Birth name Edward Larry Gordon Occupation(s) musician Origin Philadelphia | Name Edward Larry Education Howard University Years active 1979–present | |
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Also known as Laraaji Nadabrahmananda Instruments Zither, hammered dulcimer, piano, violin, music sequencer, keyboards Role Musician · laraaji.blogspot.com Genres Ambient music, Drone music, World music, New-age music Albums Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, All In One Peace, Essence / Universe, Celestial Music 1978 ‑ 2011, Flow Goes The Universe Similar People Roger Eno, Brian Eno, Jonathan Goldman, Kate St John, Bill Nelson Profiles | ||
Laraaji bring forth your highest vision
Laraaji (born 1943) is an American multi-instrumentalist specializing in piano, zither and mbira.
Contents
- Laraaji bring forth your highest vision
- Laraaji unicorns in paradise excerpt
- Early life and career
- Releases
- References
Laraaji unicorns in paradise excerpt
Early life and career
Born Edward Larry Gordon in Philadelphia, he studied violin, piano, trombone and voice in his early years in New Jersey. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano. After studying at Howard, he spent time in New York City pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian and actor.
In the early 1970s, he began to study Eastern mysticism and believed he'd found a new path for his music and his life. It was also at this time he bought his first zither from a local pawn shop. Converting it to an electronic instrument, he began to experiment using the instrument like a piano. By 1978, he developed enough skill to begin busking in the parks and on the sidewalks of New York.
The following year he was "discovered" by Brian Eno while playing in Washington Square Park. The result was his most widely-recognized release, Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, the third installment of Brian Eno's Ambient series. This was his first album released under the name of Laraaji.
This international exposure led to requests for longer versions of his compositions which he supplied to meditation groups on cassette tapes. It also resulted in an expansion of his mystic studies with such gurus as Swami Satchidananda and Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, founder of the Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York.
Laraaji's also started the Laughter Meditation Workshops which he still presents around the globe.