Song of the Soul Concert

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Tina Malia & GuruGanesha Singh
with Hans Christian & Craig Kohland

“Coming together as a community of souls by way of music.” That’s how singer Tina Malia describes what audiences will experience when the Song of the Soul World Tour, which begins April 15 in Sacramento, CA, comes to their city. Co-headlining the Tour is singer/songwriter/producer/instrumentalist Malia and world devotional visionary, guitarist and rocker GuruGanesha Singh.

“There’s an incredible alchemy at work here that you can’t question, you just have to experience it” says GuruGanesha.

“Tina’s voice and my guitar-playing are developing a wonderful relationship. We really listen to each other and we’re both willing to take improvisational musical risks that truly serve the energy of the evening. And, we’ve hand-picked three musicians of the highest caliber who are able to effortlessly support us wherever we venture to go.”

“We’re doing a really diverse range of sounds and styles from kirtan to pop - from raga to rock,” adds Malia, “all with the same intention. Whatever label you want to put on it, it’s the same thing: love and kindness. Very simple.”

Perhaps best known for his supple, crystalline guitar work with mantra superstar Snatam Kaur, GuruGanesha is also the founder of Spirit Voyage Records and a solo artist with a beguiling back catalog of albums. Tina Malia’s magical voice and profound gifts as a multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer have enabled her to span a multitude of musical genres, from devotional mantras to pop to electronic. Her own exquisite albums are complemented by a vast body of work with artists as diverse as Jai Uttal, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins, India.Arie and Bassnectar.

Tina and GuruGanesha first met in 2003 at a sacred world music festival in Auburn, California, where Malia joined the guitarist and Snatam Kaur onstage to sing harmonies. “For the whole couple of hours of music,” says Tina, “all I kept thinking was, ‘This is like heaven.’” So when GuruGanesha approached Tina early in 2010 with the idea of joining forces on the Song of the Soul tour, the singer responded enthusiastically. Two musically adventurous artists, they both sensed an enormous opportunity to grow together, creatively and spiritually.

“There’s a whole side of Tina Malia that people haven’t heard and that this tour will bring out,” says GuruGanesha. “For example, she’s a brilliant pianist, something that hasn’t come to the fore in the past but which people will get to experience on this tour. By the same token, she brings out aspects of my musicianship that haven’t been heard before.”

Acting as catalysts for the divine chemistry of Malia and GuruGanesha are multi-instrumentalist Hans Christian (Rasa, Krishna Das, Robbie Robertson, Jai Uttal, Vas) percussionist/remix master Craig Kohland (Shaman’s Dream, Down Temple Dub, Donna DeLory) and fast rising young bassist Jared May. Given the virtuosity, rich musical history and deep dedication of each band member, this will truly be a world devotional supergroup. A magical yin/yang combination that spans genders, generations and genres, the group will perform selections from both Malia’s and GuruGanesha’s previous and new albums.

“But the songs will sound different than they sound on each of our albums,” GuruGanesha notes. “Because this combination of players can take them to exciting new places. We’re addressing every aspect of our humanness, not just the higher chakras. We’ve got music that’s gonna rock you. People are going to dance. I promise you that.”

“For two hours, we are not anything: Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jew or Buddhist,” adds Malia. “We are simply souls.”

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