Early mornings on the Varanasi Ghats on the Ganges riverside are usually quiet. Men are sitting on cement stairs taking in the sunrise over the water, others being shaved, yet others preparing to wash their teeth in the brown/black water. Sounds of shuffling feet mix with laundry being smashed against stones to release the dirt. A musician selling his flutes walks by. On a spike are myriad of instruments of varying tones. He plays a morning influenced tune that soothes and wakes all around him.

Kuzhal Pattu is one of hundreds of Indian musical instruments. It is usually heard in Hindu temples or ceremonies. In this case, he accompanies a group of women who celebrate the marriage of holy Basil the plant (Tulsi) and the god Vishnu. The women dance, sing and make offerings on the day of Tulsi Vivah. Tulsi Ghat in Varanasi is a great place for a ceremony devoted to Tulsi.

A street performer at Assi Ghat in Varanasi gets his cobras to perform while he brings in a crowd in the hopes of making some money. Best give these babies a wide birth.

Chinese business men take some time away by floating down a river in Guilin, China. The Gondolier sings a song to keep them relaxed.

A small hand drum group sings their way into a lead during competition at the Tsuut’ina Pow Wow in Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. The sound is like a battle cry of a soldier mixed with that of a wolf pack leader ushering in the night. It brings with it a surge of adrenaline that gives you the courage for anything!