HuDost
Electric-Folk, Americana, Global-Groove ensemble, HuDost, performs with refined wildness and their latest album reached #4 in the Canadian National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart and #9 in the US Folk Radio Charts. They also recently received two of the ‘Best of Nashville’ awards. HuDost are committed advocates/activists for ONE (non-profit organization) working to end extreme poverty. They have toured internationally since 2006 including performances at Bonnaroo, FloydFest, Blissfest, The ARK, Vancouver Island MusicFest, the Salvador Dali Museum, The Levitt Pavilions, WoodSongs, Nashville’s Bluebird Café, Music City Roots,The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Montreal Folk Festival, Hillside Festival, LEAF Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Fest and many more. Highlight collaborations and opening slots for other artists include Ani DiFranco, Philip Glass, Jon Anderson (YES), Steve Kilbey (The Church), Neko Case, Jim Lauderdale and many more. The members of Jars of Clay have co-produced their last two records.
“HuDost makes music for the sacred and the profane…driven by Sommer’s lush expressive alto and Hines’ skilled strumming and electric guitar licks…as sacred as a church service, without the identifiers which can separate and shame non-believers.”
Kristi Wooten (PurePop, Rolling Stone, Newsweek)
5 Elements Workshop
The mystic sees on the abstract plane one or other element predominating at a certain time, either ether, air, fire, water or earth. Every element in the finer forces of life is rendered intelligible by the direction of its activity and color; and the various forms of light show its different rates of activity. ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan
For as long as mystics, of any tradition, have lived, so has spiritual work with the elements. One of the rare consistencies evident in spiritual practice, throughout the globe, is an honoring and acknowledgement of the elements and their integration into various traditions of divinity; because the elements are an undeniably essential tool of discovery.
This workshop will explore breath, sound, movement, rhythm, emotion and presence through spiritual work with the elements. Sufi teachings on breath and healing relative to the elements will be explored. The group will also be led through the shamanic medicine wheel as it pertains to the elements and encouraged to dance and sing their way through mystical experience.
Universal Worship
The Universal Worship service is an inclusive ceremony reminding us that despite our uniqueness and diversity, we are all interconnected expressions and reflections of the One Divine Being and that we must always return to compassion.
Our multi-faith service weaves together readings and song as we open our hearts to receive inner guidance. Honoring and sharing our inspiration and wisdom, this beautiful ceremony unites us together in a powerful message of Love, Harmony, and Beauty.
Moksha and Jemal (core members of HuDost) are both interning as interfaith ministers.
If only we would recognize the inner voice, we would see that the different
scriptures all contain words spoken by one and the same voice. Some hear the
voice, others only hear the words, just as in nature some see only the branches
and others the roots of the tree; but all these different scriptures and ways of
worship and of contemplating God are given for one purpose: the realization of
unity. In unity reside the happiness and illumination of man, and his guidance in
life. We all know unity by name, but most of us think of it as uniformity. The
Vedanta for thousands of years in all its prayers and mantrams voiced this
central theme: unity, the oneness of all. The Qur’an with all its warnings
expresses in one essential sura the Being of God: that not only in the unseen,
but in all that is seen there is one underlying current; and the Bible says that we
live and move and have our being in God.
Hazrat Inayat Khan
Songwriting as Advocacy
For several years, positive political and social activism has been a big part of the lives of HuDost’s core musicians by doing advocacy work as Congressional District Representatives for ONE (a non-profit organization working to end extreme poverty and preventable disease). They have learned a great deal about songwriting as activism. Their recent song, ’Our Words Will Be Louder’, included additional music video cameos from Kevin Clash (Elmo), Kevin Hearn (from the Barenaked Ladies), Cy Curnin (from The FIXX), GangstaGrass, Alana Bridgewater, Nawal, Hymn for Her, Jai Uttal, and more. HuDost worked with minister/activist William J. Barber II and all proceeds from it went to the Poor People’s Campaign. It received press coverage in over 130 major news publications and radio including CTV News, The Observer, Roots Music Canada, All Access Music, and received the ‘Best Music Video of the Week’ from Blues and Roots Radio.
HuDost offers workshops on how to use songwriting as a tool of activism and advocacy and as a means to broaden people’s perspectives.