Govinda Express: Cuba meets India

Kita Kora Yashodara by Govinda Express

For a musician, to be in the studio and work on your own recording is a very special adventure. So it happend together with my longtime musical fellow traveller, Anugraha, when we started our project of the ‘Govinda Express’. Of course we tapped into our musical past – East and West – because that is where we have been influenced the most, but wanted to create our special mix.

I spent many years in Cuba to study their incredible rhythmical way of expression and later also mantra singing became an integral part of my life. It was therefore obvious that I would want to melt the two together. One piece we subtitled Mahamantra à lo cubano. It is a thriving salsa groove to the Hare Krishna mantra. It really hit my spot, because it felt so natural, but for many friends here in Switzerland it was a bit too outrageous (except for my Cuban amigos who danced to it wildly and wanted to know all about this mantra chanting business!)

On the second CD we wanted to keep this fusion idea alive, but we made it a point to have all tracks linked, like with a golden thread. The idea was that the whole CD could be listened to in one harmonious gulp, even though the musical landscapes could be very different from one track to the other.

So the tune of ‘Kitakora’ was born. The lyrics describe Krishna’s playfulness and the music is based on the beautiful harmonies by Anugraha and my juicy Afro-Cuban percussion.

A perfect match, don’t you think?

Fascinated by travelling, Veetkam discovered Osho and his communes. At age 35 he started to study drumming in Zurich and with Cuban masters in Havana. He also graduated as ‚Drum Circle Facilitator’ with Arthur Hull. He participates in the Singing Buddhas and Govinda Express projects and teaches Feel the Beat. Together with Kiya, he runs a playshop called Rhythm of Life and he is now launching drum events with kids and in the business world. www.feel-the-beat.net