Laughter & Deep Listening: Laraaji

A two-part journey into the practice of musician, mystic, and laughter meditation practitioner Laraaji. The experience begins with a laughter meditation session, guiding participants through vocal exercises that warm the mouth, throat, chest, and heart, opening the body to inner laughter. The second part is a deep listening session, using gong tones, zither, vocals, and electronics to create a live sound bath and encourage inward contemplation.

Based in New York City, Laraaji began performing on the streets in the 1970s, improvising trance-inducing jams on a modified autoharp processed through a range of electronic effects. One evening, the influential British musician and producer Brian Eno saw him perform in Washington Square Park and invited him to record an ambient album in his studio. Laraaji went on to build an extensive discography, releasing albums on a wide range of labels while also self-recording many works at home and selling them on cassette during his street performances. In recent years, his work has gained renewed international recognition through new releases and reissues on the All Saints label, alongside performances, laughter meditation workshops, and deep listening sessions presented around the world.

Photography: Dinis Santos