In Brilliant Brussels

It’s Day 22 – it feels like yesterday, it feels like a lifetime ago since we began this exhilarating journey. It’s been a kaleidoscope of experiences, emotions, energies—a once in a lifetime journey both inward and outward.

The team is in Brussels, the seat of the European Union, and home to the mouthwatering Belgian waffles and fries. Even as the team smacks and slurps its way to gluttonous glory, we’re very aware of the weighty importance of Brussels where decisions made in the corridors of power impact millions of lives, not just in Europe but around the world. Intuitively, we know a lot is riding on how Brussels responds to the call to #SaveSoil.

And the city responds spectacularly! At the Brussels Expo, the air is so thick with anticipation, you could cut it with a knife. Sounds of Isha is on stage, setting the ambience and right before our eyes, the evening transforms into a mesmerizing mix of enchanting music and dance. A Flamenco dancer sets the stage on fire as a Parisian band plays a genre called “Gypsy Jazz.”

“Fifteen minutes before we were to start playing, we were called to meet Mohombi so we could rehearse the song once,” says Swami Kevala who plays the guitar with Sounds of Isha. Mohombi is the Swedish singer (well, half-Swedish) whose beautiful voice carries an unbelievable serenity to it. On stage, he sings a bilingual song which he says is a “tribute to the world.”

“As he closed his eyes and sang, I observed how involved he was in the rehearsal,” says Swami “even while his two energetic young children were tugging at him, he lovingly kept them at bay, smiling and singing with his whole heart. Even though we had had the briefest of rehearsal time, we were already in sync—musically and more. It was a beautiful experience, accompanying him through a truly soul stirring performance, and it reflected in the music.”

Imagine that! Fifteen minutes backstage and you’re on stage. If that’s not terrifying enough, Swami says they hadn’t even decided how they would close the performance. “I realised that we had not really decided how we would end the song, but it didn't matter. I knew it would work out, and as the song was about to end, on the spot he ad-libbed a heartfelt call to action to save soil while we continued playing the music softly, and then we all spontaneously swelled into a crescendo to finish - all unplanned!”

Wonderful as the experience was sharing stage with the musicians, singers & dancers, Swami Kevala says it was their interaction backstage that left him feeling humbled. “After the event, as usual we packed up our instruments and our team had cooked dinner and had it ready for us in another room. We were lucky to see the other musicians poke their heads around the corner, and it was a privilege and joy to share our meal with them. As we sat and ate together, we found out that they were all followers of Sadhguru and they told us how honoured they felt to play at the event. I also felt honoured to be amongst such talented and down-to-earth musicians,” says Swami.

Sadhguru sets a high benchmark for Brussels telling them as the capital of not just Belgium but the EU, they have a greater role and responsibility and that the voice of Brussels for soil must be heard all over the world. The people of Brussels promise to make it happen.