Los Angeles-based Kings of Jupiter weaves mystical magic, with Rane Sevin on sitar and vocals. The fusion of ancient Indian instruments and rock rhythms creates a transcendent, haunting sound.
Kings of Jupiter's music has been featured on Sirius Satellite Radio 198, Blast 1386 AM in England, Radio Central in Belgium, Radioptic Radio in Australia, GotPoetry.com, the Friction Show, VideoFiend, City Beat, Omstream, "Video Of The Moment," and bubaTV.com, which voted "Questions" as "Best on YouTube."
A portion of Kings of Jupiter's CD sales go to IHRF, a nonprofit foundation devoted to education, medical care, and upliftment for mankind, including Indian and Tibeten orphans and tsunami survivors. IHRF is headed by H.H. Pujya Swamiji Chidanand Saraswati Maharaj, who is India's acting spiritual representative to the United Nations.
"QUESTIONS" VIDEO
"COLD" VIDEO
"GOLDEN SLUMBERS"
"MEETING GEORGE HARRISON"
"NARROW ESCAPE"
"MARY HOLY"
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: What is that thing?
A: Its called a sitar. Pretty cute, huh?
Q: Is it hard to play?
A: Well, it's got 19 strings with two bridges stacked on top of each other. You have to reach under the top set of strings to play the bottom set. If you want to change keys, you have to move all the frets as well as retune all the strings, and if it's even a little bit out of tune, it sounds like a moose in heat. Also, there's no western notation at all for the sitar. After some trial and error, I figured out how to transcribe the Sanskrit notes to the western scale. Other than that...it's pretty much a snap.
Q: Why do you play such a thing?
A: The same reason salmon swim upstream, leap up a waterfall to mate, and then die at the end of the party. God has a bizarre sense of humor, and I am one of his cosmic jokes.
Q: Do you sound like Ravi Shankar?
A: Ummm....Ravi Shankar is a classicaly-trained master -- possibly the finest musician in the WORLD. He plays traditional Indian ragas to sold-out auditoriums across the globe. I taught myself sitar by trial and error in my bedroomn and generally play in sweaty rock clubs on Sunset Boulevard. Other than that, we sound identical!
Q: Have you ever met Ravi Shankar?
A: Er...no. For some reason, we never get invited to the same parties.
Q: Did you ever meet George Harrison?
A: See my blog: MY LUNCH WITH GEORGE. I love to go to the place the Beatles stayed when they were in India. It's an abandoned ashram in an overgrown jungle, right on the banks of the Ganges. Beautiful beyond belief. I climb up on the roof of the house the Beatles built and play sitar while the mist floats over the river and the monkeys swing in from the jungle. It's heaven. The last time I was there, though, it had been raining for a couple of months, and the vegetation was really high. A girl told me not to go in, because a jaguar had killed a local goat and was hiding out in there. Of course, I desperately wanted to see a jaguar, but a rare wave of common sense came over me, and I went down to the river instead. (For tips on fun with furry fauna, see my blog HOW TO ATTRACT WILD ANIMALS.)
Q: Will you play at my club/music festival/fundraiser?
A: I am so there! Especially if your club or festival is in some exotic place with semi-dangerous animals and vines to swing from!
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♥ Thanks for your support! ♥
I love your beautiful music and your songs: congratulations and all my admiration for your talent. I am enjoy to be your friend. If you like poetry, you can read my poems in my blog. i wish you a good weekend. hervé.
Thank you very much for friendship. I realy love your music. You're so beautiful, sensitive, gifted. Hoping see you one day on stage in Paris, London or USA. Wishing all the best for you, success and love. Sending you many kisses.
