Reflecting the Osho dimension in music

Two Osho disciples - A German, Prem Joshua (Legal name) and an Indian, Sannyas name Swami Manish Bharti (Manish Vyas) - came together in Pune around 15 years ago while playing music for their master. What they played on the sitar, saxophone, bamboo flute, Tabla (a percussion instrument), Santoor (a stringed instrument from Kashmir) and other instruments spontaneously in the presence of their master. This music had a dimension of the beyond and swept across the boundaries of Eastern and Western music. Their compositions melted traditional and modern melodies and rhythms and cascaded as energetic or flowed as soothing numbers. Prem Joshua has produced some best selling albums as 'Sky Kisses the Earth', .Dance of Shakti' among others and the latest is called 'Water Down the Ganges'. In an interview with Swami Kul Bhushan during their recent visit to India, they recall the spiritual and musical journey of their lives to present about 60 concerts in many countries every year from their current home in South Italy. 

Prem Joshua 
Like many young Germans, I was travelling across India, almost like a sadhu with no money, when I came to Osho's Pune Ashram in 1977. The commune had a very, very strong impact on me and I went back to Pune next year and took Sannyas. From then onwards I mostly stayed at the Ashram until Osho left for the United States in 1981. Then I joined a commune in Europe and also visited Rajneeshpuram once a year. 

"When Osho was in Greece, I played for him and when he finally returned to India, I played for him when he stayed in a Juhu bungalow in Mumbai and went back with him to Pune and played sometimes twice a day for him. That's when Manish joined me. I played music for him until he left his body in 1990.

"For the last ten years, I have been creating albums and touring the world and developing my music. Now we are performing more in the United States than Europe - giving around 60 concerts a year. In India, Ustad Usman Khan trained me but playing for Osho is the best thing that has happened to me. In fact, we are reflecting the Osho dimension in our music when we can. Osho is the most important in our inspiration so that we can get out of our own way. The greatest gift of my life is the chance to be with Osho. Now when we give concerts, sometimes we get that feeling of being with Osho - there are no listeners, no players, only him in a certain state of Satsang (heart to heart communion) with the master. It is a space that happens on its own without trying. Most of our listeners are Non-sannyasins but when Osho's field of vibration expands, they can experience something special. 
http://www.premjoshua.com

Swami Manish Bharti - Manish Vyas 
For me, whatever is beautiful is Osho. Coming from a family of sannyasins, I took sannyas at the ripe old age of seven! So I have been a sannyasi for 23 years of my life. I met Prem Joshua about 15 years ago in the Osho Commune, Pune, where I was learning Indian classical music by training on the tabla. One night Joshua invited me to play with him on stage and we got on well. Now I also play the Santoor, keyboards and have also started singing. Experimenting with new age music, I came to play with Joshua. This is Osho's contribution as we are both sannyasins. Osho knew the great potential of music and meditation and used music in all his meditations. Thus he made music as a means to go deeper not only for the people who meditate but also the musicians. If a musician is in meditation, he is not scattered and disturbed but goes deeper into the melody and harmony. Sound is divine and if pronounced properly, it becomes music that brings one closer to existence. These days the Gayatri Mantra is a big wave in the United States; Madonna used it in one of recent albums but it is not so soothing. We need to reach or at least aspire for a higher dimension in music. When we give a concert, some people come in afterwards and ask us, 'Where did you get this flavour to your music?' Then we bring Osho in."