Special Musical Performances at the Mind Body Spirit Expo - Douglas Blue Feather and Russill Paul Benefit Concert

This year, the Mind Body Spirit Expo will have two concerts. The first one takes place on Friday, October 23, from 6pm to 8pm, with Douglas Blue Feather. Douglas Blue Feather, of Cherokee heritage, is a respected Native American flutist and internationally known songwriter who has won four Native American Music Awards, including Best New Age Recording, Best Flutist of the Year, and Best Independent Recording of the Year. He has released seven albums to date, with his latest being SACRED SPACE.

[This is a review of SACRED SPACE by New Visions editor, Miro Lipinski:

One of the first impressions one gets when listening to Douglas Blue Feather’s music is, that despite being inspired by his spiritual Native American journey, it shouldn’t be thought of as just within the borders of the genre of Native American music. This is timeless music, unbound, traveling with wings of smooth, exploratory freedom.

In Sacred Space, Douglas Blue Feather’s newest CD, his flute flies over an expansive layer of keyboard sound to prime effect. The titles of the cuts—“Shores of Atlantis,” “Temple of Light,” “Spirit World, ”and others—indicate the worlds that gloriously open up with this life-giving music. Blue Feather’s flute is wondrously sweet and evocative here, perfect to take you along a transfixing journey of contemplation, visions, and peace and harmony, and that neverending space that is eternal, healing and wondrous. - Miro Lipinski]

Douglas Blue Feather’s musical journey began with drumming at the age of 13, then performing in bands and traveling around the country for 10 years. “I’ve been playing the Native flute since the beginning of 1997, shortly after awakening to my own Cherokee heritage and beginning my journey on the Red Road (Native American spiritual path).” This awakening came about with a meeting with a spirit guide, who gave him the natural name “Blue Feather.”

When Blue Feather performs, healing takes place. A spiritual vibration is created that touches the heart and the spirit. His music has been described as contemporary music featuring the Native American flute. Blue Feather takes his flute beyond the genre of Native American music. It is inspiring, it is enlightening, it is universal.

He has performed on NBC TV, Fox TV, the Native American Awards Ceremony, and at numerous metaphysical events throughout the country.

Here's a sample of Douglas Blue Feather's music:

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The following day, Saturday, on October 24, Russill Paul with The Sound of Silence, will offer a special benefit concert for CACE (Center for Advancement in Cancer Education) and the Hari Om Mandir temple.

A native of Chennai, South India, Russill Paul took to playing stringed instruments from the early age of four and began professional music in his teens. Although he was born and brought up in a Christian family, he developed a keen interest in Indian spirituality in childhood that has guided him into the present day.

In 1984, he underwent a powerful spiritual transition that motivated him to begin living the unusual combination of a Benedictine monk and yogi under the direction of Dom Bede Griffiths, a pioneering Benedictine monk and revered sage who directed Shantivanam, a Christian monastery that expressed itself through the spiritual and yogic culture of India.

During the five years he spent as a monk, Russill Paul immersed himself in the sacred culture and spirituality of India’s esteemed heritage, studying traditional Sanskrit chanting and South Indian classical music as well as yoga, meditation, philosophy and cosmology. In addition to his training at the monastery, Russill was initiated into the sacred learning of Sanskrit and Indian music in several ancient temple cities of South India enabling him to develop the tools related to his lifework: The Yoga of Sound.

An exciting, inspirational talent, Russill Paul crafts music that can dance with joy or calm with deep grace. His performances are both enchanting and mesmerizing. He has performed his unique style of music at many prestigious concert venues such as the premier European classical music venue Propstei Sankt Gerold in Austria, Chicago’s Grant Part and Medinah Temple, The Sports Auditorium in Sheffield, England, and the Music Academy in Chennai, India.

He has also performed on several occasions for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in India, as well as in America, and has shared the stage with music greats such as the legendary American folk-singer Arlo Guthrie and British rocker Arthur Brown.

As an author, Russill Paul has spearheaded the discussion of music and chant in The Yoga of Sound (already in its 3rd printing). In the recent Jesus in the Lotus he bridges Christianity and Yoga with both intelligence and spiritual grace to formulate a new understanding and acceptance that is revolutionarily transforming.

Here are two samples of Russill Paul's music:

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More information and ticket ordering at the Mind Body Spirit Expo website.