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Spreading Joy Through Dance
The reggae bhajan group from the U.S.A., led by Sulma, one
of Amma’s American daughters, bridged many cultures.
The group is a large one with electric guitars, tabla, snare
drums, saxophone, harmonium and lots of singers with a lot
of energy.
Sitting with friends from Granada, Spain, I happened to glance
at some Indian schoolboys sitting three rows in front of me.
They were clapping in time with the beat. I looked to my left
and noticed a middle-aged Indian lady doing the same. To my
right, it looked as though a few of Amma’s Western children
could no longer contain themselves; they jumped up and began
dancing to the beat.
This was beginning to remind me of an outdoor rock concert
I had attended at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in the
late 60s. At this point, I decided maybe I’d better
get up and explore. Within a few minutes, the crowd of dancing
Westerners had swelled. I wondered what Amma’s Indian
children were thinking. At first I saw expressions of surprise.
I walked away to get a more panoramic view. I spotted the
Kokiriko Japanese folk dance group bouncing down an aisle,
waving their white, tassled sticks to the reggae beat. They
were beaming with joy, dressed in their traditional bright
blue and white kimonos and ukatas.
Increasing numbers of Westerners were waving their arms,
clapping hands and snapping fingers in the air as they expressed
themselves freely through movement. Five Rajasthani women
from Jaipur, dressed in colourful village attire, wanted to
join in. They had been escorted by one of the men of their
clan, but when they reached the dancing masses, shyness took
over and they started to retreat. But the man encouraged them
to turn around. Even though they had pulled their bright red
veils over their heads, I could see the women peeking out
with big smiles. Before long, they were clapping, hopping
and swinging with their Western brothers and sisters.
As the tempo increased, I looked over and saw huge crowds
of Indian men and boys joyfully clapping to the beat. I saw
an enormous photo of Amma standing with Her arms reaching
for the sky, a white dove in Her hand, and that wonderful
smile of Hers looking out at me. Amma was bringing Her children
together through the universal language of music. May the
contagious nature of joy that Amma brings into our lives never
vanish. May we radiate and transmit this joy the world over!
—Sharada Sayyed
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