Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Looks good.

What are the nine emotions?

what about the CD?

Tairaku 太楽 wrote:

Looks good.

What are the nine emotions?

Well, I'm glad you asked! Here is what I wrote in the liner notes:

Navarasa refers to the nine basic human emotions as expressed in Indian classical dance.

The Nine Navarasa
The Sanskrit word rasa literally means “juice” or “essence” and refers to the essential human emotional states—the “juice” which comprise our feelings and allows their path to expression. The Hindu concept of Navarasa, or nine rasa, dates from around the tenth century and elucidates nine basic emotions that are fairly universal throughout the world; feelings such as fear, sexual love, compassion, horror, etc. The concept of rasa and their concomitant emotional states are integral to many of the traditional Indian performing arts: dance, music, storytelling, etc. and each genre utilizes specific and highly stylized postures, facial expressions or musical idioms to correspondence to the specific rasa. Understanding and feeling affinity for the rasa is a key to appreciation of traditional Indian dance and music.

The rasa are one’s reaction to external stimuli—the forces of the soul manifesting themselves in exuberant expression to the outside world. Each rasa is like a mask that expresses a particular feeling, and a person is composed of the total of these emotions. The big question is, however, how much can one be aware of their own emotions and the power they hold over our lives? The answer lies in how the mask is used. The act of donning of a mask means the wearer completely yields to that emotion, but only while it is worn. The mask enables one to maintain a sense of objectivity and distance from the emotion while thoroughly delving into it and sharing it with others, but only for a consciously determined period of time. Like masks, the rasa reveal the clarity of our objectives. The ultimate goal is to achieve the perfect Mask of Divinity, and that is done through discipline, hard work, humility and living each rasa to its fullest yet without attachment. The traditional rasa names and equivalent English concepts are as follows:

1. Śṛngāram  (Erotic love)
2. Hāsyam (Mirth, laughter)
3. Karuṇam  (Compassion, mercy)
4. Raudram(Fury)
5. Vīram (Heroism)
6. Bhayānakam (Terror, horror)
7. Bībhatsam (Disgust, aversion)
8. Adbhutam (Wonder)
9. Shanta (Tranquility)

This CD is based on the navarasa expressed through a combination of shakuhachi, bass, and mouth organ (the Chinese sheng and Japanese shô). The performers on this CD are Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, an American who has lived most of his life in Japan studying Japanese music, and Mark Izu, a Japanese American who has spent his life on the American west coast as a jazz artist and composer deftly utilizing aspects of traditional Asian music. The music is mostly improvised, based on the various rasa themes.

Exploration of these rasa in a contemporary setting through the “masks” of our instruments has been our journey, and we hope to share it with you.

Hi,

I recently got the CD. Gave it several runs and its a great one to have and listen to. Really interesting!

Cheers,

Marek