In this short recording from 1984, Sri Chinmoy extemporaneously improvises on the cello.
Sri Chinmoy extemporaneously improvises on the open strings of the instrument, which means the basic pitch of the notes will remain the same during the improvisation.
But Sri Chinmoy’s subtle changes in rhythm and in the way he strikes the notes also mean that we will hear subtle nuances and changes in the harmonics produced and in the rhythmical patterns which are an intrinsic part of his style.
Thus the improvisation becomes almost like a musical japa (a repetition of a syllable, word, sentence or paragraph [mantra] for spiritual purposes), which is very conducive to meditation.
In style, Sri Chinmoy’s extemporaneous playing of the cello does not fall within the confines of any school, be it Classical, Jazz or Indian style.
His music springs from his heart, and the freedom of expression and the fluidity of his ideas is apparent, whether we are listening to an extemporaneous improvisation, such as this one, or to one of his devotional melodies.
Yet both his melodies and his improvisations carry that same vibration, the inner cry of the soul which he calls “aspiration”; an ever-mounting, ascending inner cry for the Highest.
It is this inner flame, this inner fire that Sri Chinmoy seeks to share. This inner cry within each human being comes from the Infinite within each human being. This inner cry wants to realise, reveal and manifest the Infinite Reality here on earth. In his writings, Sri Chinmoy has stated that the soul’s aspiration is the most powerful force in the Universe, for it is God’s Will within us.
Because of its inner resonance, Sri Chinmoy’s music has the capacity to inspire and awaken long-dormant and expansive realms within us, realms flooded with inner light, peace and bliss, qualities of our soul.
We hope that this music, flooded with meditation-energy, will awaken and inspire galaxies of new horizons in the listeners; worlds of spontaneous expansion and self-discovery.