Rock and Roll

Expressions researched:
"Rock and Roll"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: Oh, yes. He was actually popular anyway, the other son. He was almost as popular as Bal Yogeshwara. He's the older son. He's a jazz musician, so they like it.

Prabhupāda: Jazz? What is that jazz?

Paramahaṁsa: American music. Something like rock and roll. It is modern music.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So, how he learned? He is Indian.

Paramahaṁsa: Well, I don't know, but he's pretty good. His band was very popular in America.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Hari-śauri: You were just saying...

Prabhupāda: And again I paid five thousand rupees to Kīrtanānanda to come back. (aside:) What is that?

Rādhāvallabha: Kirtirāja Prabhu bought this for your rocking chair.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rādhāvallabha: Should I put it on?

Prabhupāda: Rock and roll. (devotees laugh)

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Everything is created from Kṛṣṇa, again it returns to Kṛṣṇa.

Kulādri: Then they say then we needn't play Kṛṣṇa conscious music. We might as well play rock and roll if it is going back to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is māyā. This is meant for Kṛṣṇa's service. As soon as you do anything else, then it is māyā. Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's. But under māyā we suffer; under Kṛṣṇa we enjoy.

Kulādri: So if we engage everything here in Kṛṣṇa's service, then the atmosphere will change.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- Hong Kong 1 February, 1974:

Work combinedly and Europe can be made filled with Sankirtana. I have found all the countries eager to receive our message, especially France and Germany. Narottama dasa Thakura has sung:

goloker premadhana, harinama-sankirtana,

ratina janmila kenetay

samsara-visanale, divanisi hiya jvale,

judaite na kaimu upaya

Sankirtana is imported from Goloka Vrindaban it is not material musical rock and roll. It is actually imported from Goloka. Narottama sings, Everyone is burning in the materialistic way of life. That burning can be extinguished only be employing Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It is a fact that the western countries are in blazing fire of material enjoyment. But as soon as they take to Hare Krsna surely they will find peace and happiness. There is no doubt about it.