Search - Dada Veda :: Brighter Than the Sun

Dada Veda is a singer-songwriter who blends the wisdom of yoga with the rhythms of folk and country music. Dada was born in New York City in 1946. During his childhood he listened to the pioneering rock 'n' roll songs of Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and many others He graduated from Colgate University in 1968 with high honors. It was during his college years that he began to play the guitar. Shortly after graduating, Dada hitch-hiked to California attracted by the allure of the 'counter-culture' and the then-flourishing hippie movement. In California Dada met an Indian monk who taught him meditation and Dada became an avid practitioner of yoga and meditation. After only six months of yoga practice, Dada left his job as library assistant at Stanford University and became a full-time volunteer for the Ananda Marga yoga society. Dada worked for the society in Los Angeles, Wichita, Kansas and in Washington, DC. During his time as a yoga volunteer, Dada immersed himself in the devotional songs ('bhajans') and mantra chanting ('kirtan') that play an important role in his meditation-yoga practice. Dada often led chanting sessions, playing his guitar and singing. In 1976 Dada went to Sweden and entered training to become a full-time yoga monk. Dada graduated from the training in 1977. Upon graduation, Dada became an orange-robed monk of Ananda Marga. His name 'Dada Veda' is a shortened form of his full monastic name Acarya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta. 'Dada' means respected elder brother. Dada's first assignment as a yoga-meditation teacher was in France, where he spent five years. In subsequent years Dada visited more than 50 countries, teaching meditation, performing music and organizing social service activities. During the last nine years he managed a kindergarten in Albania. Dada is currently based in New York City. Although Dada has been playing the guitar and singing for the past 40 years, it was only in the past six years that he tried his hand at composing his own songs. In 2003 he recorded a CD, "Brighter Than The Sun," and has since performed his songs in more than 15 countries spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Dada's songs are acoustic, folk songs with lyrics that incorporate spiritual, ecological and social justice themes. His style has been compared to Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and George Harrision. There is also a touch of country in the songs, and one listener dubbed his blend "Country and Eastern Music." In July of 2009 Dada released "Love is the Best" a CD with his latest songs. On this release Dada's upbeat lyrics have been enhanced by the arrangements and production of Ryan Sam, and the CD was called "the best Indie release of 2009" by the Indie Music Review. Dada performs solo, but is often accompanied by fiddle, bass, mandolin, piano and guitar players to produce a rousing folk sound that gets audiences singing along with gusto. While Dada's lyrics deal with serious themes, his lighthearted style and humorous delivery have won him fans ranging in age from toddlers to seniors.