Goa Gil, also known as Gilbert Levey, is a historical figure in the world of music and trance dance experience. At 64 years old, he is one of the oldest DJs in the world, but also one of the most effective. His specialty is creating 24 hour sets on tape, using hi-tech, dark psy and all the craziest sounds in psytrance music. Not only is he a DJ, but he is also a sâdhu, a saint in Sanskrit, and has dedicated his life to "raising awareness through music."
Gil's story begins in San Francisco in the 1950s, but his adventure truly began in 1967 when he was just 17 years old. He was working as a poster boy for a legendary gig in San Francisco, the Family Dog, where groups such as Santana, Velvet Underground, Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead used to perform. He was surrounded by artists like Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and Janis Joplin, who was a good friend of his. He states, "I was in the right place at the right time, as I got to see most of the well-known musical artists of the time performing live, from The Beatles, The Sone, Pink Floyd and Sid Barrett, and on and on and on… All of that is part of my history, and part of who I am. It also helped to shape my musical tastes."
In 1969, Gil decided to travel to Amsterdam and then through Europe to Morocco, and from there across North Africa. He then took trains and buses through Turkey and Iran, eventually ending up in Afghanistan. It was there where he met an Englishman who became his traveling partner and told him about the fabulous and deserted beaches in Goa. Gil decided to accompany him and they traveled from Kabul to Karachi, and then by boat to Bombay and finally Goa.
Once in Goa, Gil met Eight Finger Eddie, who is considered to be the first-ever Freak in Goa. He stayed in Eddie's house on Anjuna beach, which was soon to host the Full Moon parties, and spent two weeks with his new found friends. However, he then decided to leave and continue his journey. He hitchhiked and walked down the coast of India and then up the other coast. He met an Aghori Sâdhu who spoke English and continued his journey with him. They visited Calcutta, Benares, Nepal and eventually, Kashmir for "Amarnath Yatra", a pilgrimage to Shiva's Cave in the high Himalayas.
During his time in Kashmir, Gil met a number of Babas who were going to Amarnath, and the head of the place, Mahant Swami Nirmanaland, gave Gil his first initiations. One of his five Gurus was Mahant Primi Giri Ji Maharaj, who became his main Guruji after the death of Swami Nirmanaland Ji. At this point, the young American had been traveling the world for two years and had been around wise elderly Hindus for more than one. Nothing mattered but spirituality and self-reflection.
In December 1971, Gil received an aerogram from his old friends asking where he was and telling him they wanted to see him, asking him to come to Goa for Christmas. By this time, the Anjuna beach was populated by the heirs of the hippy culture, and Gil, now a young sâdhu, had many ideas and projects. He realized the power of music and decided to dedicate his life to conveying his spiritual beliefs through music. He and his companions shaped the spirit of the modern rave in the continuity of the hippy movements, and their model was an inspiration for many, like the Boom Festival, Burning Man, and legions of other ravers around the world.
When asked about the progression of electronic music, Gil expresses that it has been an exciting journey and that it just keeps on growing and mutating. He reflects on his own journey and how he was heavily into the San Francisco acid rock sound of the 60s when he left San Francisco in 1969. When he arrived in Goa in 1970, he had his guitar and wrote and sang spiritual songs which he would play on the beach by the fire. He then started DJing all night on the beach after the flea market each week and had bands like The Anjuna Jam Band and The Big Dipper Band.
In the mid-seventies, Gil DJed any kind of music but tried to use the music to make a story from first song to last song. In the end of the seventies, some of the first "new wave" music with synths and drum machines, like Kraftwerk, started to filter in, but it was in the early eighties when it really started to happen with the new music. He and his friends started to collect as much of that kind of synthesizer-drum machine music as they could and went crazy for that sound. They collected from Hi NRG, future dance, also stuff like Depeche Mode, New Order, etc., anything that had some good synth & drum machine parts, but they would cut out the singing, take the good parts, and put the tracks back together repeating the different instrumental parts in different sequences to make their own instrumental "Goa" mix that would fit for their party concept and what they were trying to say and do with the music.
When asked about the whole vibe, the transcendental experience, Gil states that it is probably all how you look at it. Everyone seems to have a different motivation and concept according to their understanding and programming. For some, it can be a spiritual experience, for others they just want to have fun. For Gil, it is the old time religion. Since the beginning of time mankind has used music and dance to commune with the Spirit of Nature and the Spirit of the Universe. He uses Trance music and the Trance Dance Experience to set off a chain reaction in consciousness. This is what he calls "Redefining the Ancient Tribal Ritual for the 21st Century".
In conclusion, Goa Gil is a true pioneer in the world of electronic music and trance dance experience. He has dedicated his life to raising awareness through music, using it as a medium to convey his spiritual beliefs. He and his companions have shaped the spirit of the modern rave in the continuity of the hippy movements, and their model has been an inspiration for many worldwide festivals and events. He continues to influence the scene with his unique approach to music and spirituality, earning him the title of the father of trance dance experience.
