Harida

Harida, born in 1949, in Chile, studied classical drums and percussion at the conservatory in Santiago and Rome before continuing on to Spain to participate in Mirasol Colores and several avant-garde and Latin fusion projects notorious in the seventies. Intrigued with Eastern mythology and Indian music, Harida traveled to India to study and at that time met Osho in Pune and began playing drums for evening darshan and meditations. He relocated to Holland in 1981 and continued performing in Europe. Harida co-founded Nazca Music in 1995, two years later his debut album The Gift was released in Holland. The Gift is a merry blend of thoughtful rhythms and plaintive melodies inspired by a meditative approach to the joyous craft of music. Harida's main instrument in this album is the santoor, accompanied by Yashu's flutes and enhanced by inventive measures of keyboards, drums and ethnic percussion.

The opening track Love Poem speaks straight to the heart and evokes a warm and sparkling joy inside - a feeling also dominant in the next two tracks. Spirits, a quiet tune played entirely with Tibetan gongs moves the energy deep inside; followed by a ten minute track called Latihan, where the gentle dance between flute, santoor and tabla carries the inner sensitivity softly to the surface, to simply overflow in the last two tunes; delicate and joyful in Geetesh, and wild and fiery in Hola, where Praful's soprano sax is answering the santoor in blissful communication.

Praful plays soprano saxophone and keyboards on Hola. Jose Lopretti plays keyboards on Luna de Santiago and Love Poem. Toni Xucla plays keyboards on Geetesh. Ardha plays guitar on Jaburu.

His Latin roots, the meditative spheres of India and the inspiration of Osho, contribute generously to the magical style of Harida as he blends Eastern and Western styles in a seemingly effortless fashion. Harida has played drums and percussion on various Nazca recordings and has produced twelve releases for the label. Harida currently resides in Portugal, also home to Nazca Music and its studio.

His nect album is Inside Out. Grooving and energetic tunes, ethnic but with elegance and cool, sensual and moving. While Marco's guitars send you flying, the passionate rhythms of Harida's drums and Rupesh's congas and percussion keep you rooted in the ground. Beginning with a joyous, feeling-good tune called Baba, it moves into Zero, to be listened to through the heart. Monsoon has the softness and mystery of luminous dark skies. In the seven beats piece Marco's voice and the flute, played by Yashu, will give you goosebumps. Called Pura Vida, the title is the street mantra in Costa Rica, meaning good life. The musicians are from Italy, Mexico, Chile, Spain and Japan and the invisible thread that weaves them together is the ultimate master of music and life, Osho.