Music has always been an essential ingredient in my life. Since leaving home in London for Amsterdam at the age of 17 in 1973 and adopting the name Mathura das, my musical interests have mostly veered towards the different forms of Indian music; Kirtan, Bhajan, Dhrupad, Khyal, Thumri and various forms of folk music.

After leaving a 7 year, full time ashram stint as a celibate monk (brahmacari), my interests broadened to include other kinds of indigenous and contemporary ‘World music’ styles, as well as some of the more intelligent and sensitive ‘New Age’ & ‘Ambient’ electronic/acoustic cross over genres, considered forms of ‘fusion’.

But of all these non Indian genres, it was Reggae music and especially Bob Marley whom I finally discovered in India in 81, that have been the greatest influences on my own musical compositions and performance styles. Apart from Bob Marley’s sublimely simple musical compositions, it was his creative genius to be able to combine groovy music with spiritual and revolutionary lyrics  guided by higher consciousness, pure intentions & devotion to Jha, that elevates him to hero status, thus remaining one of my greatest musical inspirations of all time.

As well as these personal musical interests, in the 90’s I became involved as a friend with the UK Psychedelic pop rockers ‘Kulashaker’, receiving a rapid education in the ways of the ‘Corporate Music Industry World’.

Then without any personal planning in the late 90’s, I suddenly found myself in the ‘Bindoo Babas‘ group with Pranaji an old aquaintence from around 1978 in Amsterdam during our Ashram days.