Roman Astra

Born in Vienna/Austria Astra grew up with a lot of music around him. At home there was his father and sister playing the piano and his mum singing.

In and around the city of Vienna there was, as expected, a lot of classical music to be heard. Not something a teenager naturally is drawn to. However there also was a very strong musical influence from the Balkan and Middle East coloring the music being played in vineyards and beer gardens. Gypsies were busking in popular places and for many groups from Eastern block countries Austria was the farthest west they were allowed to go.

Interestingly enough, the 'Austrian Kommunist Party' had a festival each year where they demonstrated the basic ideas of communism; amongst them respect and appreciation for cultural differences. This festival included food, clothes and artifacts from all over the world. It also brought international performers of many ethnic groups into Vienna, which at that time was situated in a cul-de-sac created by the 'iron curtain'. This is where Astra got his hands onto records of African and far Eastern music. It was there where he started playing music with people he actually couldn't communicate with words. It was there where his eyes and ears opened to other cultures and it changed his life. From then on he saw himself as a citizen of the world.

Nowadays, the centerpiece of Astra's music is the Sitar and Esraj (Sri Lankan Violin) although guitars, piano, the Pipa (Chinese Lute), flutes, harps and others can also be heard. For vocals Astra uses invented language.

On stage Astra likes to make sure that the audience is an active part of the performance. He has been part of the Australian national festival scene since 1994, both solo and with ensembles.

Astra’s music has been played on local FM radio stations and can be downloaded from this site. He repeatedly gets positive responses from the press and is a regular guest on the ABC. Beside his love for rhythms and grooves there is also a strong aspect of ambience in some of Astra’s work. His atmospheric recordings are certainly reminiscent of Brian Eno, Michael Brooks or some of Ry Cooder’s music. So it is no surprise that the film industry is increasingly showing an interest in Astra’s recordings.

Being a musician is a lifelong journey. There's an Indian saying that there is one simple test, if you've learned everything, you were meant to learn in this life. If you're still alive, you haven't done that.

While Astra spent some time in Southern India to study the Sitar and it's music, he was always aware about the fact that this would not turn him into an Indian. However from the first time he touched the Sitar, which he bought from a pawn shop in Vienna, he was mesmerized by the sound at the way the instrument played him. It offered more than piano and guitar had ever presented him with and it was the closest to using his voice, which he was told he should treat as his main instrument.

“If you turn out to be a musician, everything you ever heard will come through in your playing”, he believes. While not overly interested in classical music during his adolescence in Vienna, he can now appreciate the 'musical training' he underwent, hearing it almost everywhere during the first 20 years of his life. "I never thought I'd play 'Ave Maria' on an Indian violin", he laughs.

In a lot of his recordings the philosophies of Eastern music are blended with Western style concepts. At the same time his fascination with constant evolving technology and his willingness to experiment have led him to set up his own recording studio. In much of his music Astra combines the characteristics of ethnic instruments with the advantages of digital sound processing. He also modifies some of his instruments.

Roman has been part of Tasmania's Music and Performance scene since 1988, when he co-founded 'The Horizon Circus'. He was part of the team that organized 'The 1994 World Music Show'. Since then Roman has performed at numerous Tasmanian and mainland events solo and with his ensembles ‘Gurubusters’, ‘Masala’, Babylon Bicycle’, Overtone Orchestra’, ‘Sitar Bass–Jump’, ‘Groove Ganesh’ and ‘Magic Carpet Ride’.

Musicians of all walks of life and styles enjoy collaborating with Astra since it gives them an outlet away from their usual genres. Unusual combinations of instruments, sounds and rhythms make it very exciting to get onto stage within those groups.

For live work Astra often turns up in unusual places and is a welcome performer at festivals. A mix of mesmerizing drones and funky grooves make sure the audience is an active part of the performance and there is always time for some tongue in cheek humor.

"I like to demonstrate how easily music can cross physical and cultural boundaries. It’s a language in itself!”

Astra's music has been played on local radio stations and he repeatedly performed live on the ABC.

Roman Astra’s music can be downloaded from this site.