Aradhna

Aradhna is a band that fuses traditional Indian devotional music (bhajans) with Christ-centered themes, composed primarily in the Hindi language, in addition to Nepali, Bihari, Bhojpuri and Braj Bhasha languages. The band members include Chris Hale (lead vocals, sitar), Peter Hicks (acoustic guitar, sitar) and Travis McAfee (bass). Tabla Player Jim Fiest regularly plays with the band.

History

Aradhna was created in 2000 when Chris Hale and Peter Hicks who had been touring India with their band Olio returned to the US to record Aradhna's debut album 'Deep Jale' (Light the Lamp). The name Aradhna is from Hindi, meaning 'Adoration'. The band-members were interested in creating an authentic sound for Indian Christ-centered worship which had so far relied heavily on Western hymns and contemporary worship. To make this possible the band turned to India's bhajan singers and the style of Indian devotion known as 'bhakti', expressing faith in 'Yeshu Khrist' (Jesus Christ).

Hale assumes primarily songwriting duties due to his fluency in Hindi. In addition to Hale's compositions, the band features songs composed by Peter John, an Indian musician from New Delhi whose Christ-centered bhajans caught Hale's attention. The band involves several Indian musicians in their performances and recordings as well.

Atayal people

The Atayal (Chinese: 泰雅; pinyin: Tàiyǎ), also known as the Tayal and the Tayan, are one tribe of Taiwanese aborigines. In 2014, the Atayal tribe numbered 85,888. This was approximately 15.9% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the third-largest tribal group.

Etymology

The meaning of Atayal is "genuine person" or "brave man".

Origins

The first record of Atayal inhabitance is found near the upper reaches of the Zhuoshui River. However, during the late 17th century they crossed the Central Mountain Ranges into the wilderness of the east. They then settled in the Liwu River valley. Seventy-nine Atayal villages can be found here.

Genetics

Taiwan is home of a number of Austronesian tribal groups since before 4,000 BC. Genetic analysis however suggests that the different tribes may have different ancestral source populations originating in mainland Asia, and developed in isolation from each other. The Atayal people are believed to have migrated to Taiwan from Southern China or Southeast Asia. Genetic studies have also found similarities between the Atayal and other people in the Philippines and Thailand, and to a lesser extent with south China and Vietnam. The Atayal are genetically distinct from the Amis people who are the largest tribal group in Taiwan, as well as from the Han people, suggesting little mingling between these people. Studies on Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms suggest ancient migrations of two lineages of the various tribes into Taiwan approximately 11,000-26,000 years ago.