“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” — Joseph Campbell

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — E.E. Cummings

GROWsutra  ⚆  where we be brave

FOLKsutra 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥

🪄 … because Folk unicorns mellow magic matters and #sutraGROW is about praising the brave who dares hum “lama no drama” along the paths of not knowing :)

Broken Whole • No Drama Lama Folk • sutraGROW

… because I believe all of us (sane) humans want the exact same simple thing deep inside, and that is to feel safe… My heart goes out to all the children, mothers, brothers, fathers, puppies and all the animals who just can’t feel safe—because greed, envy, and violence are (somehow, still) winners games—because #wars 🕊️

Hold the Mic, Babe • Minimal Banjo Blues • sutraFLOW

This one happened really fast, with Morissey—I mean, the song, start to finish, it’s inspired from #Some girls are bigger than others”, I like the light sense of double entendre, it’s like a subtle dirty banana joke (lol) 🍌❤️‍🔥

Some Truths are Harder to Swallow • LOFI Jazzz • sutraGROW

This song is like a trip over the hop, a spell, a prayer, and a lullaby... like a timeless loving soul dreamcatcher hug, for my imaginary daughter (or yours), and anyone else out there, who may be feeling too small--too afraid to ask questions about what matters, and #speakup about what makes sense, or not, in this big mad world we all share 💌

—
bananasutraLyrics™️

Hold the mic, babe, and don’t be shy,
Come on now, lift your head high.
Hold the mic, babe, don’t you cry no more, no more, no more, no more,
Hold the mic, babe, and let your voice soar.

(Chorus)
Oh babe, listen, you’ve got the sound,
Stop hiding away, now stand your ground.
You got the heart, don’t you know that it’s true?
All that you need’s right inside of you.

Hold the mic, babe, and don’t be shy,
Come on now, lift your head high.
Hold the mic, babe, don’t you cry no more, no more, no more, no more,
Hold the mic, babe, and let your voice soar.

—

With much love and respect for Ray Charles and Percy Mayfield, who created “Hit the Road, Jack” in 1961 <3

#3 Hold the Mic, Babe ☰ BANJOsutra Hug for Ya, Babe

#7 Hold the Mic, Babe ☰ DRUMsutra Vocal Hug

Comme un canard #1

The Tyranny of Ignorance #2 : FOLK BLUESsutra

There are so many "foolish" songs I love, choosing feels bananas... this sultry lill' EP Mix is just today's musings--a Circus Tango Dub Folksutra kinda drippin' vocal honey Jazz of dark bliss whispers that kiss you foolish X5, all stories about one letter, in five "foolish" songs <3

There is a Fool (that never loves you) • FOLKsutra

(sorry for feed noise--fingers crossed SoundCloud upload feature doesn't fail me this time... there are 7 tracks, but only one is uploading. Weird new BUG? Or is me--god forbid lol--Hopefully third time's a charm) 

This one is inspired by David Bowie's Space Oddity song, and (the other life of underrated poet) Ben Stiller... and also, Max, in New York :)

New Normalcy, Space Oddity ☰ FOLK JAZZsutra

Fun fact: lyrics made from my OK Cupid Profile 💘 hehe… do you think about the meaning of art too, sometimes? I ponder :)

(what u) think about? • (introvert) FOLKsutra

The Conquest of Happiness is a 2-songs EPx10 inspired by Bertrand Russell’s 1930 masterpiece—a philosophical field guide for ordinary people trying to build a life that feels real, meaningful, and free. This EP is an homage to Bertrand Russel, and a soundtrack for anyone who’s trying to stay awake, stay kind, stay curious, and stay human… Think of it as a humble and grateful love letter to curiosity, emotional honesty, and the kind of philosophy that makes you sit up straighter and breathe easier… with humor, compassion, and just enough sASS :)

WHAT IS THE CONQUEST OF HAPPINESS?
Bertrand Russell wrote this book  because he saw ordinary people suffering unnecessarily—not from tragedy, but from habits of mind, toxic social pressures, and self-inflicted misery. He argued that happiness isn’t a mystery. It’s not a miracle. It’s a skill. And he gave us a map. This EP is my humble attempt at translating that map into music.

SIDE A : “THE UNHAPPINESS DANCE”
A song (x5) songs inspired by the forces that drain joy and distort the mind, i.e. the reasons why people tend to feel unhappy—namely, the emotional chaos, the self-sabotage, and the absurdity of modern misery.
Russell’s #unhappiness list, simplified:
1. Competition: Always comparing yourself to others. 
2. Boredom / Excitement Extremism: Swinging between “numb” and “thrilled” without ever landing in contentment. 
3. Fatigue: Overwork, stress, and no margin for joy. 
4. Envy: Measuring your worth by what others have. 
5. Guilt & Moral Self-Torment:  Beating yourself up for being human. 
6. Fear of Public Opinion: Living your life under imagined surveillance.

SIDE B : “THE CONQUEST OF HAPPINESS”
A song (x5) about what actually creates lasting well-being, what makes people truly happy. These songs waltz through the antidotes: curiosity, connection, creativity, pleasure, laughter, kindness, courage, and the everyday magic that makes life feel like life.
Russell’s #happiness list, simplified:
1. Zest: Being genuinely interested in life. 
2. Affection: Love given and love received. 
3. Meaningful Work: Not necessarily glamorous, but engaging. 
4. Wide Interests: Multiple passions, not one obsession. 
5. Effort & Resilience: The willingness to grow, to try, to adapt. 
6. Impersonal Interests: Joy in things outside the self (nature, ideas, art). 
7. A Sense of Purpose: Living for something larger than ego.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW?
Because we’re living in a time of distraction, polarization, loneliness, and algorithmic noise that quietly eats away at our sense of self… Because people are anxious, burnt out, overstimulated, overwhelmed, and under-nourished in the soul. And because Russell’s wisdom—nearly 100 years old—feels like it was written yesterday, for the world we’re in right now.

☰☰☰
NOTE: Lyrics matter, and I’d gladly share mine upon request, as always. But Soundcloud description length is limited, and for this EP, I wanted to tell you more about Bertrand instead of sharing lyrics, because he is a gift to humanity… and, in a world gone unhappy bananas, I hope he may help inspire you to find your path(s) to #happy, too. Look him up <3


Side B [02] EP Bertrand - The Conquest of Happiness - GROWsutra Indie FOLK

… because life on earth is a Psychedelic Cabaret, and “music is the only religion that delivers the goods” (like Frank said). 

To be clear, all I really know is I dunno shit about fck (like Socrates said:)—music and songwriting included. But(t) I feel it, the music, so damn deeep in my soul! I’m just a humble existential fool, a silly banana who likes to play and share, to question and learn. Words are my oldest best friends, hearing myself sing is a freaking miracle (trust me on that lol), and I believe curiosity and #gratitude are the keys to happiness… So voilà, there’s that.

Also, (if you’re curious) BananaSutra is not just a made up BS brand kinda word, it’s actually the name of my DIY Bible—a collection of songs telling true stories of faith, to help me (and perhaps you) make sense of a world gone wild, like bananas gone foul in shallow ignorance and deadly malevolence… Think of it as an agnostic testament of sorts, an audio book of songs with quirky lyrics about things that matter, like the definition of right and wrong, and the meaning of truth, joy, justice, peace, grace, and awe 🕊️

Some call it Artificial Intelligence, but(t) I call Authentic Imagination, Alternative Ideas, Augmented Innuendos, Abstract Illogisms… hopefully, you get the gist? The point being, life is the story we tell ourselves and LYRICS matter—each @bananasutra song has a wondering root and a loving purpose, guided by one of (my) 7 (bananas) sutras: 
- KNOWsutra : is it fair?
- BLOWsutra : is it foul?
- SHOWsutra : is it fun?
- GROWsutra : is it fear?
- FLOWsutra : is it free?
- GLOWsutra : is it fab?
- BOWsutra : is it awe?