Like all birthdays, I want to feel like this year my life will have some awe-inspiring purpose and wonder that even I cannot deny (or mess up)! The sign from God. The moment of truth. (I know…no pressure or anything.)

When my dear friend and fellow actor, Carey Embry, told me that Amma, commonly known as the ‘Hugging Saint’, was in town and giving Darshan on my birthday, I thought, if this is not a sign from God… Carey is an Amma devotee and his enthusiasm for our day is rivaled by none. Not even me, and I even received lovely birthday blessings from Amma.

You can’t help but to smile when you see her. She exudes pure love and joy, though she is surrounded by so much pain that we all carry around with us like dead weight. Saint she is. With ease and patience, Amma lifts us all up. Truly she and her work are holy.

But I will let Carey tell you more about our “fantastic” day…

My Revolution is much more than music. I want us all to be about love, compassion and joy. If we could all give the way Amma does, this world would be heaven. I am the first to say I have work to do.

So you can see what lovely gifts Amma gave me….we came and took a picture before we cut the apple and fed my moms, me, Carey, Harpal, my dad and saved some for YL dad. It’s prasadam..we ate it as the way to accept Amma’s blessing.

May you all continue to be blessed…

Tags: Life & Philosophy by admin
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UPDATE: I got a copy of Dave’s Lounge: #119. Enjoy!

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Hello, hello!!! Today is a special day….well, for me it is at least. Two reasons. It’s my birthday and also Dave Warner featured a remix of ‘Wildflower World’ on his podcast this morning! I love this remix. A very talented producer named SoulAvenue put together this little bit of heaven. I hope you visit Dave’s Lounge and enjoy the best in chillout, downtempo and trip hop music.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and I hope you are all having a lovely June 17!

Tags: Music & Creativity by admin
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A new friend of mine recently challenged me with a single question, “Do you have a plan for yourself?” I just stared at her for about 2 minutes and then answered, “Clearly, I don’t.” It’s been my experience that plans never work out the way you envisioned and so I told her that about 5 years ago, I decided to stop making plans and to just go with the flow. Projecting way out in the future is a futile endeavor, I feel. It sets you up for incredible disappointment. Life happens, and not in any way you imagined.

My friend spends her days helping people define who they are and what they want to be in the world. Nebulous job description I know, but useful nonetheless. She explained to me that long-term goals are dangerous but invaluable. Interesting paradox. She went on to say that plans help you work out what you want to do with your days; today, this week, this month. They help bring forward short-term objectives.

I am still grappling with this conversation. What is the point of working hard every single day on short-term objectives you hope gets you to a goal that you will most likely never get to? Why not just go with the flow and let life happen to you?

I explained to her that for nearly 5 years, I’ve been a gypsy. She said, “I’d go so far as to say that you’ve been a nomad. It’s time to come home.”

Fascinating. All this time, I thought I was on a path. Turns out my path has been to not be on a path. The ultimate goal-less goal. Even I am getting dizzy thinking about this.

Yoga has taught me to be in life’s current. My friend inviting me to use life’s current to take me where I want to go. She asked me to think about what I want to be known for in 10 years. For the first time in my life, I am definitely aware of the fact that I have no idea. What type of legacy do you want to leave? Have you thought about that lately?

Tags: Life & Philosophy by admin
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I’m getting more and more excited for my upcoming trip to London. I leave in about a month…on July 12! Chips and pubs. Friends and funny British humour. And of course, music, music and more music. They have an incredible scene out there.

Today, I received the official flyer from The Bedford, where I’ll be performing an acoustic set.

It’s been nearly 2 years since I picked up my guitar. Well, actually, I take that back. I picked up my lovely old friend on Friday for the first time in nearly two years. I want to write new songs for this set. Definitely a little rusty. I tell you what…I will take a little video of some of the new songs so you can see/hear what I’m up to acoustically these days. Promise to post that in the next day or so. Hope you’re having a lovely Monday!

Tags: Gigs and Concerts by admin
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My dear friend, Varun Soni, recently got appointed as the Dean of Religious Life at USC. He’s the first Indian to hold the position, not to mention the youngest, and it’s already made headlines at the LA Times and the Washington Post. Varun also happens to be a lawyer, a patron of the arts and a DJ for LA’s progressive independent radio station, KPFK.

Early this morning…and when I say early, I mean 1:45am, I went down to KPFK’s station house to meet up with Varun and be a guest on his last Indica show as presented for the past year. With the new USC position, Varun will have to figure out a new way to continue his DJ gig. He reminded me that I was his first guest a year ago and his last today. Life always comes full circle.

We talked about the new album, REVOLUTION. We also talked about the Muslim women’s collective I’m a part of. It’s called Deeyah Presents: Sisterhood. The aim of Sisterhood is to help inspire other Muslim women to move beyond the resistance we face in our community as performers and artists. It’s an oddly held belief that if a woman is on stage, she is too seductive for any type of productive output for society. Much better if she stays indoors and has babies. Nothing wrong with having babies. Hope to have some someday, but I’d like to think that having babies and a family can coexist with being an artist! Imagine that novel idea?!?

Varun highlighted Sisterhood’s Kiran Zamman and Jus1Jam, both UK-based artists. He also talked to Elly of Elly and Khai up in the Bay Area.

Varun then sent a little message for all of you.

I got home around 4am this morning. For now, I’m signing off.

Tags: Press and Radio by admin
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On Friday, my girlfriends and I did what all girlfriends did on Friday, May 30. We took our advanced tickets to Sex and the City and waited in line for hours to get good seats on opening night.

Mind you, it was fairly civilized as these type of mob events can be. After all, we were for the night attempting to be hot, Manhattanites worldwide transplanted into our city of habitat. For me and mine, we were the LA version. You can decide who you think we 4 represented, but Pavitra already called Miranda and we told Heather she was at least part Samantha. I believe Heather is turning around to check out a boy. A cute boy, of course.

All that being said, this post is purely a nod to all the women who patiently waited 4 years to find out what happened to our girls. In all fairness, there was one man in the theater Friday night. I suspect he also could not wait to find out what happened. Most other men were banned from the theaters by girlfriends and wives for they did not have the appropriate amount of reverence for these women. Truly, Friday was best shared by women because only we can truly dissect the endless dating calamities, the heartbreak, the relationship rollercoaster and of course, sisterhood to a point that we end up confusing and consoling ourselves all at the same time.

Sisterhood again.

And again….

Tags: Out And About by admin
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Welcome to the new shaheensheik.com site. Very auspicious day to welcome you indeed. It’s Samata’s birthday! (For those of you who don’t know, Samata is my manager.) Happy Birthday, Sammy!

We had a chance to meet up with our dear friend Akshay last night at the Roosevelt and celebrate. A toast to Sammy. A toast to Akshay for his first time in LA. He’s a New Yorker via Louisiana. Unfortunately he drives a truck and wears cowboy boots, but we try not to hold that against him. Somehow drinking beers makes Akshay like to eat my face. Harpal took a picture of that.

It’s perfect that Akshay’s in our midst when we launch the site. Back in May 2006, we tossed around NYC with our friends Riad and Naz. Another very tipsy night that ended at Kati Roll on MacDougal and Bleeker. It also inspired my new album. A spark that ignited my revolution. I memorialized all of this in Night Call, the intro track to REVOLUTION. There’s nothing more inspiring than eating paneer sitting on a NYC street curb at 4am with mice scurrying around. Ahhh…NYC. I miss you.

But I digress. Back to my welcome message. Here I am…in all my new, green, pink and purple glory. Hope you enjoy the new home for my music and musings. I also hope you break through your computer screen shells and bust out a comment every so often. It helps me know that people are out there listening to my ramblings and after all…this website is all about making me feel loved.

Welcome, welcome, and welcome again. Browse, listen, look, converse. Step into my REVOLUTION.

Be happy. Be alive.

Tags: Out And About by admin
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Kid Fresh on the Desi Mixtape Show rolled in rEvolution.  Lovin it.  I look forward to meeting him when I’m out in London this summer.  The UK music scene is mighty fine.  Only thing is that I will need to learn how to speak like them.  They have their own language.

Tags: Press and Radio by admin
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a couple of weeks ago, harpal bought tickets to a bowling charity event for a place called home. so off we went to support our friend roger and of course, the kids who benefit from a place called home. except, the thing is, i’m about the worst bowler around town. and what made me think i could hurl a 12 lb. ball down a oiled lane is beyond me…but somehow a couple of beers and fun with friends got my confidence up. it seems i was over-ambitious and have tweaked my knee, to the point that i have to ice it! my friend, mita, is a physical therapist and was happy to know that i’ve been icing it. i’m a dancer…ice is definitely a dear friend of mine.

so while i spend this time letting my knee heal up, i have some time to think about the shifts happening in my life. mostly i notice how some friends have become almost strangers to me while others have become like family and if you had asked me a year ago how it all might turn out, i’d have picked all wrong. in that way, i guess it’s best to let the Universe show you who’s real and really there for you through time. at the end of the day, every friendship is only as good as its conflict resolution abilities and the sticking power of people being willing to work through all that life has to offer. honest, conscious friendships are really hard to come by, but i don’t mind. when they’re here, they’re unbelievably amazing.

shifts are good. it keeps us growing and moving and open to new experiences that are better suited for our life in the present moment. my mom says i have a tendency to trust and love to easily. she says i don’t have to turn everyone into close family right away. she’s right.

i love being informal and close with people i meet, but i think life has recently taught me that informality and closeness is something that must be cultivated with great care and respect – otherwise there is no appreciation for it. not to say i hold back or that i’m cautious or mistrusting. just to say that now i take my time with people. there is no rush.

perhaps that is why my knee is sore…as a reminder to slow way down and be present and honest about what is true in my life right now. so maybe drunk bowling isn’t that bad afterall…

Tags: Life & Philosophy by Shaheen Sheik
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