Spiritual Path
"As I progressed I became more aware of the dark part in my life - that it is up to us to balance and move more into the light. That’s what I keep working on today to keep balancing the vibration with peace, stillness and joy," - Billy T K.
Billy T K had considerable input from various spiritual influences during his childhood including a close association with the Ratana Movement.
He began to further pursue the spiritual side of life after meeting his meditation teacher Maharaji in 1974.
From then on his music began became more devotional. His meeting with Maharaji was more by design than accident he believes. Some friends took him to the Ashram in Christchurch, mainly because they were looking for some music to help with fundraising. From that point things began to happen.
Billy relates the transition musically and spiritually to what was happening internationally with famed guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin.
After Powerhouse folded Billy went to the US to work with the Light Festivals being run by Maharaji. "It was hard functioning and keeping yourself alive in Los Angeles with very little money. I was selling recyclable bottles in Hollywood just to buy rice so I could eat."
However One Step Up Studio in Hollywood signed him to a management and production contract which at least restored to him some sense of musical destiny. "I was given an engineer who was working with the Eagles at the time. He would bring in the musicians, including Stevie Wonder’s backing singers and Quincy Jones’ bass player. I would teach them songs with a view to getting an album together."
These were only demo’s, part of a project to develop a sound so they could get together the best album possible. Before the project was completed however Billy returned to New Zealand. "The musicians over there were asking me what was happening with the indigenous sounds in New Zealand. That started to play on me," said Billy.
Music
had begun to take on a different light and he worked at achieving a new
level of expertise. He saw music as a service. "It’s like a journey
I have been on. The first few years a lot of light came into my
being," says Billy.
"As
I progressed I became more aware of the dark part in my life - that it is
up to us to balance and move more into the light. That’s what I keep
working on today to keep balancing the vibration with peace, stillness and
joy."
Maharaji's home page
http://maharaji.net/
Understanding the Ratana movement
http://www.wordworx.co.nz/newbeg.html
Political Path