What he has been holding
Vasudev is originally from Oslo, Norway. His search for truth led him through more than twenty years of meditation and spiritual practice — studying with gurus, teachers and shamans across the Indian Himalayas, the Brazilian jungles, and the rooms of his own hometown. Since 1987 he has been singing mantras as devotional practice; the name Vasudev was given by Swami Shyam in India over thirty years ago. The honorific Baba came later, from the Bali community that has been sitting with him — affection finding its own form rather than a title sought.
The work he holds publicly is kirtan — the singing of the Divine Names in the bhakti lineage. His repertoire was gathered in India, at Rainbow Gatherings, and through unscheduled meetings with beautiful people around the world. He has published two songbooks for those who want to learn the form: Mantras for Bhajan and Songs from the Heart.
What distinguishes him among kirtan-wallahs is the bridging into Buddhist silence. Two to three times a year, the largest Buddhist temple on Bali — Brahma Vihara Arama in Banjar Tegeha, north of the island — invites Vasudev and Prof Jem Bendell to gather friends for a long weekend of meditative silence, spiritual singing, nature hiking, holy hot springs, and collective satsang. Few bhakti singers move into Buddhist meditation hold; he does, and the temple keeps inviting him back. The practice has been continuous since 2020.