Dear Friends,
Belated Summer Solstice blessings of light! Hope you found a beautiful way to spend the longest day of the year, and that the month of June has been treating you well, wherever you may be.
Last week I visited Saint Govan's chapel, which has the most wonderful acoustics if you ever have the chance to visit... here's a little clip attuning to the rocks.
I would like to thank all of those who have listened to my recent EP and sent me your kind feedback. If you haven't had a chance to listen yet, here is the link to listen. The EP is also available to download from my website.
Last month I had a blast performing music from the GINHAWA album at Woolwich Works in London, with Zayn Mohammed on guitar, Jason Reyes-Walsh on bass, and 2 drummers (a long story!) - Filippo Galli and Jimmy Nolan.
Photography by Tato Fonseca
Later in May, I had a concert at the lovely Elmslie House in Malvern featuring Jakey Boy Hughes and Jasmine Gilham. Just before the concert began, our family were given some very upsetting news, that we had lost a close family friend to a very sudden case of Kidney Cancer. Our friend, Hans, was an incredible friend and man of faith; always in touch, and especially there when you needed help. When my father was very unwell, he was regularly visiting the hospital and keeping spirits high. My family were at the concert, and with his spirit so present in the room, it felt right to dedicate a song to him, so I shared a song I'd written about death called "Soaring with the Stars". One friend attending the concert said that there was not a dry eye in the audience, (including mine!) This was a real poignant reminder of the cathartic release that music can kindle.
Checking the room acoustics before the concert, Elmslie House
Added to the emotion of the loss, there was something else magical about that room- we used no microphones or technical equipment, just acoustic instruments and our voices, and this added to the raw intimacy in the air. Experiences like this, are inspiring food for thought... As artificial intelligence becomes interwoven in our society, I am wondering, what is it that makes us human? How can my music embody this human experience? Perhaps this is why I recently feel more drawn to recording and performing with acoustic instruments, in different spaces, with devotion, healing, connection and deep emotional expression as the intention. So, when I find myself in the middle of a forest with no plug sockets or WIFI, or if there ever were to be an electric grid shutdown ... music could still be made. :)
We just so happened to share music again without microphones for a Persian poetry event at the School of Philosophy in London, with Zayn Mohammed playing the rebab, ney and sehtar, and myself singing vocals and playing the daf and shruti box. We shared traditional music and Sufi Zikr, songs of remembrance.
The next day I met for the first time with The School of Kapwa, at The Study Society, Colet House. We gathered to explore the Indigenous Filipino healing practice of Hilot, and I shared some music and led some group voice work. In September, the first UK accredited Hilot course will launch, with guest teacher
Mamerto Tindongan aka. Lagitan from the Ifugao people of Nothern Luzon, Philippines. If you would be interested in learning, there are still places available, and details on the course can be found
here.
Photography by Lynda Lorraine
For the rest of this month I am looking forward to hosting some privately booked sound healing events, and still intend to set up some online group sound healing sessions soon.
Anyhow, enough about me... the sun in shining and it is time to go back outside ... :)
Love to you all!
Ruhiya
🌹
