Laraaji

Laraaji, born Edward Larry Gordon in 1943, emerged from Philadelphia as an unlikely prophet of ambient music, transforming the zither and mbira into vehicles for transcendence. After studying violin and composition at Howard University, he drifted through comedy and electronic experimentation before a chance 1978 encounter with Brian Eno in Washington Square Park led to Ambient 3: Day of Radiance (1980), the sole entry in Eno's ambient series to feature another artist. His cascading, reverb-drenched zither work merged minimalism with the ecstatic repetition of devotional music, influenced by his practice of Laughter Meditation and studies in mysticism.

Laraaji's prolific output includes Celestial Vibration (1978) and collaborations with figures like Sun Araw and Blues Control. His sound, shimmering and relentlessly optimistic, anticipated New Age music while maintaining artistic rigour that separated him from commercial imitators. Rediscovered by younger generations through reissues and festival appearances, he represents an alternate lineage of American experimentalism, one rooted in spiritual inquiry rather than academic abstraction. His work remains a curiosity: joyful music taken seriously.