Namaste.

     I began this Fundrazr in January of 2018. This album has had its own gestation time, for sure! There has been a lot going on in these last 2 years that slowed the production down, but my fantastic producer Ben Leinbach and I are actually just finishing the album up now in the next 2 weeks. I am so grateful to all of you who have already contributed. Thank you for your patience and understanding! (your perks will still be honored :) Currently I am at $16,065, 80% of the $20k goal. What a miracle!!! We have only 3 days left. 

     I first embarked on this music career in 1997, when I co-founded the band 'Lost at Last' on Maui, a techno-tribal sacred chant and dance extravaganza.  'Lost at Last' lasted 7 years, as we 'dis-banded" in 2004. During that time, however I managed to create 4 solo mantra albums under my spiritual name, "Jaya Lakshmi" which was a good idea, as it helped build name recognition in relation to my music.

     From 2004 to 2010 I was quite focused on being a householder, supporting my family with a full time job at Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss. Along with some local gigs and summer festivals, I also managed to drive to the Bay area on occasional weekends to do a few kirtan concerts. I met Ananda in 2010 and we joined forces musically, and in every which way. I surrendered my 'solo' career to becoming a magical duo with my beloved. My 2nd daughter graduated high school in 2012 and was soon off to college. I then began the life of a touring musician. Ananda and I have been touring since then and have created 11 albums together.  This project is unique in that this will be my 5th solo album of my career.  I'm so excited to share these songs and this stunning production with you!

     If you would like to read more of my story, please visit my website: www.JayaLakshmiMusic.com or www.JayaLakshmiAndAnanda.com

ALBUM TRACKS & VISION

     This album I feel is extra special, because it has some of my most popular songs on it. We have created live recordings of some of these songs in the past, but never a fully produced version. These are deep heart medicine anthems that I hope will live on after I'm gone and help liberate and heal people. They are some of the best tools for healing a broken heart or finding one's way through the confusion of this crazy world. To me, they have been a guiding light in my life, much like angels that open the door for us to remember our eternal inner beauty and oneness with God, to realize we are truly 'Servants of Love'.  They were birthed through me but I know they came through for the healing of humanity and have a life of their own. Here are the track titles:

THIS IS THE DAY

SERVANTS OF LOVE

LUMINOUS PLACE

KLIM KRISHNAYA

BOUNTIFUL BEAUTIFUL

ONLY LOVE

TRUTH IS MY FOUNDATION

SHE IS BREATHING (OM TARA)

FLOOD OF LOVE

PRODUCTION AND FEATURED MUSICIANS

     I have the honor of working with the legendary Ben Leinbach, who is a master at producing beautiful sacred music. We work together so well, a lot of it long distance, sending tracks back and forth. He has produced innumerable kirtan/mantra albums, and very likely of your favorite artists. Check out his works at: oldbullmusic.com

     I have recorded amazingly talented musicians on this album, such as: Deepak Ramapriyan (violin), Claire Stevenson (violin), Shannon Hayden (cello – Simrit), Amy Danziger (cello – Area 52), Ananda Yogiji (bansuri flute & vocals), Ankush Vimawala (tabla), Steve Oda (sarod) Richard Cole (bass), and of course Ben Leinbach on bass, percussion, drums, and general production.

ALBUM FINANCING

     The music business is not very predictable and it has gone through so many changes in the last few years. It is an especially tricky career path to choose as one's means of survival. These days it takes extreme diligence, dedication and clever strategies to figure out how to make a living as a musician in the current environment, where everyone is able to listen to and get music for free through the internet. Streaming royalty rates are very low and an artist needs a lot of monthly plays (usually in the millions) to make any substantial income.

     That being said, I understand that I am utterly dependent upon my fans and friends for encouragement, support and inspiration. It is you that enables me to continue creating and getting my music out to the world. I want to express how grateful I am to all of you who have been there for me, whether I know you personally or not. Thank you for buying my/our albums, liking our pages, coming to our concerts, and telling your friends how you may have been touched by our music. It means everything to me, truly.

     This album has cost $13,034 in production fees so far, plus another $1600 in musician performance fees, $350 for photography,  totaling $14,984. There will be another $3000 in production and mastering fees at least, plus the reproduction of the album, which will be about $1200 for the initial printing of the CDs. (Yes, I'm still going to make a round of CDs!) Plus there will be some marketing expenses to initially promote the album. (We're up to $19,184 at that point) There's also the many hours I put into engineering, mixing and creating the music and graphics for the album. Not to mention the This is the Day video!! I'm open to receiving more than $20k but at least that will cover costs. I've been paying out of pocket for awhile so this will be a wonderful relief!

PERKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS

     There are several different levels at which you can contribute to the campaign (see options/perks on the side). Your contributions go to spreading love and uplifting consciousness in the world. Your support helps get songs like 'This is the Day' out into the world to help people heal and awaken to their true essence of loving compassion for themselves and all beings. 

     You can also help by sharing this Fundrazr however you can - through word of mouth, sharing the link with friends and social media, or any other brilliant ideas you have.

From the depths of my heart, 

MAHALO NUI LOA

Jaya Lakshmi