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New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble Reunites for North American Tour

April 11th, 2008 · 13 Comments ·

NEW VRNDAVANA, WV — The New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble announced their first tour in decades Monday at a rehearsal in the Guest Lodge as a throng of fans crowded near the legendary Palace of Gold.

Five of the original ensemble members led the Sunday feast program with a live performance of its hit “Within Vrndavana’s Woods and Groves.” The be-robed ensemble officially broke up in 1992, most of the members pursuing solo careers.

New Vrndavana Accordion EnsembleThe New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble plans to play temples, prasad halls and some festivals in a North American tour beginning May 9 for New Vrndavana’s Festival of Inspiration.

Some confirmed cities on the tour include Gita Nagari, Murari-sevaka, New Goloka, New Talavan, New Raman Reti, New Govardhana Hill, New Kusum Sarovara, New Jagannatha Puri, New Dwarka, Saranagati Dham, Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center, and several Festival of India Dates.

During the ensemble’s short, but exciting career, they rose to fame not only in America, but also in Japan, signing a two-cassette tape deal with Pony-Cannon Records. A short tour of Japan, starting at the New Gaya Dham court yard, is in the works.

If all goes as planned, the triumphant return of one of the most influential Hare Krishna accordion ensembles of the late 80’s may also be followed by a new studio album, industry insiders say.

It was originally reported that New Vrndavana’s choir, The Krishna Chorale, would also be reuniting to open for the accordion ensemble on tour, but blamed “artistic differences” in their failure to get back together. However, sources close to the Chorale report that “it would be a cold day in Patala-loka before the Krishna Chorale would open for those damn squeeze-boxers.”

Ticket prices for the North American leg will range from “doing a little seva” to $25. A portion of the tour’s proceeds will go to AccordionAid, an anti-poverty organization that provides slightly used accordions to temple residents.

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For a limited time only…

For only a very short time, the New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble has given The Hing permission to sell limited edition NVAE tshirts (as pictured above).

They are available in sizes S, M, L and XL.

The shirts are hand-printed on black tshirts made in America. No sweatshop nonsense here, prabhus!

All shirts are $15 ppd (postage paid). And all purchases will go through paypal.

Haribol!!

Size

Buy Now!

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Tags: Music

13 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Rati // Apr 11, 2008 at 9:54 am

    Hahahahha!!! What a great article! Great shirts too! So you made mention of “Within Vrindavana’s woods and groves” are you familiar with the lesser know, but very true version? “In New Vrindavana’s hoods and robes”

  • 2 Rati // Apr 11, 2008 at 9:56 am

    Q. What’s the definition of a gentleman?

    A. Someone who knows how to play accordion… but doesn’t.

    (Told by Hrishikesh Prabhu during a Palace painting marathon.)

  • 3 Hrishikesh dasa // Apr 11, 2008 at 11:22 am

    I’m especially looking forward to this forthcoming tour. Already I received phone calls this morning from Gramophone and Rolling Stone for interviews, but told them they’d have to go through Eric, our publicity manager. Profits from the sale of T-shirts will be donated to a fund to help ISKCON devotees who have developed hearing loss from years of playing kartals too loudly. For more about the accordion ensemble–a blast from the past–see http://henrydoktorski.com/nv/accordions.html.

    Your bellowing servant,
    Hrishikesh dasa (Henry Doktorski)

  • 4 Devak // Apr 11, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    I’m trying to play very nicely as a part of this revived ensemble but it wasn’t easy finding an accordion.

    It was Krishna to my rescue when I receive a late night phone call from Lawrence Welks’ defunct Foundation. They were able to find 42 dusty old accordions in a back room.

    Keith sent a telegram from Rishikesh, “I told you accordions are divine”.

    Our dear God brothers in Prague are planning to continue with their accordion kirtans. [I always thought they were true devotees.]

    Devak…..thanks be to Krisna

  • 5 Dwija // Apr 11, 2008 at 5:18 pm

    Looks like you pulled out all the stops on this one Eric. Accordions, perhaps they are divine, but ……BAGPIPES….. that’s where you’ll find the real nectar prabhu. Can’t understand why they never caught on. I mean, devotees seem quite keen to hear from a large bag of wind if it has the word swami (or ex-swami) attached. I wonder if I should make some bootleg recordings of The New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble.

  • 6 eric tries to sit properly » Blog Archive » New Vrndavana Accordion Ensemble Reunites for North American Tour // Apr 11, 2008 at 9:02 pm

    […] Click here to read the exciting news. […]

  • 7 Rati // Apr 12, 2008 at 1:19 pm

    Krishna loves me, yes it’s true
    He plays the flute, and bagpipes too…

    (Inspired by darshan of Krishna in a kilt.)

  • 8 Ananga-manjari // May 13, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Oh my goodness they really did exist!!! I don’t know whether too giggle or let my jaw hang in amazement!

    Yeah, why didn’t devotees take to bagpipes.? Perhaps, we are fortunate though because there has been such a misuse of the electric piano/synthesizer. Our ears are probably fortunate.

    Though I’ve gotta say those bagpipers at the Philly Ratha Yatra, last year, kicked some b*tt!

  • 9 Madhava Gosh // May 16, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Live bagpipes are incredible — they pierce directly into your soul.

  • 10 Devak // May 19, 2008 at 5:37 pm

    Madhava Gosh, I pronam to you.

    Bagpipes? Did A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada say even one word about them? I searched the data base that contains 226 million entries for A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada . Not one word about bagpipes.

    Yes, I like the pipes in the early morning. Soulful, wailing and sad.

    If you desire the pipes to play in the rath cart parade this summer , that is fine with me.

    I defer to your desires as you are a devotee much senior to me.

    Are you for the accordions? Here on the coast be have violins in the harinam.

    I believe that flutes are legal also.

    Devak….not so sure about a brass band, New Orleans style. But then you never know until you try it.

  • 11 Madhava Gosh // May 23, 2008 at 7:54 am

    An accordion is simply a portable harmonium, what better instrument for a hari nama?

    There was a cellist in New Vrindaban for a while recently and I can confirm that cellos are great for bhajans.

  • 12 Mr Smith Das // Jun 4, 2008 at 11:07 am

    prepare to cringe!
    http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MPEPU_MTPdk

  • 13 Rati // Jun 5, 2008 at 10:40 am

    WHAT THE HELL!?!?!

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