Raj Rahi - South Asia Regional Coordinator Musicians and Artists for Peace
South Asia Musicians for Peace and Humanity www.samph.org
128 Magnolia Road, Iselin, NJ 08830 USA
212-920-6009 Cell 917-295-3262
raj.rahi@samph.org

South Asia Musicians for Peace and Humanity (SAMPH) was inspired from the musical movement of "musicians for peace," which has a unique tradition of combining music with peace and humanity causes during turbulent time. The early signs of such a mix occurred in the United States in the 1960s. Woodstock 1969 was a remarkable and iconic event that demonstrated the power of music to shape economic, political, environmental and social aspects of our society. The generation of 1969 fought for peace, love, and humanity. The strong movement for humanity and a world with unity among nation states was the vision of the Woodstock 1969 generation and found an expression through music on the legendary stage of founders, Mr. Michael Lang and Mr. Artie Kornfeld in 1969.Music was one of the most remarkable outcome of the 1960s in the United States. We are proud to say that Pt. Ravi Shankar performed at Woodstock 1969.

South Asia has enriched the the social and spiritual movement of the 1960s generation in America. The music, meditation, yoga, Sufism and the Whirling Dervishes practices, all contributed to a unique cultural and spiritual expressionism of peace and humanity in the 1960s. The quest for spiritual realization, the guru and the transcendentalism added to to rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the 1960s movement, integrated with the Civil Rights movement , environmental protection and awareness campaigns and a generation that has seen its milestone.The exodus of individuals from the United States to start humanitarian foundations in Nepal, Bangladesh, and throughout South Asia was a demonstration of the intimate relationship of west and east and the spiritual quest of the 1960s generation to make a positive social exchange in this world. Thus, both South Asia and United States inspired each other in the culture and musical traditions