Team Ahimsa Blog Relay, Various Contests

Devotional Music

All Words: 377

2.) What is Andre’s favorite genre? Does he have a favorite artist, Who and why?



As we know, under all his goofiness, Andre is a very deep sort. His favourite music has always been devotional music. In the jungle each day, he’d listen to the devotional songs emanating from the churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship around him. This uplifted him, made him see the good in humankind and all nature.

"Everyone should sing songs that connect them to the divine, that bring out their inborn divinity," Andre says. "Whatever our specific beliefs, or even if we are non-believers, our core is pure. Some of us get confused and lose our way when we lose touch with this core. That's when the negative tendencies can overpower the good ones."

Surprisingly, Andre's friends don't even think of teasing him when he talks this way. He's so much in earnest and so sincere that they love him for his devotion. To the younger generation, he is swiftly becoming a spiritual guide of sorts. And not even his clown cousin, Josh has nicknamed Andre 'The Monk Monkey' or something silly like that. This would've been second nature to Josh, but he has some depth too.

It's difficult to pinpoint who Andre's favourite artiste is. He loves the gospel choirs he has heard, he loves the ordinary people reaching out to the Almighty in prayer. He loves devotional music of any sort. "You know what?" Josh confides, "Andre even listens to all the devotional music on America's Got Talent, and loves it!"

On his visit to India, he heard Vidushi Aditi Kaikini Upadhya and her disciples sing various devotional songs. He was absolutely mesmerised by the purity of Aditi's voice. After the performance, he went backstage to meet her. He found that she comes from a family of musicians. Her late father and guru, Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, was a vocalist, too. Her brother, Pandit Yogesh Samsi, is a tabla player who has often toured the United States, to much acclaim.

Andre asked Aditi about the song he loved best of those she sang. "That one simply speaks of God. God is for you, God is for me, God is everywhere."

God is everywhere, especially in the music.