Televised Harinam For the World? Does Everyone Appreciate Musical Singing Expertise??

[krsna]

BY: SATYAHIT DASA

 

May 20, ALACHUA, FLORIDA (SUN) — Here is an idea for sankirtan and spreading Krishna consciousness globally through harinam kirtan/bhajan. We have all heard that upon seeing us Hare Krsna's performing kirtan in the public streets, some people say, "O, we have not seen you people for so long", or "we wondered what happened to you since we no longer see you chanting in the streets as we used to". Now, after some forty years have gone by, many devotee's have become expert singers, kirtan leaders and musicians.

 

We have been in and around the Alachua community of devotee's now for about five months and never before have we seen kirtans like go on here. Since harinam sankirtan is an unlimited ocean of nectar and joy, and since all of these devotee's have become, in their deep sincerity, wonderfully expert kirtan singers, now it is time again to show the world globally just how wonderful harinam sankirtan is, and how it is an ocean of unlimited joyfulness. Actually, as we all know, it is our duty to try to spread Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan movement as broadly as we possibly can.

 

So to the point of using television to broadcast harinam throughout the world. Here, at the Alachua Hare Krsna community, at least two utterly phenomenal harinam kirtans take place weekly. One is generally at the Sunday afternoon arotik at 4:15 pm, when among all the other attending devotees, about eight gurukuli and other expert mrdunga players, plus one fully expert jimbe player, led by a lifetime practiced kirtan leader, present the kirtan for the pleasure of Their Lordships and all the assembled devotees of the Lord. These drummers are so much in unison with each other and with the lead singer, who sends signals now and then as they ecstatically go from one resounding crescendo to another, all jumping and dancing in total harmony, that practically anyone who sees and hears this fully enthusiastic singing and musical presentation so expertly performed will be fully impressed with Hare Krishna sankirtan. Everyone appreciates expertise.

 

The second venue to be filmed by first class videographers is the Friday night bhajan performances at various devotee's homes. Here we have twenty or so kirtan leaders, one after another, each leading a totally unique kirtan for about fifteen minutes. The only electronics used are the microphone and the expert bass guitar playing by Puru Shartra prabhu.

 

When filmed very nicely, this one half to one hour film would be appreciated worldwide by all television audiences and thereby spread the Krishna consciousness movement exponentially.

Come to think of it, also various Hare Krsna devotee Krsna rock bands filmed expertly will have a similar effect because again, expertise is appreciated by one and all. There is no doubt in my mind that these kirtans, filmed expertly, will be enjoyed and appreciated by most people worldwide on television and thereby again have the masses being exposed to the ecstatic chanting of the maha mantra, the greatest mantra for relieving the world and all it's suffering people of all it's burdens -- at least for those able to watch television while television is still available. This is a large portion of the world's community at large. And of course, the chanting of the maha mantra is universal and as Srila Prabhupada said, "even a dog can appreciate", so will those practised in this field of filming and television please step forward for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada, the Lord and all the world?

[Guest guest]

I hope it does it's a good idea.

[gHari]

I'd like to see this group find a music contest or similar venue (battle of the bands) to demonstrate the beauty of kirtana to the outside hungry world.

 

In 74, George Harrison brought about dozen mrdanga players and Ravi Shankara with his tour to Toronto. It was received well.