Original podcast release: March 28, 2021
Anita Lerche is an award-winning singer-songwriter, originally from Denmark and now living in the US, her heart firmly planted in the music and culture of Punjab in India. She is the first non-Asian woman from the West to sing and release a solo album in Punjabi. She has sung and performed in 16 different languages and mastered many genres of music like musical theatre, pop, cabaret, devotional, and Bhangra. In 2018 the Indian Embassy in Denmark chose Anita to represent Denmark in the grand video collaboration for Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday celebration, launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It was such a joy to connect with Anita to discuss her fascinating journey into the Punjabi music scene and learn about her new album, Love Is My Religion. In this episode we discuss:
- How her first trekking trip through India became a turning point for her professionally, as she found herself naturally drawn into Punjabi music and experienced an unexpected sense of home in India.
- The opportunities and challenges of singing in such a vastly different language as Punjabi, and carrying the energy, emotion, and meaning effectively through music.
- How the music for Love Is My Religion just came to her through meditation as if by download.
- The production challenges of creating the album during Covid.
- What is on the horizon for Anita, creatively.
- Using sounds, music, and chants in meditation.
Featured music in this episode is from Anita’s latest album, Love Is My Religion. The intro song is Follow Your Hearts, and the closing song is Love Is My Religion.
This is episode #102 of The Meditation Conversation podcast.
Listen to the episode here:
https://chrt.fm/track/16B9G6/traffic.libsyn.com/themeditationconversation/20210312_Anita_Lerche.mp3
Link to The Meditation Conversation: https://link.chtbl.com/XAtpI03C
