Swamini A. C. Turiyasangitananda, who passed away on Friday in Los Angeles, was a working-class, African-American daughter of Detroit who embraced her spiritual calling nearly 40 years ago:
During the end of 1968, Swamini, directed by God, entered a most significant period of isolation. The Supreme Lord provided wisdom, knowledge, guidance, and instruction consonant with and essential to her designated lifeÂ’s tenure… Swamini received her initiation into the renounced order of sannyas directly from the Supreme Lord. … Swamini took mantra initiation with Swami Satchidananda.
It was a time of great cultural turmoil and motion in American society, and Swamini had found herself at the heart of it. Known to the secular world as Alice McCleod Coltrane, she met John Coltrane in 1962, married him in 1965, and joined his band, playing piano and other instruments, in 1966. After his death of liver disease in the summer of 1967, she continued on both tracks of the path they had traveled together: the musical and the spiritual. Journey in Satchidananda, the album she released in 1970 featuring among others Rashied Ali, Charlie Haden and Pharoah Sanders, is an early document of her progress and the depth of her research and dedication. It still listens well today, one of the strongest surviving documents of the sincere fascination the creative music scene had with both Indian music and Hindu spirituality at that time, a far cry from the more superficial flirtations of the Beatles or the ephemeral Haight-Ashbury philosopher-kings.
For the rest of her life Alice was considered a recluse, recording at a limited pace and rarely appearing in concert; her vow of sanyas and commitment to the spiritual life meant that she spent most of her time at home with her family, at the ashram she founded in the Santa Monica Hills, or traveling to India to worship with Sri Satya Sai Baba.
In 2004, Alice Coltrane released a spectacular album called Translinear Light. It features sons Ravi and Oran on saxophones, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Jack DeJohnette on drums, and once again Charlie Haden — a veteran of the final Coltrane bands and a deep humanist, in addition to a master of his instrument — on bass. (The group conducted a rare tour last fall, and I am sad that I missed their October gig at NJPAC in Newark. It’s a reminder that one must never miss an opportunity to see a great master perform as you never know when she will be taken from us.)
The passing of Alice Coltrane is a sad moment for jazz. It is also an chance for those of us who live at the intersection of American and South Asian cultures to honor someone who embraced that conversation at a very deep, creative level. On the day we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., who learned so much from Gandhiji, it’s another fitting reminder that the conversation has a rich history, and that its potential is far from exhausted.
Now, if she were white would she get criticized here for “misappropriating” another culture?
s: thanks for this enlightening post on a great musician… america is indeed at a crossroads between colors, cultures, and the like… although as a country we’ve come quite far, we haven’t come far enough.
“Mistress of Spices,” I’m giving you one warning. Have some respect.
What a wonderful journey in samsara.
Farewell, and salutations to that which does not die.
Om Tat Sat
Pardesi Gori, you’re a class act, as always.
Siddhartha this is sad news indeed. What was in the air that made me listen to Journey in Satchidananda from beginning to end this morning? Yes, this morning. I was in the isolation of my apartment, I hadn’t read the papers or gone on the internet, I knew nothing of her illness, or her death. Strange…
She was a great musician. In my opinion, seriously underrated.
NPR had an ode to her this morning.
Thanks siddhartha for sharing such a warm and graceful woman’s attention to SM. I had the pleasure of meeting her in LA once upon a time, and she truly transcended cultural and musical limitations with her ethereal talents. I, too, had no knowledge of her suffering in silence. She will be sadly missed…
I ran into her at the ashram in Prashanti many years ago. I didnÂ’t know who she was; I was more enamored by Sonu Nigam who was chatting with her. Some American girls started to talk about her and that is how I found out about Alice Coltrane. She had a wonderfully peaceful smile, I will never forget it.
aahh..CR, so did i ;)…
CP, it might have been you talking about her and I didnt know you then! How sad! 🙂
Chrissy Hines of the Pretenders has taken mantra-diksha in a Hindu line also.
Not that she’s in the same league musically as Coltrane, but she is a famous musician as well. And very dedicated to her path from what I have read.
Thanks a million for the post. This is not the first time I got introduced to an artist’s music, when only their music lives on. Listening to “Journey into Satchidananda” even as I type this out, and it is very powerful indeed.
Dedicating ones life and one’s lifes work to a spiritual path that uplifts so many others can hardly be called a misappropriation of another culture. The devil, as they say, is in the details and the details are in the masses of humanity who were inspired by her work as an artist. Surely her work as an artist was influenced by her spiritual practice. Even a fugly atheist like myself can see that.
On another note: another one of my favorite African-American artists who also embraces Yoga and Hindu spiritual influence is still among us. Perhaps you’ve heard of the great Adrian Piper?
Some blacks friends said she nor Piper had a solid foundation in African religions and cultures and that’s why they got into Indian ones.
I say it’s all purva janam samskaras.
Trivia: John ColtraneÂ’s motherÂ’s name was Alice as well. Alice (Blair) Coltrane.
Mistress of Judgement I don’t know what the fuck you just said but you sure are sounding a helluva lot like a troll.
sm intern, siddhartha, clean up por favor…
Coach Diesel
Purva Janam Samskaras means “past birth impressions”.
In many schools of thought, it is thought that what a person is “into” in this life shows what they were into in a past life, but did not complete, hence they are picking up where they left off in this life.
That’s often said by Indians in India when they see non-Indians getting into Indian religions or cultures.
Hence I told my black friends that most likely according to Coltrane’s school of thought, it is natural for her soul/spirit/whatever to be attracted to that path due to a past life influence.
My bad, my bad. Sorry to offend chickie.
That’s often said by Indians in India when they see non-Indians getting into Indian religions or cultures.
Maybe, Maybe not. Who knows?
Most possibly, she (Alice Coltrane) was expanding her spiritual horizons in addition to her existing one (the African identity).
You know they are some ordained Catholic priests who also preach and incorporate Buddhism.
I just saw her perform in September, on the occasion of what would have been John Coltrane’s 80th birthday. A very beautiful person, and incredible musician. I’m shocked to hear the news.
Some recommendations, for readers:
Ptah, El Daoud Journey into Satchinanda World Galaxy
M
Siddhartha, thanks so much for this post. She is such a wonderful musician, and such a beautiful light, that it is great to see her memorialized.
that’s terrible. really sad. i just saw her in november here at the sf jazz festival. she opened with ‘raghupati raghav rajaram’ like i have never heard it before (and i’ve heard it a few times). she was playing with ravi (her son), roy haines and charlie hayden on bass. there were some excellent moments in that concert. at one point they were playing coltrane’s ‘impressions’ and ravi and haines had a jam session that made haines say, ‘i haven’t played that hard since i played with john’. i would believe it.
her presence was phenomenal. she got standing ovations as she stepped on and as she finished for both sets. i’ll never forget it. an amazing woman…
Samskara are not necessarily downloaded entirely from an earlier innings in the mortal form. It is at once
-the stamp one leaves on existence
-an distinctive and unique ideal one strives for that is not mere epitome or example (an idea that was copied by Jung without acknowledgment)
-a series of gateway like experiences that move us onward (simplistically and superficially understood as certain rituals)
Birth, death and rebirth although seem like epic events to us, are but minor interruptions in the journey of the jiva Buddha’s followers of course would say that there is nothing certain at all and no attribute whatsoever, there being simply a constant flux; and within this frame of thinking samskara may impede nirvana
Swamini is now on another path – may be we will meet again
Om Shanti Shanti Shantih
On another sad not, one of John Coltrane’s great devotees, Michael Brecker, died today at age 57. He lost his bout with leukemia.
Although I’m truly shocked and saddened by her unexpected passing, I can take comfort in the fact that, unlike other spouses/children of famous artists whose own work will always be compared/overshadowed by their more notable kin, many were aware of and touched by her beautiful and serene music. “Blues Minor,” a duet with the equally brilliant Marian McPartland, is a far more intricate and exquisite affair than its deceptively simple title would lead you to believe. “Opus 27” another duet, is much more subdued and somber, endlessly evocative without the uttering of a single word. Rest assured, both works will serve as my soundtrack for the next few days as I remember this fallen jazz legend.
[I’ve temporarily posted mp3s on my blog, for those interested.]
Much thanks to Siddhartha and fellow bloggers for bringing this news to the attention of myself and others who may not have otherwise found out. I’m glad to know others in our community were lucky enough to be see her perform or just enjoy her presence, even if it was for a fleeting moment.
Wonderful post, Siddhartha. Journey in Satchidananda is in my Zen player along with selections from John Coltrane. Isn’t their son Ravi named after Ravi Shankar, a friend of John Coltrane?
Yes. The older son, John Coltrane Jr, died in a car crash in 1982. According to Ravi, that incident spurred him into deepening his own craft.
One more thing: John Jr. was a drummer, and his official first name was Arjuna.
“Arjuna John Coltrane.”
In case anyone in the Southern California area is interested, there will be an Elevation Service for Alice Coltrane/Swamini Turiyasangitananda at her Ashram near Los Angeles on Saturday, January 27 at 1 PM PST. Directions here.
siddhartha: thanks for the info, will let my folks know, i’m sure they would be interested in attending.. they went to her ashram a few years ago and enjoyed it tremendously.. she was truly a great soul and a great musician.