(cheerful music) (invigorating music) - Welcome to TVFilm, I'm Jermaine Wells.

TVFilm showcases the talents of Upstate New York media makers across all genres.

In this episode, we will hear the story of two influential musicians in upstate New York through documentary.

In the first film, Taína Asili shares the story of Albany based sitarist Veena Chandra, and the unique path she is carved as a woman in her field, "Beyond the Stars".

- Veena and I met many years ago, I have been an admirer of her music for a long time.

I am a musician myself and I became friends with her son Devesh, who is her tabla player.

I started working on a project called "Resiliencia", which is a music video documentary series.

And I knew that Veena was one of the people that I wanted to interview, collaborate with, and create with for this music video documentary series.

So not only did Veena's son give us a lot of information about her backstory, maybe some things to ask her or information that we didn't know yet, but he also provided us with an amazing amount of photos and footage that we were able to incorporate into the documentary.

And without Devesh Chandra, it would not have been possible so I'm really grateful for that collaboration.

A lot of people, when they see Veena, they might not know that a professional woman sitarist, particularly in her time period, as she was coming up in music was not something that was very common.

And so she was groundbreaking in her work and in her craft and I wanted to lift that up.

So Veena and I were both from musical families and we have both found ways to find spiritual connection through music.

Music is our spiritual practice and it was something that was passed on to us by our ancestors.

So for both of us when, I think when we think about playing music or connecting with music, it's really about connecting beyond the stars.

Beyond what is perhaps tangible here on earth connecting something within and something beyond us.

To connect with spirit, to connect with myself, to connect with my ancestors, to survive, to thrive, and to pass it on as Veena has, and as I have to the next generation.

(beautiful sitar music) (beautiful sitar music continues) ♪ It was destined ♪ ♪ It was my call ♪ ♪ Given the grace to face it all ♪ ♪ Given this name ♪ ♪ Given these hands ♪ ♪ Given this breath ♪ ♪ Motivated by the energy ♪ ♪ Music transcends ♪ ♪ It enters me ♪ ♪ Let's me be free ♪ ♪ Helps me expand ♪ ♪ Beyond the world ♪ ♪ Reaching out beyond the sky ♪ ♪ Reaching out beyond the stars ♪ - I'm Veena Chandra and I am Indian classical musician, and I'm a sitar player, and I teach and perform.

My father was into music.

And that's how he named me Veena veena is a ancient instrument, predecessor of sitar, and hoping that I would learn music.

Actually, I was lucky enough that he had everything in the house.

He would play sitar, play flute, he would teach a little tabla, and harmonium, six, seven year old, I knew that I was gonna do music, that I was really good at it and I wanted to do that much more than anything else in my life.

And then slowly I took it in school.

And then I got very intense at the age of 15, 16 I was playing at eight hours, wanted to be musician.

(beautiful sitar music) (engaging sitar music) In the college, we had girls, those who would take, right?

But to come this far in the field was not something that women did.

It's very challenging because people really don't support you and they expect everything else done to find time for you to play.

I mean, I did all the housework when I was growing up and I would get up early morning, like four o'clock, my day started then.

And play three hours before I go to the college, come home, and play another two hours and prepare dinner and everything.

And then I got married and I was in the village and I had to do all the chores in the house.

I was much more into music than anything else, made me feel great.

I had a lot of energy because of music.

I thought I was dashing out.

(Veena laughs) I didn't think anything was impossible in life, but that's...

I was young, (Veena chuckles) I had another life.

I grew on and off, not that much as people have because in our culture we don't send the girls to this place, that place, or to that teacher or to that teacher because they have some stories behind them and all that, and it's not safe.

These girls are not allowed.

So I wasn't allowed to go places to play and all that when I was growing up just at home or college.

So I did a conservatory school diploma on the side and then I was preparing for the final diploma.

Then I got married and I said, "Okay, I wanna do this before I come to USA."

So I did that 1968, I did a Masters in music at that point.

Then I did another Masters and I became a Professor at the college where I did masters.

So I came here with the three children and started the life from the scratch, again.

I brought a sitar with me, brought a harmonium, and a tabla with me, that's my luggage.

And one suitcase with everybody's clothes.

I can't even imagine, I did not have a hard case.

I had an ordinary case to put my sitar but I packed it well with the clothes and everything.

I put kids, clothes, my clothes in there so it'll be good.

And following year, the other three kids came.

Yeah, they all learned music when they were growing up cause they were in the musical environment.

Devesh was only two years old when we came.

When he was young and he used to go with me to the performances, he would go on the stage, he would just sit next to me.

I had set him up with a tabla so I can practice.

I mean, at the age of three, he started real playing.

He would be telling people how to put their fingers, and he would be watching me and he would be doing the same thing.

Every night we would come and play here.

Then sometimes he would say, "Mom, I'm really sleepy."

(Veena laughing) Go to sleep, then.

(beautiful Indian music) I say, what makes a person?

Is it self motivation?

I had great self motivation.

You have to have a great guru, your teacher, and God's grace.

So I had two things, self-motivation and God's grace.

My music is very spiritual, when I play.

I mean, I'm still going, maybe a little slower than the other's speed, but there's a lot to do.

I am more spiritual and all that, so that, prayers and all that, that takes up time, doing chores around the house, that takes up time.

I don't find time.

I think 24 hours is less for me.

I mean, I'm pretty satisfied.

I don't care if I get to do much more or not, or become famous or not, as long as I'm doing things that I like to do and teach.

And if I can be of inspiration to a younger generation I think that's great.

Music is the soul, music is the soul.

♪ Dedicated to my life ♪ ♪ This is my path ♪ ♪ Won't be denied ♪ ♪ So I give it my time ♪ ♪ Give it my sweat ♪ ♪ Give it my love ♪ ♪ And I give thanks ♪ ♪ For the sun ♪ - In the next film, "Rematriation Magazine" presents the story of Joanne Shenandoah, an Oneida Wolf Clan singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist - Rematriation is part of a larger movement that's happening all across Turtle Island.

And it's really a movement happening among indigenous women, and it's about reclaiming who we are, our identity, our cultural ways, our roles and responsibilities that we have as leaders within our nations.

So we really started here in the heart of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and have been working now for about six years in building this effort as an organization, and we really centered in on media.

And so with that, we have nine stories that have taken shape in these short videos that we're calling "Indigenous Women's Voices".

And really what it's doing is highlighting a number of indigenous women in their lives, and to be able to really humanize our story as indigenous women and to see like some really magnificent work.

With Joanne, I mean, she is just this star, right?

Who was amid our own people and she's also my aunt.

And I always really looked up to Joanne.

She was somebody who was very much, what I would call like a mover and shaker in our family.

She knew exactly what she wanted to say.

She came in with the message that you hear and I think that the message she shared is just exactly why we do what we do here at Rematriation.

And it's really helping to elevate the human consciousness to what's important right now.

And how do we begin to adapt as human beings in a new way?

And consider our values about who we are, and who we're becoming, and what we're leaving for those children, who we will never walk this earth with.

She had a healing gift.

And so to be able to share that, right?

That's her legacy that she left here in the world.

There's this real strength in what's happening among indigenous women and Joanne is one example of what it is to be an indigenous woman in this world.

Being an ambassador for your people and for our ways, and she shared that through her music.

(singing in indigenous language) Rematriation is a return of the sacred to the mother.

"Rematriation Magazine" is proud to present inspirational, indigenous women who are leading the way with their gifts and culture.

(singing in indigenous language) (rhythmic shaker playing) (river flowing) (singing in indigenous language) Joanne Shenandoah, Wolf Clan of the Onʌyota'a:ká: Oneida Nation says music is a healing force.

(singing in indigenous language) She is a Grammy winner and humanitarian who has over 40 music awards and 24 recordings.

Not only has she captured hearts around the world she is an ambassador for peace, and the rights of humans and our mother earth.

(singing in indigenous language) - I'm Oneida, Onʌyota'a:ká: of the Haudenosaunee, the Iroquois Confederacy.

I'm Wolf Clan, like my mother was.

So I was brought up traditionally speaking with my mom and my dad.

They were leaders in the Confederacy.

My dad was a chief, my mom, a clan mother.

My dad had me singing and performing on stage in the third grade.

My mom was also a singer and played piano.

My dad was a jazz guitarist and they were also leaders in the Confederacy.

So what that means is they were responsible for the political, social, and spiritual welfare of the people, which is an intense responsibility.

(singing in indigenous language) So, I was very fortunate to travel the world to see many places.

I had 200 concerts in one year alone.

I went to some of our native healers.

They sang their songs, they did their prayers, and I believe in a higher spirit I had a wonderful mentor, Chief Irpalis.

His words are very simple.

He said, "There are only four rules to live by, "take what we need from the earth.

"We give back to the earth.

"And then we give thanks for all these things "the earth gives to us.

"And the fourth thing is that we leave this earth "in a better place than when we found it."

(singing in indigenous language) How do I leave this earth in a better way than I found it?

By offering those songs, by being a bit of a conduit, I would say.

Now, Tom McGuire works with us with a symphony.

He's helped me record "Skywoman" with the Santa Fe Symphony, so he's an orchestra conductor as well.

And Tom... - Is a multi-Grammy winning producer.

- Producer and guitarist, yeah.

We've done a lot of albums together Us three vocal mics on this side of the conductor, is that possible?

♪ She was given ♪ ♪ And just where to go ♪ ♪ Okwari ♪ ♪ Healer of clan ♪ ♪ Okwari ♪ ♪ I would cross the land ♪ I became very ill.

I had a fatty liver, so I was singing in a in a nursing home when I got C. diff, C. diff turned into double pneumonia, double pneumonia, turned into glaucoma.

Glaucoma turned into 112 pounds about to lose my life.

And they told me I would not live without a transplant ♪ A marvelous sight.

♪ The words that you sing, the words that we say, the prayers that we make are basically going to bring healing.

They bring healing to not only ourselves but to the planet.

There's all this beauty we can focus on.

That's what I started to do, when I was really ill.

There were a lot of prayers a lot of ceremonies down for me.

I started realizing again, that my path that I was on was actually changing my cellular structure, which was of course my DNA.

♪ Because she loved ♪ ♪ All healing began ♪ Within ourselves we have the ability to actually visualize change and watch it happen in front of your eyes.

I mean, I've watched my blood work go from negative, negative, negative, negative.

Everything was...

I was really virtually on my way out the door.

And my family said, "We want you here."

(beautiful guitar) (indistinct) - [Guitarist] I could just see people coming out there.

- [Joanne] They're with lawn chairs, yeah.

- [Guitarist] With lawns chairs.

- [Joanne] Yeah, this is definitely a new, I think, venue for them, and a new kind of way to do something a little different.

- Thank you and welcome back.

Let me introduce our guests.

Joanne Shenandoah is one of America's most celebrated Native American musicians and activists.

She carries beauty in her soul and voice, but also through her interactions with diverse communities.

She provides strength and passion for the people that is found in the likes of iconic philosophers and wisdom healers.

(audience applauds) - In the body of her daughter, Skywoman placed her head high into the sky to become the nighttime sun.

And from her body grew the sacred plants of strawberry, tobacco, and corn, all gifts from the Sky World.

I was very inspired by Dr. Emoto and many different cultures around the world, how they hang so wholeheartedly onto their music, and their stories, and their dances.

Many places around the globe celebrate who they are as a people.

How important to lift our voice in song is also the words that we're using, right?

We give thanks, we honor, we respect, we love, we care.

I'm very blessed to have been given these songs and the songs that come through me are not mine.

They are truly ancestrally, inspired ♪ Grandmother moon ♪ ♪ She hid the sun ♪ ♪ Everyone gathered ♪ ♪ Around the chosen one ♪ ♪ Peace for our people ♪ ♪ She was proud to lead ♪ ♪ Because her grandchildren ♪ ♪ Should not live fear ♪ How I like to think of healing is that it makes you whole again.

I want the body to be whole, I want the mind to be whole.

I want my soul, my spirit to help lift others.

So we dance to the rhythm of these beautiful seeds reminds us that we too carry a seed, right?

We have the gift of life.

When you take the time to really just sit and enjoy nature, who does that, right?

We're on our cell phones at the restaurants.

We're all our cell phones here, cell phones there.

And look around us, we hear the flow of the water, we hear the birds singing, we feel the grass beneath our feet, and mother earth, who is solid.

She continues to give to us.

♪ Shine your light upon ♪ ♪ Stay right here beside me ♪ ♪ Grandmother ♪ (audience applauds) One thing that I've come to learn in traveling the world is that we all have songs.

We all have special foods, we all have prayers, we have dances, we have ways of honoring one another.

Those human ways are what keeps us together, are what keeps us whole or balanced.

(singing in indigenous language) We're wondering what are place is upon the earth or what kind of advice do you give someone?

Stay in your truth, be part of a community, help others, you know?

Try to find ways that you can bring healing.

(singing in indigenous language) Not one person can do it alone.

We all need one another to be able to make a better world.

(singing in indigenous language) - [Announcer] This program is produced by "Rematriation Magazine" and is a presentation of Vision Maker Media with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

- Learn more about the films and filmmakers in this season of TVFilm at wmht.org/tv and be sure to connect with WMHT on social media.

I'm Jermaine Wells.

(empowering music) (empowering music continues) - [Announcer] TV film is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.