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"To show them special mercy, I, dwelling
in their hearts, destroy |
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"To show them special mercy, I, dwelling
in their hearts, destroy |
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Brazil: Pop Star By Chandramukha Swami Posted September 10, 2004 Translated from Portuguese by Lalita Priya Devi Dasi An estimated audience of 30 million now listens to the mantra every day. Porto Alegre, Brazil, June 22, 2004– It is 1:30 am on the first night of winter. We are in the south of the country, in Porto Alegre, but in all directions, the night is boiling with activity. The three thousand tickets to participate of the first live DVD recording of the singer and composer Nando Reis had already been sold out some days ago. The Opinion Theater is crowded and the show is already in full swing. With his band The Infernais, Nando has already presented 13 songs, and now is the moment he had promised to the press and his fans. Nando sits down on the stage, and eleven cushions are placed around him. Then he says that when he was eight years old he became a fan of the Beatles and he chose as his idol the composer and guitarist George Harrison. "Now we will sing some new music," says Nando, "music inspired by George Harrison. It is a partnership with Arnaldo Antunes. And to accompany me, we will have the special participation of my friends the Hare Krishnas."
The audience goes mad. Eleven devotees, well dressed and garlanded, come onstage with mridanga, kartalas, harmonium, and sitar. They are warmly received by the audience. The music starts:
"When you will not have nothing, no soil or stairs, "No shield or sword, your heart will wake up. "When it will be like this with everything—wool, satin, velvet, "Sword and shield, your conscience will sleep. The mridanga, kartals, and harmonium begin with the chant: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." The people cannot control their ecstasy. With raised arms, jumping, or clapping they follow: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna... The scene is wonderful. Despite the colorful lights and the incense smoke, the spiritual performance in the young hearts is visible. Soon a girl starts to cry with emotion. I look at the shining devotees, and we can feel Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's presence. I cannot help remembering the '60s and Srila Prabhupada's triumphant arrival in the West. It is only for his cause that we are here. He inspired George Harrison in the past, he inspires Nando Reis in the present, and there will be others in the future. Before I went onstage a a woman reporter from MTV interviewed me. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "What are you expecting?" "We are calm," I said. "This is what we do every day." "And what does this chant mean?" she asked. "It is a powerful meditation process," I said. "You will see when we chant. It is a dynamic meditation process recommended specifically for this age." "I wish you all success," she said. In my mind, I could hear the words, "Chant for the sake of chanting." I remembered Lord Krishna's words: "Without considering success or failure, happiness or distress, gain or loss." The sacrifice was a success. Now it we have only to wait the DVD to come out. The song is already on the radio in Brazil and is the theme of a new 7:00 pm series, To start Again, on TV Globo, the biggest television channel in Brazil. Haribol! © dipika.org September 10, 2004 |
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