 |
|
|
Founder of the Zen-Zang Branch, Carolina Ko-Ran de Ruiter
|
Founder of the Zen-Zang Branch, Carolina Ko-Ran de Ruiter was born in 1956 in Amsterdam. She experimented with many different styles of music; western classical music, jazz, piano, flute and voice.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Carolina has performed for Indian and Dutch television and at numerous concerts in India, the Netherlands and Germany. She sings Indian Raga's, devotional and romantic Bengali songs as well as Ghazals. Since her return to the Netherlands in 1992 she conducts experiments in which musical styles of different cultures come together.*
|
| |
|
|
|
In 1996 her CD 'Dhyana' got released on which she successfully expressed her personal approach towards the classical indian vocal traditions.
Beside her musical training under the excellent guidance of her guru, Biresh Roy, in Calcutta, she received spiritual training and studied Kashmir-Yoga at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, where she stayed during the summers while she live in India.
|
 |
|
In 1995 Carolina started to learn Kendo, a Japanese fencing sport. Through Kendo it was possible for her to go to Japan for the first time in 1999. Here she finally came in contact with Zen Buddhism and a life long wish came true.
In 2000 she started her Zen training under guidance of Zen-master Sekko Tanaka.
|
|
|
|
|
He officially made her his student and gave her the name Ko-Ran, which means 'orchid's scent', in 2001. He also inspired her to make a fusion with the Japanese Buddhist Sutras and Indian Classical melodies.
|
|
|
|
Carolina has performed several times in the temple Nanzen-ji in Kyoto and in Kyushu where she took her audience into the miracle of sound and melody. So listening to her is a religious experience as well. She accompanied herself on the Tampura and Swarmandal, both Indian string instruments.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
* On the page 'Zen-Zang & Media' you can find a link to 'Lotusvijver' with an extended radio interview with Carolina Ko-Ran de Ruiter (55 min. - Dutch language).
In this interview you can hear three short samples of the traditional Indian Raga's Dharbari, Ramkali en Jaijaiwanti and a small sample of Sutra's based on Indian music, all song by Carolina Ko-Ran.
Another (Dutch) radio interview can be heard by following the link 'Reflecties'. In this interview Carolina focuses on her 'Zen-Zang' method.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
