Location
Sunrise Farm Ireland, bought in the early 1990s. Located in east county Clare on the border of county Galway.
Thanks to
Didi Ananda Prama a yogic nun from Vermont, who has Irish ancestors, came to reside in Ireland in 2002. She has refurbished and developed Sunrise Farm as a centre for sustainability, health and happiness. Promoting yoga and meditation (as a physical, mental and spiritual practise) and diet for health.
http://www.sunrisefarmireland.org
Dr Jyoshna La Trobe born in England, grew up in New Zealand, is a musician and doctor of ethnomusicology. She has visited Sunrise Farm many times.
http://www.jyoshna.com/
Damian Brady a musician who manages and operates a recording studio in Wexford and has a portable studio. Highly recommended.
https://www.facebook.com/SLStudiosHQ/?ref=br_rs
Artists are below.
Pets
Grace the dog, golden retriever, lived at Sunrise Farm. (2004-2016)
Loved everyone and all animals, would share her food with the cats. She was ‘part of the furniture’.
Haiti
Didi visited Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 to help with the relief work, she was given the responsibility of a toddler. She has visited a few times since to help with planting trees, looking after children at the home and many actvities.
2016
September
In September 2016, Jyoshna hosted the first of two kiirtan workshops at Sunrise Farm Ireland. Following this there was hurricane Matthew which effected parts of Haiti, destroying homes and peoples livelihoods.
October
Didi was invited to help in Haiti, she went over for 6 weeks from the end of Otober 2016.
November
In mid November Jyoshna hosted her second kiirtan workshop at Sunrise Farm and a few musicians and singers attended. A few days later Grace got very sick with heart problems. Jyoshna composed a kiirtan melody for Grace.
With Didi’s permission (from Haiti) Grace was put down with the beautiful sound of kiirtan being sung.
As everyone including Didi were feeling sad like one of the family was missing, Jyoshna came up with a surprise for Didi – a kiirtan album.
A few local musicians and friends who came to the kiirtan workshops were interested to be part of the album, especially as profits from selling the album were (and still are) for the work of Amurtel in Haiti.
The Avarta Kirtan album project started.
After a few weeks of rehearsals, on a Wednesday evening in late November, Damian brought his recording studio to Sunrise Farm. The album was recorded over the course of the evening in one take and harmonies and instruments were added the next day.
To enjoy the album please consider purchasing either the CD [product = 13]
or download the album from:
http://innersong.com/products/kiirtan/AvartaKiirtan.htm
Artists
Singers:
Saskia Byrne
Jyoshna La Trobe
Kalyan McKenzie
Latiká Lidia Montemurri
Jiivan Jack McCarthy
Brigunath
Cesar Rojas
Instrumentalists:
Jyoshna La Trobe – Guitar
Kavita – Indian khol drum and percussion
Kalyan McKenzie – Bodhran
Latiká Lidia Montemurri – Kartal
Simona Taylor – Harmonium
Jantien Vandenberg – Violin, cello and flute
