Larisa Stow found her true calling quite unexpectedly, during one of the most unsettling moments of her life.
It’s difficult to classify Stow’s music. Stow and her band, the Shakti Tribe, combine East and West with “kirtan,” the traditional Indian form of devotional call-and-response chanting; sacred mantras; uplifting lyrics and peace prayers from around the world.
She and the Shakti Tribe will perform Saturday at the Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church in Costa Mesa.
“We’re looking forward to coming back to that community,” Stow said. The group has performed there in the past.
The band’s instruments range from traditional guitar, saxophone and flute to more exotic instruments like the harmonium and Stow’s singing bowls.
“This kind of music is definitely catching on,” Stow said. “I first got into it because I was doing yoga and was very attracted to mantra.”
Stow had been a successful pop-rock artist, performing at venues like the Roxy and the Key Club, before two catalysts inspired her new drive in life.
“9/11 is what changed everything for me, along with having a child,” Stow said. “I started feeling a big pull to start doing messages for the sake of something bigger than myself.”
When the World Trade Center was bombed, all Stow knew was that she had to do something for herself.
“The turning point for me was sitting and watching the news,” she said. She watched newscasters and officials urge Americans to tape up their windows and stockpile supplies.
She started writing while watching the news and delved into James Twyman’s famous Peace Prayers from world religions and cultures.
“I didn’t want to succumb to the fear,” she said. “I wanted to feel empowered and help others be more unified.”
A good friend asked Stow to perform her new music at a spiritual gathering.
From that first appearance, she has performed for and with Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, and Amma, the hugging saint.
“It’s very spiritually nourishing,” Stow said. “I used to get stage fright every time before I performed pop rock, but now it’s gone away.”
Her music is an uplifting combination of East and West, popular and secular. The fusion is especially captivating during a live show, when the music brings listeners through a guided journey of peaks and valleys.
