EDO KAHN

Born in Sydney, Edo spent most of his first year travelling the globe with his family en-route to Israel where he spent his childhood growing up in nature on Kibbutz (an agrarian community) before returning to Australia. These formative travelling experiences laid the ground for a life full of travel adventures and community living. From touring in a rock band to singing at yoga retreats, orphanages, temples and living in spiritual communities.

While at university Edo started the band Gelbison. Their first gig was in front of about 12 people. Six of whom happened to be their newly acquired friends from the British band Gomez. Ian Ball of Gomez produced Gelbison’s recordings and the band quickly signed to EMI/Virgin. Their first international tour was in the United Kingdom supporting Gomez. 1704 the band’s first album, critically acclaimed, also featured collaborations with childhood friend Ben Lee and Luke Steele (Empire of The Sun, Sleepy jackson). This album was recorded in a barn three hours south of Sydney and later mixed at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the UK. During the mixing at Real World, Edo’s cousin came to visit after having been traveling for some months in India. He arrived with long beard and shawl, looking like a swami. Edo, Nadav and their cousin had always loved “afro” hairstyles and so their ‘swami’ cousin had picked up in India a photo of a man with a big afro in an orange robe holding two palms out in a blessing pose. Not knowing who this was, the orange robed mystical-afro-man was quickly posted on the wall over looking the mixing console. It was only later that Edo realized this man was the great Indian saint: Satya Sai Baba.

Gelbison was made up of a Christian mystic, a Buddhist and two Jewish Brothers all in search of their spiritual roots. The Band was named after a sacred mountain in Italy and the intention was always to impart some deeper meaning with the music. The band made two full Albums (See The World and 1704) and later morphed into the Kahn Brothers with the release of Love Melts Fear in 2008. They toured with many great bands such as Gomez, Wilco, Beck, Ben Lee, Ben Folds, Sarah Blasko, Old Man River, Sleepy Jackson, Lior and many more. Edo also collaborated with Luke Steele (Empire of The Sun), Ohad Rein (Old Man River) and Nadav Kahn to form a group called Nations By The River and released their CD Holes in The Valley in 2003 through Virgin/EMI. Edo is an award-winning songwriter (APRA song of the year 2009 for co-writing Old Man River’s Sunshine) and his songs feature regularly in films, TV and on radio.

In 2004 while touring in the US, Edo met up with his high-school friend Ben Lee, who had gone through a profound transformation. Ben had met Sri Sakthi Amma, and Edo could see that Ben was deeply moved and changed by meeting Sakthi Amma. A profound energy was flowing through Ben and he gave Edo a blessed pendant, and a recording of the Om Namo Narayani chant. That year, Edo’s world was unraveling, with a long relationship ending, members leaving his band and a period of emotional turmoil . His spiritual search was deepening but a melancholy had overcome him and he was deeply praying for God to send him a true Master who could guide him along the path home. Receiving the Om Namo Narayani mantra was like a life boat to one stranded in the ocean. "On high rotation on the ipod and in my heart, Om Namo Narayani - which means  I Surrender to You, I Surrender to the Divine Mother, I Surrender to the Power in Everything...was resonating and reverberating through me. I felt like I was being ripped apart and felt as though a profound death and rebirth was before me". At the end of 2004 Edo visited Sri Narayani Peedam for the first time. It was like going home, challenging but sweet beyond imagination. Since then Edo has made many trips to India immersing himself in Bakthi Yoga, singing and serving his beloved guru, Sakthi Amma. 

Around 10 years ago Edo started volunteering with his friend Beau who was running drumming and music therapy workshops at a special needs school. Since then Edo has delved deeper into music therapy using meditation, chants, and songwriting at brain injury rehabilitation centers, aged care facilities, group homes, special needs schools and hospitals. This was part of the inspiration for starting A Sound Life.

Edo now lives in Byron Bay together with his wife Emily Bodhi on the Bodhi Glow Farm Sanctuary, a sanctuary they started together dedicated to rescuing animals from slaughter and abuse, conscious living and environmental sustainability, He has a beautiful baby girl and two step-children. He is currently working on various musical projects including a solo album. Stay tuned