Gopal and Subhan’s comments on a selection of tracks from album 3 of the compilation, Songs of Gratefulness – inspired by Osho

My Heart is Singing

Unknown songwriter
Devapria, Deven, Pyaar, Devi-Maliha, Nandin, Deva Isha: vocals
Nandin (nandinmusic.com): vocals and flute
Pravira (promusicus.com): violin
Atirup: ukelele, guitar, added bass and percussion
Bhakta (spotify.com / music.apple.com): sound engineering and mastering, additional sounds, including more percussion

Lyrics

Osho, you are a song
And my heart is singing
La la la la la…

How it came together

by Gopal

As the first track on the album My Heart is Singing I have chosen this joyful but not very well-known song. It has never been recorded before and it’s the only one in the project where I could not find who the songwriter was. If anyone knows, please notify me!

The singers include Devapria’s sannyasin nieces, Pyaar and Devi-Maliha. The quality of those young voices adds to the uplifting spirit of the song. Devapria is also singing, and she helped coordinate the recording that was done in Germany. Deven, with his contrasting strong male voice, gives grounding to the vocals. The singer from Taiwan, Isha, was recorded by me here in Taipei…

Atirup adds his ukulele and guitar; Nandin, who is also singing, enriched it with her beautiful flute. Pravira adds the lively violin – so it’s a celebration of voices and instruments.

My good friend Bhakta produced the final track. He added more percussion and other sounds, and mixed all these separate tracks before the final mastering. This teamwork spanning the whole globe brings us this very alive, uplifting, joyful track.

Watch on YouTube

Rising in Love with You

Recorded live at the UTA Institute in Cologne, Germany
Subhan (subhansplace.com): songwriter
Abha (feiyr.com): vocals
Basera (feiyr.com): vocals
Bhakta (spotify.com / music.apple.com): editing, sound engineering and final mastering

Lyrics

I close my eyes and you are there
I open my heart and you are everywhere
Falling into the center of the cyclone
Rising in love with you
Falling into the center of my being
Rising in love with you

The History

by Subhan

Songs I’ve written have had a funny way of unexpectedly just “showing up!” And, Rising in Love With You was no exception. I remember one evening experiencing a strong feeling of Osho’s presence, that deeply touched my heart. I sat there with eyes closed and felt him within and without! The next thing I knew, I was writing what became the initial lyrics of the song: “I close my eyes and you are there; I open my heart and you are everywhere!” These words thrilled me with their ability to say what seemed to be impossible to say! They were a reflection of an intimate love affair with Osho. Then it took a couple of days for the chorus to appear. I was enthralled with “rising in love” instead of “falling in love!” It took a little while before the chords and melody to carry these words found me! Then they poured out rather easily. And voilà! The song was complete. The whole process was a miracle of love…

After the first time I sang it in Buddha Hall, I went to dinner and sat with my friend Alok. He asked me if I had heard the words of the song (obviously, not knowing that I had just sung it!) I told him, “Yes, I did!” He said he was blown away by them, and repeated the first two lines back to me! Then I told him that I had sung it and written it. Everything just stopped… for a minute. And then we both laughed!

Watch on YouTube

Gratefulness

Recorded live at the UTA Institute in Cologne, Germany
Parijat (parijatmusic.com – parijat.bandcamp.com): guitar
Nandin (nandinmusic.com): flute
Bhakta (spotify.com / music.apple.com): editing, sound engineering and final mastering

Instrumental piece from the UTA Band

by Gopal

This is a live recording by the Cologne Uta Band and it is the only instrumental track in the project. I included it because it touched me so much. When my sister first heard it, she put her hand on her heart and felt deeply touched. I also felt this quality of gratefulness when I first heard it that morning.

I was sitting near the band as everyone started coming into the meditation room for the Sunday live music Satsang. Everything settled and the collective silence deepened. I had been present for the sound check rehearsal. Atirup had written the song and Parijat just knew how to play with only a few minutes’ rehearsal – and the meditation started!

It’s basically a guitar duet with flute. Atirup and Parijat both played solid body electric guitars with strings that gave a soft and rich texture like a classical guitar. Then Nandin spontaneously found her way between the guitars with her beautiful flute notes, giving a contrasting tone and more richness to the track.

At the end of the event I was hoping it was recorded and fortunately for us, it was! I then asked Atirup if we could call the track “Gratefulness,” and he agreed.