Thomas Barquee was brought up in a Protestant family and attended church frequently, drawn in large part to the sacred music, especially that of J.S. Bach. As a young child, he was also exposed to Beethoven and the Romantic composers, beginning his own study of classical piano and composition at age nine with an internationally renowned teacher in Hamburg, Germany.

In his mid-20s, Barquee was a busy recording session musician, toured internationally with his own bands, had a five year publishing deal with Warner Brothers, had a record deal with EMI Japan, and was well on his way to European/Asian pop stardom. But somewhere along the line the world of pop stardom ended up feeling empty to Barquee.

In search of new inspiration Barquee moved to Los Angeles in 1992, reinstating his dormant Kundalini Yoga practice (he had become a practitioner in India more than a decade earlier), and shifting his musical perspective to one more spiritually oriented.

He now records and performs his own style of sacred music, as well as producing many other artists. He was the producer, engineer and programmer for Game of Chants, as well as playing both keyboards and bass.

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Ashana

Weaving together soaring, angelic vocals and the celestial sound of crystal singing bowls, Ashana’s music is an exquisitely crafted, luminous sonic tapestry that soothes and opens the heart, enfolding the listener in a transcendent experience of the Divine. This stunningly beautiful alchemy has been hailed by listeners all over the world as “breathtaking” and “a Gift from Heaven.”

Ashana’s CD recordings, “All Is Forgiven,” “Jewels of Silence,” and the newly released “Beloved”, co-written and produced by renowned world music artist Thomas Barquee (Snatam Kaur, Seal), are filled with sensitive and profoundly healing renderings of sacred song, chant and mantra inspired by the world’s traditions. Her intuitive vocal improvisations and crystal bowl playing are featured in the documentary film “The Sound You Feel: Vibrations of Healing,” released by Beyond Words, and have received international acclaim for their sensitivity, depth and beauty. Ashana’s live performances have been called “powerful” and “deeply transformative” and she travels across the US, Canada and abroad, offering concerts and sound healing workshops

Classically trained, Ashana graduated with a degree in vocal studies from the Mannes College of Music in New York City, and for years performed as soloist and ensemble member in New York’s early music scene. Moving from ancient to contemporary, she immersed herself in theater, jazz, pop and children’s music as performer, recording artist, songwriter and teacher.

For the last decade, she has been involved in a deeply personal exploration of sound healing and vocal toning, during which period she discovered and began playing quartz crystal singing bowls, instruments that are often used in contemplative practices to support healing, balance and well-being.

“For me, singing is a life path, a spiritual journey that has led to the very core of my being,” says Ashana. “Music can transport us, lift us to the place where we gently let go and open completely to receive and remember the divine heart that lives within each one of us, that truly lives in all beings. I have seen, felt and been utterly transformed by the power of sound and music to heal; it is a gift to us from the Source of Love – it is total, pure Grace.”

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Chris Murdoch, Oregon Fair

Chris Murdaoch Shambhala

Rickie Byars Beckwith is one of the 21st century’s most revered singer-songwriters whose transcendent music opens the heart, touches the soul, and uplifts the spirit. Rickie is the Music and Arts Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center where she directs the 200-member Agape International Choir. Together with her husband, Rev. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, their powerful partnership has resulted in a dynamic catalogue of songs that enable transformational healing through the power of music. She has performed in five sessions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, at Green Festivals across North America, and at countless Peace Concerts that promote unity and the principles of non-violence.