKlMc - Lou Reed - Tranformer

Namaste,

As soon as I saw Rammstein my eyes lit up - I'm a huge fan of theirs, I would love to see them live.

Pranams.

[mradam83]

Namaste

I assume you mean music other than bhajans on which there are some great threads on this forum.

Certainly, other forms of music bring peace to the mind and joy to the heart.

Music should be used as a tool in cultivating virtues and awareness. This can be done powerfully in identifying the fountains of empathy where they are, across many genres.

What gives you a valuable insight into the minds and environments of others? Who is expressing redeeming values in these environments, so rife with darkness?

Something I've found... expansive for me is 'underground' hiphop which, with your background in reggae, you may appreciate also. There are only a handful of people in that 'scene' that talk real talk. Perhaps the most extraordinary is Saul Williams.

All I can say is... this man lives in close association with the truth - but more than that, he reaches people at lower places and takes them higher. He uses his cultural heritage to touch people who might otherwise be listening to the sort of hiphop that scripts people for troubled lives and exposes them to the heart of poetry.

And that to me is what makes it truly beautiful; not just that what he's saying is true and lovely, it's who he's saying it to, and how/why he's saying it. The implicit compassion and wisdom driving such an expression.

Here's some examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpNndQj3v3g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuQVNA3JstU


Namaste

Namaste,

I like underground Hiphop too but generally from the early to mid 90's before the likes of Eminem rose to prominence - I have just listened to Saul Williams, very likeable and I like the way it fuses Easy Listening with a rap poetry.

In terms of mind altering music and insights into a new mental state, I find that quality in many genres but particularly Early Ska and Jazz does that for me best.

I struggle to listen to religious music, only on the basis that I can't identify with someone else expressing their feelings for god. Not all the time, but generally I do find that consistently difficult.

Pranams.

[Arjuni]

Namasté,

This is an interesting thread!

Shanti, I am with you in enjoying certain kinds of music less than I once did. Having said that, I offer a giggle for all of the fellow Rammstein fans. Mradam83, Rammstein was in my city about a month and a half ago, and I was ill the night of the concert, and missed it!

Shuddhasattva, I like your taste in music. I'd not heard of Saul Williams and am enjoying the discovery of a new artist with some serious moral and poetic chops. And the Swedish group's song you posted is amazing; it reminds me a little of recorded word-spell I heard from the priestess Freya Aswynn, years ago. I wonder if you've heard (of) three of my favourite bands - Omnia (neopagan), Corvus Corax (updated medieval), and Annwn (ditto).

Other favourites - besides the playlists of Śiva and Devi bhajans that keep growing - include random eastern European neo-folk (Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov in Bulgaria), the neo-Celtic thing happening (Clannad, Máire Brennan, and Canadians Loreena McKennitt and Mychael Danna), some New Age (Bill Douglas), and the most wonderful ambient/primordial/divine/unclassifiable music ever, courtesy of Dead Can Dance.

A few links, because I like links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yisrsTPvfao - Clannad, Battles. It's only a minute long...and a nice memory for anyone who loved the Robin of Sherwood series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikZOSdaUM3k - Bill Douglas, Sweet Rain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhPS23r0Ncc - Elitsa and Stoyan with Devoiko mari hubava. A folk song about a girl and a soldier...updated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkOQPovPU2A - Dead Can Dance, Summoning of the Muse.

Off to explore the suggestions some more, and please do forgive if I've rambled - I actually tried to keep it under control!

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[ShivaFan]

Hmmm and Namaste,

Well I guess it's time to have fun!

As anyone could guess (from a previous posting of mine "Do you Love Carnatic Music?", obviously you can figure that I LOVE Carnatic/Karnatic music!

I also like the sound of the Shenai which is a wind instrument, which is similar to EM's nadeswaram - of which I only discovered today thanks to his post and I like it! But here is "my" Shenai (and yes, I have one in my house that I play sometimes):


Now I also love forms of Indian Classical music, but even though Bharat Natyam is NOT a "music" but a dance, there is something I really like about some of the music and ankle bells of the dance.

[Obelisk]

Namaste,

Great thread; nice to see everyone's cool musical tastes. Western orchestral music is a great passion of mine. Nothing touches me more than a grand symphonic crescendo with 70+ rich instruments in harmony, absolute musical nirvana. I mainly listen to film, television and game scores, particularly by Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Alan Menken, James Newton Howard, Michael Giacchino, A.R Rahman etc. Also some classical music by Wagner, Holst and Mahler when the mood arises. By God's Grace, my collection continues to grow each day.

I also appreciate the Hindustani and Carnatic music that my parents play at home, though I usually don't listen to it separately myself. I've also been playing acoustic guitar and keyboard since a while.

[ShivaFan]

Indraneela, the Dead Can't Dance link doesn't work.
The others work fine.
I am using an iPad.

Om Namah Sivaya

[Jainarayan]

Namaste

Speaking of ethnic music, am curious to know your, and anyone else's, take on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zrJoTtcONM

What sort of feeling does it evoke?


Namaste

Me likes. The drone sound in the beginning is reminiscent of a digeridoo. Anything with a steady rhythm and/or drone will hook me.

[Eastern Mind]

I also like the sound of the Shenai which is a wind instrument, which is similar to EM's nadeswaram - of which I only discovered today thanks to his post and I like it! But here is "my" Shenai (and yes, I have one in my house that I play sometimes):

Vannakkam: I had never heard of this one before, but I found a Youtube to listen to , and I loved the 'haunting' mystical sound. I'm surprised Hollywood hasn't discovered and used these instruments more in their background music.

Aum Namasivaya

[IcyCosmic]

Not to anyones taste here but yes, this is me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2q31...layer_embedded

Also, this is another beautiful song from playing for change
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55s3T7VRQSc

they get artists from all over the world togethor in one song to sing/chant classic songs or original pieces. beautiful.

[Seeker]

Flute without doubt.

On a side note , my son bought a conch shell on his recent trip to Jamaica , and is in the process of fitting it with appenditures so that he can attach different trumpet mouthpieces to it. The conch makes beautiful sound even when blown with bare mouth.