It is the dark time, 1:30 am, home from playing at the Chai Gallery. The Chai is an extraordinary environment, created by the Reza family, from Afghanistan. Tribal leaders in their homeland, before the Russian invasion, their family was violently displaced. They wandered, experiencing much hardship, living for a time in India, and eventually coming to Canada. We have the good fortune that they brought elements of their culture here to Vancouver. Supporters of the Arts, siblings Mustafa and Razavia have created great beauty, and a place for community and music to thrive. Not to mention food to delight the senses. This is a rare thing, and does not revolve entirely around money, thus the beauty it engenders. Those of us who play at the Chai and connected East is East restaurants play for other reasons than monetary....we are so nourished and inspired by the rare and very human setting, the amazing food and Chai tea, the beauty and comfort of the surroundings, hand built with love, and the opportunity to play music with other great musicians. The setting is an inspired one.
Tonight Jamie Perry, Bocephus King, gathered a crowd of friends, family, musicians, community, to celebrate his upcoming trip to Europe. He is going on a musical quest. in search of Buddhist chant and music to record for the album he is currently working on. Jamie plays roots music, and is a great singer, guitar player, and an energy wizard. He drops in, tunes in, and goes, bringing coherence to all of us that play with him, and our audience also. The room comes into one cohesive, moving unit. We move emotionally, physically, creatively, and by the end of the night we are all transformed. We make the journey together, with Jamie as our leader.
There is a large fir tree that stands in the alley behind the Chai. I feel it is a guardian and gives us its blessing, even as we bless it with our bliss. Perhaps it channels the energy of love and joy that is generated regularly at this blessed place, into the skies and earth. And certainly, when the crowd is dancing and being moved inside, the land must feel our energy and soak it up. I think of the Chai as a vortex. I feel healed whenever I go there to play.
Coming home late, I am dropped off by Hazim, who joined us to drum at the end of our 2nd set. He is newly in Vancouver from Saudi Arabia. I walk home a mile or so thru quiet, dark streets. The trees are easier to feel at night. Walking the empty streets, there are no distractions, and I can sense them. I feel them responding to my awareness of them as conscious beings. Something not the norm, for their passersby, I am sure! All of nature is alive and conscious, and waits for our participation and awareness. In C.S. Lewis's Narnia stories, a man guiding the children thru the deep forest describes to them how the trees, animals, and all of nature was once conscious and actively communicative with humans, but then something happened, and the wild world went to sleep, becoming seemingly inanimate and unintelligent. This can only be through our own arresting of the dialogue. Thus the ancient stories that now have been relegated to myth and faerie tale, of an alive and communicative natural world. But we can engage the natural world of stars, trees, plants, animals - again - at any time, and it responds. Nature lies in wait for our dialogue.
My senses are heightened by my night of music at the beautiful Chai Gallery, with my beloved community and friends. The world feels alive and aware, and I with it. As I walk I am eager to get to my computer and begin typing, to capture this state in story. It is not always so readily available. Night time gives good conditions for opening my senses to what is always there. The light sometimes blinds to what the beautiful dark, in the womb of the night, reveals.
Check out the Chai Gallery above East is East restaurant in Kitsilano. Also check the family's Main Street location for live music every night. Kits downstairs also has live music nightly. Fine musicians from all over the world. Food to inspire your senses. Music to captivate and ensoul.
http://www.myspace.com/bocephusking
Cowboy Neal is a great song to play here
http://eastiseast.ca/
Info link for the Chai Gallery upstairs from Kits East is East Restaurant
Tonight Jamie Perry, Bocephus King, gathered a crowd of friends, family, musicians, community, to celebrate his upcoming trip to Europe. He is going on a musical quest. in search of Buddhist chant and music to record for the album he is currently working on. Jamie plays roots music, and is a great singer, guitar player, and an energy wizard. He drops in, tunes in, and goes, bringing coherence to all of us that play with him, and our audience also. The room comes into one cohesive, moving unit. We move emotionally, physically, creatively, and by the end of the night we are all transformed. We make the journey together, with Jamie as our leader.
There is a large fir tree that stands in the alley behind the Chai. I feel it is a guardian and gives us its blessing, even as we bless it with our bliss. Perhaps it channels the energy of love and joy that is generated regularly at this blessed place, into the skies and earth. And certainly, when the crowd is dancing and being moved inside, the land must feel our energy and soak it up. I think of the Chai as a vortex. I feel healed whenever I go there to play.
Coming home late, I am dropped off by Hazim, who joined us to drum at the end of our 2nd set. He is newly in Vancouver from Saudi Arabia. I walk home a mile or so thru quiet, dark streets. The trees are easier to feel at night. Walking the empty streets, there are no distractions, and I can sense them. I feel them responding to my awareness of them as conscious beings. Something not the norm, for their passersby, I am sure! All of nature is alive and conscious, and waits for our participation and awareness. In C.S. Lewis's Narnia stories, a man guiding the children thru the deep forest describes to them how the trees, animals, and all of nature was once conscious and actively communicative with humans, but then something happened, and the wild world went to sleep, becoming seemingly inanimate and unintelligent. This can only be through our own arresting of the dialogue. Thus the ancient stories that now have been relegated to myth and faerie tale, of an alive and communicative natural world. But we can engage the natural world of stars, trees, plants, animals - again - at any time, and it responds. Nature lies in wait for our dialogue.
My senses are heightened by my night of music at the beautiful Chai Gallery, with my beloved community and friends. The world feels alive and aware, and I with it. As I walk I am eager to get to my computer and begin typing, to capture this state in story. It is not always so readily available. Night time gives good conditions for opening my senses to what is always there. The light sometimes blinds to what the beautiful dark, in the womb of the night, reveals.
Check out the Chai Gallery above East is East restaurant in Kitsilano. Also check the family's Main Street location for live music every night. Kits downstairs also has live music nightly. Fine musicians from all over the world. Food to inspire your senses. Music to captivate and ensoul.
http://www.myspace.com/bocephusking
Cowboy Neal is a great song to play here
http://eastiseast.ca/
Info link for the Chai Gallery upstairs from Kits East is East Restaurant
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