The museum of sacred arts (MOSA) of the ISKCON Villa Vrindavana temple has created a  new initiative within the range of their general activities. 

Earlier this year we had published an article in which we showcased the new acquisition of sound sculptures and gongs in the museum. These instruments have been built and designed by a devotee couple from Rome, Madhava and Margherita under their company name ‘Grotta Sonora’. The concept of this addition of instruments was to transform the art gallery into a sensory experience, making the visit even more attractive to the public  As the Villa Vrindavana temple is located in the heart of Tuscany, near Florence, it is a challenge to draw audiences to our museum of devotional art as Florence hosts practically 70% of all Renaissance art in the world. The instruments of Grotta Sonora have enabled us to engage people through a different medium, inviting them to a museum of not only sacred art but also Sacred Sound. As sound and Mantra are fundamental to our bhakti tradition, these instruments have provided the perfect bridge bringing people closer to our teachings in a unique way and allowing one to immediately experience the Maha Mantra simultaneously appreciating our Vedic art. This new sound experience has attracted local musicians to collaborate with us, and has led us to a completely new series of events which we now call ’Sound Journeys’. It is our intention to make the museum of sacred arts the go-to place for sound journeys in Tuscany. In this pursuit, our museum manager Taraka Brahma Nama das has established a collaboration with a well-known local artist, Davide Friello.

Tarak Brahma Nama das chanting the Holy Name

Davide is a professional percussionist and hang drum player and has a great following all over Italy and Europe. Together with Tarak they have created a fusion of sounds, using all the various instruments of the museum of sacred arts, and Tarak’s and  Davide’s personal collection of instruments. Davide mainly composes the melody to which Tarak can use his voice in chanting the various Holy Names of Krishna and other  Vaisnava songs. During the summer of 2021 they have had monthly indoor events within the museum, however, the last event of the season they decided to hold the event outdoors in the beautiful Piazza, located at the rear end of the museum. During the  ‘Sound Journey’ people were inspired to listen deeply to the various sounds, melodies, and chants, and sing along with the musicians, enjoying a deep sense of inner exploration and fulfillment. The gongs have a profound effect on the physical and subtle body and stimulate people to get introspective. The melodies and chants allow people to release and access their inner peace and fulfillment via the hearing and chanting of the Holy  Name. Moreover, the goal of our music events is to facilitate our visitors to Villa  Vrindavana to have a sensory immersion, by engaging in a wide variety of activities.  Following the recent positive feedback from our events, we have already planned several musical events of a much larger scale which include retreats centered around Mantra,  Sound Vibration, and Kirtan. Through this powerful conduit of sound, it is our endeavor to reawaken a sense of deep peace and love.

To learn more please visit: https://www.davidefriello.com/