Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
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Guru Maharaja, may I ask few questions with one common theme. It is about melodies for kirtan: Did Srila Prabhupada had favorite melodies for chanting in kirtan? Did Srila Prabhupada told about using different melodies (apart from know Mangala arati and Gaura arati melodies) for chanting? Did Srila prabhupada approved of some melodies and of some not? Is there anything else regarding this topic (rhythms, loudness, speed) ?
To me is known that Srila Prabhupada was not favoriting musical expresion (artistry) over devotion.
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By some unfathomable luck, I am following all your words that you Tweet and on the Blog lush.
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Your servant Namacarya das
HpS - AGTSP. Paoho. We have arrived at Balarama puri in the remote desserts, jungles of Argentina. There are 50-devotees camping here. Looks like a secret enclave of revolutionaries hiding form the "evil government". Very friendly. We have been traveling like 10 hours a day for both the last two days.
As far as we know there are not melodys, but Ragas. Srila Prabhupada liked the Ragas that Hansadutta used, B S. Damodara, Jayananda, so we tend to end up with those.
Of course it should be to please Krsna, the instruments should not drown the Holy Names. That is about all we know.
Main thing is to please Krsna and some of the ISKCON devotees and not disturb the others to much, no?