Annamaria - VAJRA

An amazing vocalist, warm and spiritual,  Annamaria has some really insightful understandings to share with us in this episode. 
She is a fascinating woman, deeply connected with the spirit and with her music. 
She shares with us her thoughts on what matters most to her, and these insights are 
both beautiful and important for us all to be reminded of … every day! 

Read and listen to more from Vajra, one of my favorite bands in the universe!
Songs in this Episode:
Maya - from the EP  “Irkalla” (2021) that we talk about in the episode
The Mirror (2017)

https://www.thevajratemple.com/

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https://www.youtube.com/VajraOfficial

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https://twitter.com/vajratemple

Transcript

Anna Cei: 0:04

Hi, welcome to what matters most to you. In each Hi, good evening, Annamaria.

Annamaria: 0:35

Good evening.

Anna Cei: 0:36

How are you?

Annamaria: 0:37

I'm well, thank you. How are you doing?

Anna Cei: 0:39

I'm just fine. So before we dive in and talk about

Annamaria: 0:51

I am in New York City. Right now I'm in downtown my sanity trying to adjust to the new norm, trying, you know,

Anna Cei: 1:27

And are you from New York originally? Do you have

Annamaria: 1:31

I do have family and friends. I grew up in Italy. Siena, Italy, came back to New York for a few years and

Anna Cei: 2:02

India,

Annamaria: 2:02

Mumbai, India.

Anna Cei: 2:03

Wow.

Annamaria: 2:04

Yeah.

Anna Cei: 2:05

And I happen to know that you went to a very special

Annamaria: 2:09

Yes. I went to a couple special schools in New York. I went to

Anna Cei: 2:24

while you were working.

Annamaria: 2:25

Yeah.

Anna Cei: 2:25

So what are you a full time musician? Or what do you do

Annamaria: 2:29

I do.. That's a good question.

Anna Cei: 2:33

Right

Annamaria: 2:34

My music is my passion. It is what moves me

Anna Cei: 2:52

in Manhattan. I mean, it's quite expensive to live. So

Annamaria: 2:57

It is

Anna Cei: 2:58

Have you ever considered moving somewhere

Annamaria: 3:01

I have and I have done, it's that the band is here. That's a major

Anna Cei: 3:07

And about, it's a big part of your life, right?

Annamaria: 3:10

The band is everything to me, if I didn't years, and it was all about the band and couldn't maintain a you know, within one to three months. So you can't hold a were able to go on the road. That's my priority. So that's

Anna Cei: 4:13

And I've been on tour with bands and there is not many

Annamaria: 4:21

No, it's everything every part of you every moment about shots and storyboarding and all this stuff. And we're

Anna Cei: 5:05

That's a lot of work. us. Yeah,

Annamaria: 5:08

It's and yeah, it's a lot of work. And that was one thing. And then we have artwork, right, we shot the artwork in LA I understand which will be coming.

Anna Cei: 5:34

I think a lot of people are maybe not aware of

Annamaria: 5:40

It's everything. It's It's It's so much you're doing it for video, who knows, you know, and we're doing this

Anna Cei: 6:06

right

Annamaria: 6:07

I keep a pad on my bedside table. Even when I'm

Anna Cei: 6:17

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, there's also the fact you have

Annamaria: 6:25

Yeah.

Anna Cei: 6:25

And getting it out there getting tickets sold

Annamaria: 6:27

That's right. So that's the next phase, right? We'll talk about in a little bit later. But yeah, it's a lot.

Anna Cei: 6:48

this is who you are,

Annamaria: 6:49

this is who we are. We're basically slaves to this

Anna Cei: 6:57

What's the name of your band_

Annamaria: 6:58

the name of the band is Vajra. Vajra is Hindi, or me actually, in a dream when I was doing a lot of meditation, to Vajra, because that's what this project is. For me. It's in bringing it into the material world and manifesting it into

Anna Cei: 8:01

That's beautiful. It's so beautiful as like everything

Annamaria: 8:12

please Yes,

Anna Cei: 8:13

let's listen to some Vajra So now, we heard your music a little bit of it, and we

Unknown: 12:14

So it's a very diff icult question. It's like what were very difficult for me. So I set out to work on the new diagnosed with a fibroid tumor the size of a tennis ball in my recording with Sahaj Ticotin . And during that recording, I had

Anna Cei: 13:39

You were miserable.

Annamaria: 13:40

I was scared. And I didn't know what was wrong. recording this new music and but I knew something was severely don't have your health, you can't do everything that moves

Anna Cei: 14:36

You can't see the future.

Annamaria: 14:38

You can't see anything because you are focused recording music was a struggle going on tour couldn't happen, I you're so exhausted that all you want to do is curl up in a ball and then tour

Anna Cei: 15:28

it also affects you mentally

Annamaria: 15:30

That's right.

Anna Cei: 15:30

I mean, I've gone through cancer myself. And

Annamaria: 15:33

that's right.

Anna Cei: 15:34

I think a lot of the problems with that is the whole

Annamaria: 15:45

right

Anna Cei: 15:46

This can be the end of it.

Annamaria: 15:47

Right. Right. And we're fighters. See. So that's which I wasn't used to doing. I'm planning tours on touring, then it was, you know, you're used to, in your mind, you have you need to focus on you.

Anna Cei: 16:46

Right

Annamaria: 16:46

It's just so odd and strange to do you know, when

Anna Cei: 16:52

really literally only on you not your music, not your

Annamaria: 17:07

That's right. So my answer is health you know, if

Anna Cei: 17:12

And do you think that has changed? Do you think that

Annamaria: 17:19

still really difficult for me, I still catch That's okay. And if I need to just lie down today, that's is. And really, the thing is, if I don't take that time, that

Anna Cei: 18:10

Yeah.

Annamaria: 18:11

So that time fuels the other stuff, you don't stop case, it was the tumor. So

Anna Cei: 18:36

I was laughing, not because it's funny, but I

Annamaria: 18:51

Yeah. Yeah,

Anna Cei: 18:53

it's okay. Yeah, it's okay. Listen to your body. And

Annamaria: 18:59

I think it depends where you're at. And I think it depends on who you're like, you know, we kind of separate the body and mind. lot of my friends would say it's God's, but I was there for places that one of the major places got hit. My mom was will. You weren't there. It's very simple. You don't control That's it.

Anna Cei: 20:30

That's it. And so India must have flavored. I

Annamaria: 20:46

for sure, I always had a prayer table on stage, I always had been bells, whole, it is the vibration. And it is something that it is it's a religious experience. It's a spiritual experience. So through the obviously through the sound, but also through the

Anna Cei: 21:59

So it's like an overall encompassing experience.

Annamaria: 22:03

Well, it is. And also I will say I like to hit with as well. And I clear the stage. So I will burn sage on the stage whatever that means to you. But it's something that's bigger

Anna Cei: 22:57

then the audicence can't either, right

Annamaria: 22:59

That's right.

Anna Cei: 23:00

So how did you connect with your bandmates? Originally?

Annamaria: 23:06

organically pretty organically. Whenever there was leans on progressive. So it might appear to be simplistic,

Anna Cei: 23:33

Yeah, it is anything but

Annamaria: 23:37

had a lot of duds. But what I learned is the music And then the conversation will transpire after that. Because with us. You know, now he's gone to bass, but previously, he was Awesome. Then we'll we'll schedule an audition you come things that happened for him and he left for about a year I guess said, Well, if you want to come back, that's cool. But the only So that's Dave's story

Anna Cei: 25:20

on the new album now he's going to be on the bass.

Annamaria: 25:23

He's on bass. Yeah.

Anna Cei: 25:25

And so can you tell me a little bit about the new

Annamaria: 25:28

So the new album is an EP, and it's called Irkala, level, base consciousness, base awareness base, material driven the Sumerian culture, and religion and I was very just the Sumerian traditions, but it was a life. Well, two carries a lantern. She's also the goddess of witches. And the

Anna Cei: 27:32

That's kind of interesting that the goddess of

Annamaria: 27:44

Well, it was a crazy time because my roommate had And then I had some other stuff that I had to deal with some

Anna Cei: 28:14

with a lot of darkness.

Annamaria: 28:16

Yeah, with a lot of darkness. And it really made me to grips with, you know, I might not be here. So what do I need illusion. And my, Maya is the concept of illusion and the underworld, or Irkala is a metaphor for just perceiving a will see and everyone has the opportunity to do that. But this So that's what Irkala is.

Anna Cei: 30:04

And that's the first three songs you said, or

Annamaria: 30:07

it's the first EP, which is three songs, three

Anna Cei: 30:14

wow, now, now, I really want to hear this. I mean, you really enticed me here,

Annamaria: 30:23

well, then the next level, the second EP is going to liberation as close as I can understand to what that is.

Anna Cei: 30:59

see the reflections of it may be

Annamaria: 31:01

That's right, Our momentary fleeting glances of it, the more you sit in those

Anna Cei: 31:10

oh, this reverberates, I mean, I just feel it, it's on the other side, you there's another kind of appreciation, of

Annamaria: 31:33

of course, life is non-duality, in order to Unless you understand what its opposite means,

Anna Cei: 32:01

right

Annamaria: 32:02

There is light and day there is winter and there is

Anna Cei: 32:22

Yeah, yeah,

Annamaria: 32:22

it is to embrace both. As difficult as they are. the human experience.

Anna Cei: 32:43

Mm mm. Do you think you as a musician, have opportunity and tools to

Annamaria: 32:55

Good question I think we are given perhaps a pass in society to to be

Anna Cei: 33:09

Yeah,

Annamaria: 33:10

I think we're given leeway in the sense that they're

Anna Cei: 33:13

Yeah, yeah. color outside the box. I think we are all inherently where I am, and I don't give a fuck, so I'm going to do it. And

Annamaria: 33:55

And giving myself allowing myself to be the conduit for whatever that force then had us but, you know, I was raised in a way where I should rm, but whatever that means to ou, anywhere. You don't have t

Anna Cei: 34:42

Yeah,

Annamaria: 34:43

those keyboard tracks that you'll hear. you know, take Bazooka gum from the 7-11 when dad told me he w nces that I grew up when had growing up. So I, yeah, did what you did come down and talk to me about it later. So r looking at my hands as I w s playing the keyboard and sayi I did not rerecord

Anna Cei: 36:19

original ones.

Annamaria: 36:21

I didn't re-record I kept it exactly the way it was. the netherworld to listen what's in this other realms, these

Anna Cei: 36:55

to realize them

Annamaria: 36:56

to perhaps inspire, yeah, and to perhaps inspire Because I'm thinking also, personally speaking my own drawing and drawing. And before I know it, I'm well, you know, Yeah, I believe what it is, is a meditation. It's a form of

Anna Cei: 38:18

Right.

Annamaria: 38:18

And that's a beautiful thing. Because when

Anna Cei: 38:30

the real you,

Annamaria: 38:31

which is all of us. And none of us at the same time.

Anna Cei: 38:44

Mm hmm. Yeah. When I also when I teach art, because I've been teaching anything about the object, you know, they know about what that training exercise in itself. Just to do.

Annamaria: 39:24

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, what, This is not about dancing.

Anna Cei: 39:45

Exactly.

Annamaria: 39:46

Whatever that means to you. Yeah, it's just about

Anna Cei: 39:58

Yeah.

Annamaria: 39:59

Show the world What it moves? Yeah, and just start

Anna Cei: 40:05

exactly.

Annamaria: 40:06

Who cares?

Anna Cei: 40:06

Extra labels that we put on it, you know, it's like rhythm is this? Oh, that's walt , that's Foxtrot, this is no s

Annamaria: 40:40

Or the other way to even perceive, which is the same know, to you, this is the space to be in, but I catch myself all shutting everything down. I my ringer is usually off on my today, I'm just gonna dig around on the keyboard and see what

Anna Cei: 41:44

right right

Annamaria: 41:45

And that's when shit happens.

Anna Cei: 41:47

Right

Annamaria: 41:47

So

Anna Cei: 41:48

because the brain is capable of so much more than of, it's like an another level and other space, as you call it.

Annamaria: 42:13

That's right. It's reason based, it's everything right? In the past. And then the next moment, the Earth revolves How the f**k do you really know?

Anna Cei: 42:45

Right.

Annamaria: 42:45

The only way that you really know is when you connect

Anna Cei: 42:51

that connection is also between people. I think produce together is a new sound. But when we come to teamwork at that we can connect those as well, not just the rational

Annamaria: 43:34

I agree. I agree. It's a connection more to the that it's not about the end of the world. It's about the end of

Anna Cei: 43:58

a paradigm.

Annamaria: 43:59

That's right, that's right. And Can anybody really

Anna Cei: 44:07

maybe not understand but maybe experience it?

Annamaria: 44:10

You can only know. I think we can only get glimpses. it represented was the ultimate truth of the universe manifested

Anna Cei: 44:47

That's just the system. The perfect ending of

Annamaria: 44:53

Vajra,

Anna Cei: 44:54

Vajra and have that diamond fire the energy To kind

Annamaria: 45:04

Thank you.

Anna Cei: 45:05

I mean the way you sing and I'm so happy that you

Annamaria: 45:09

Thank you so much.

Anna Cei: 45:10

It gives me so much and I know there's so many

Annamaria: 45:16

Thank you.

Anna Cei: 45:16

So I wish you a wonderful night. Many Sweet

Annamaria: 45:21

Thank you so much. Than

Anna Cei: 45:23

Thank you.

Annamaria: 45:24

It was good chatting. Have a good one.

Anna Cei: 45:26

Bye bye.

Music - Vajra - The Mirror: 46:11

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