BHARATI PAWASKAR
It was a cool Sunday evening in February at India’s first vegan restaurant in Goa, ‘Bean Me Up’ where ‘Global Tribe’ played ‘Invocation of Inner Strength’ encompassing Eastern and Western rhythm, Sanskrit chants and primal lyrics. Founded by singer, songwriter and guitarist Anne Steele ‘Global Tribe’ comprises of Sonali, Duniya and Eduardo from Peru - playing for people from different walks of life across Goa. Sometimes the show is at places like ‘Bean Me Up’ and ‘German Bakery’, the other times it is at night markets or even private functions where people gather to listen to this soothing music.
With a song in her heart and a bunch of like-minded musicians, Anna has successfully founded ‘Global Tribe’ and is proud to share, “We are not a band that plays at venues that use musicians to sell beer; we want our audience to really feel the experience by being fully awake in an ambient supportive setting conducive to receptive openness to our vibe.”
Goa is like a big magical garden for Anna where she feels free to play, discover and learn. It’s an instant bond that was established the moment she landed on this heavenly earth. “I knew Goa was the place I wanted to be when my father brought me here for the first time in 2002. The aeroplane landed and my heart opened… tears flowed in the taxi all the way to the hotel. I felt a profound sense of ‘home’. I love Goa’s wildness, spaciousness and unpredictability,” confesses Anna who moved to Goa for good nine years later, in 2011.
Music was something that Anna was drawn towards when she was a kid. She recalls, “I started playing guitar as a child at school but the walk to school was long and her dad’s guitar heavy, so she bought her first acoustic and electric guitar at 18 and started learning chords and writing songs. “I began a deep healing journey around 20, all of the songs reflect this, such as ‘Rain’ which enables grief to be heard,” shares Anna.
Born in Leeds, UK, the first band she joined was an African reggae band - ‘African Roots’ with a master djembe drummer Lamin Jassey from Gambia. “We did our first live show at Glastonbury, a well-known festival near a sacred site called Stonehenge in Somerset, UK,” she recalls.
But that’s not Anna’s only identity. She is a multifaceted personality who wears many hats. Having learnt Yog in UK and meditation in Bangalore, they soon became a part of her life. Good at astrological and tarot counselling, she calls painting her pastime hobby. “All of these things bring a holistic lifestyle together with tools to align every part of one’s being,” claims Anne who practices what she preaches.
“I have been living on raw vegan food for 15 years which means the food I consume is in its natural state and has more enzymes and therefore life force. I do not consume flesh foods of any kind. I have this lifestyle to maintain optimum health and clarity of mind,” maintains Anna whose raw food journey began in 2002 after she met David Wolfe from USA - a raw food expert and Gabriel Cousens - a spiritual nutritionist who believes that as we evolve in body, mind and spirit, the dietary needs of our body also change.
Anne never uses allopathic medicine for anything and has recovered from dengue using homeopathic remedies. “For antibiotic need I use colloidal silver and if at any time a painkiller is required I use chamomile majoram and ginger essential oils. I do this as I know and believe in the profound healing power of the body. I trust in Mother Nature,” admits Anne who loves to live a simple life.
In her breath work sessions she uses a method called connected breath, which teaches one to draw in Prana or energy of life. Anne has travelled to Rishikesh, Dharmashala, Auroville, Nainital, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi and is travelling to Nepal this month. “At Global Tribe we are planning to expand our horizons, do more shows and play outside Goa too, so that we can share our love of the divine within our creations and sound,” she expresses inner will.
