Robert Ryan
Member of the kirtan group Soma, also called Sivanesh; painter and tattooer who practices Shaiva and Shakta worship
Robert Ryan (Member of the kirtan group Soma, also called Sivanesh; painter and tattooer who practices Shaiva and Shakta worship) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include Soma (kirtan group), Burning Is Learning, Kirtan.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
Soma (kirtan group)
Robert Ryan says roughly three-quarters of the new recording was tracked live before overdubs.
“I would say about 75% of it was recorded live initially”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 1:09:47
Robert Ryan states that Soma does not seek to convert anyone.
“we're not trying to proselytize at all. We're not trying to convert anybody to anything because there's nothing to convert to”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 30:02
Burning Is Learning
Robert Ryan claims some songs on the album are thousands of years old.
“There are songs on that album that are definitely over 2,000 years old, probably 5,000 years old”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 54:44
Robert Ryan explains the album title as a lesson that failing to learn from pain leads to repeated pain.
“Like if you don't learn the first time you get burned, you just continue to get burned”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 55:03
Kirtan
Robert Ryan acknowledges purists may criticize Soma's mixing of traditions but says he does not mind.
“to a lot of purists in the kirtan world um i don't care personally um but i do you know i could see where”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 37:00
Robert Ryan describes kirtan as participatory chanting in which the audience matters as much as the musicians.
“the singing of the holy names in a completely interactive situation where the audience is just as much as important as the people playing the music”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 12:42
Sound healing
Robert Ryan is unsure anyone has been healed at a Soma show but believes kirtan sets people on a path toward healing.
“I'm not sure if anyone's ever been healed from one of our steps, but I think it's definitely put people on a path towards healing”
Seekers of the Eternal: 58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma Kirtan (Jan 10, 2025) · Listen from 48:39
Appearances
58 ~ The Healing Power of Sonic Vibration w/ Soma KirtanSeekers of the Eternal · Jan 10, 2025 · 1 h 31 min
Host Palehorse talks with Kalpa, Robert Ryan and Vasudev of the kirtan group Soma about kirtan, bhakti, hardcore roots, sonic healing and upcoming releases.