By Kardama Muni Dasa
Bhadra Rupa Dasa, Ph.D., led an ensemble performing two of his own compositions inspired by the Gita Govinda of Sri Jayadeva Goswami to welcome Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India. Members of the Geneva Indian Community, UN officials, and international diplomats, counted at 300 or more, were invited and present, along with Swiss news media. The Minister was in Geneva to dedicate the newly built Permanent Mission of India, which houses India’s Missions dealing with the UN and other international organizations.
The invitation to perform came from the Mission of India only six days prior to the event. Working around-the-clock, Dr. Bhadra Rupa gathered musicians, organized continuous rehearsals, rehearsed his own solo parts, and arranged the sound engineering and staging in coordination with the Mission.
In an interview afterward, Dr. Bhadra Rupa declared, “Only by the mercy of Guru and Gauranga was it possible. No musicians familiar with these songs were available. The Lord became the musical director.” Many attendees approached Dr. Bhadra Rupa personally to express their profound appreciation for his contemporary “world music” presentation of the divine themes of Gita Govinda.
By request of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Dr. Bhadra Rupa is now composing additional contemporary “world music” settings of Gita Govinda for the event, “Songs of Peace and Endurance” scheduled for Spring 2025 (TBA) at the Human Rights Council and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the UN in Geneva. For more information about this special one-evening event and for details of sponsorship, please click here.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/krishna-bhakta-welcomes-indias-foreign-minister-with-songs-of-gita-govinda/
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