Karmicaly Konnected

Read More:

Shivam Rath is a second generation musician born into a western musical family but with a father who also studied Indian Classical music for many years and a folk singer songwriter mother Rosemary Rath who plays songs of Indigenous affairs. Raised in the alternative neighbourhood of Byron Bay Australia he was naturally surrounded by the influence of a Yogic/ alternative musical lifestyle and has spread and expanded the path of Classical and Harmonic World Music Fusion in Australia and abroad.

 

Focusing on three central instruments (Tabla; Indian Slide Guitar and Shakuhachi Flute from renowned teachers Chota Lal Misra; Debashish Bhattacharia & Riley Lee) ; also singing with the underlying vocal system of Indian Classical Music and Sanskrit Mantra as well as original progressive blends fusing his western up-bringing. He believes each instrument gives a unique perspective and understanding of music as a whole, e.g rhythm and melody, wind and vocal etc thus each instrument supports the other in learning music as whole.

​

Shivam specializes in meditative music, group orchestration, rhythmical accompaniment as well as Indian classical and original solo performance

He believes music is more than just a form of art or entertainment however and follows it as a sincere practice of lifestyle and a tool for meditation and healing. The philosophy of Nada & Yoga is a practice he has both studied, developed and is now sharing through concerts, workshops & group and private lessons around the world.

​

​

​

2021 Regent Cinema

Interview

First memory of music :

My first formal memory of music is singing with my father Indian scales (Do, Re, Mi equivalent ~ Sa, Re, Ga) for pocket money in Suffolk park Byron Bay.

Why was I drawn to Indian music ?

With a father who named me Shivam and played Indian music himself it could seem clear. But then again I rebelled for a long time until I left Byron at 18 and began living with my father in Sydney resuming his influence. This eventually led me to Yoga which led me independently to India where I met my Father’s Tabla teacher and began formal training from nearly 30 years apart.

When did you start playing the Crystal Slide ?

Firstly lets define the instrument I play as the Hindustani Slide Guitar (Hawaiian Lap Steel meets Sitar meets Veena) and my father and my Tabla teacher directed me to that instrument given my inclination to melody and string having already expressed my ability to play guitar. Instead of using a steel bar I began exploring other objects after losing my slide in the Himalayas and eventually drew upon a Crystal Ball. Crystal Slide is like a stage gimmick.

What am I doing in Lockdown ?

I am producing my own new work and practicing to blend live acoustic looping with electronic synthesis for deeper sub bass frequencies to contrast with the high end of my instruments. Since COVID began I applied and received a scholarship at SAE which is a 2 year course that I am nearly halfway into.

How can people best support my music?

I think Bandcamp is one of the best platforms to buy music directly from Independent artists as opposed to online streaming. However even without buying “my music” simply subscribing to say my YouTube channel or to my Website and encourage me with feedback and communication would also be highly meaningful.

3 best albums ever ?

My musical taste is always changing so this is actually the hardest question yet.

Stevie Wonder ~ Higher Ground

Ravi Shankar ~ Chants of India

Debashish Bhattacharya ~ O Shakuntala

​