I want to perform in India: Stanfield

Grammy winning songwriter Jana Stanfield, who was in India last week to do an Art of Living course, is now looking for a reason to return to the country.

Grammy winning songwriter Jana Stanfield is one of the latest fans of Indian spirituality and says she wants to bring her brand of music and motivational speaking to the country.

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Stanfield, who was in India last week to do an Art of Living course, is now looking for a reason to return to the country, which according to her is a "land of colours and spirituality".

"I love to do a show in India," Stanfield told IANS on the sidelines of an international women's conference organised by Art of Living here, 25 km from Bangalore.

"But I really do not know how I can organise it. I am exploring ways to return here," said the 46-year-old performer whose songs have been recorded by top US country singers like Reba McEntire, Suzy Bogguss and Andy Williams.

A television reporter-turned-musician, Stanfield has also had her music featured on hit TV shows like "20/20", "Entertainment Tonight" and "Oprah" and radio stations in the US. She has also shared stages with performers like Kenny Loggins and The Dixie Chicks.

Known as "The Queen of Heavy Mental," Stanfield describes her music as "psychotherapy you can dance to". With her soaring vocals and acoustic arrangements, she said she is a "missionary to motivate people" who uses music to give people a "faith lift".

Stanfield was drawn to the meditation-based lifestyle of the Art of Living only a few months ago.

"I met an Indian woman named Sherly Harmison eight months ago at an international women's conference. She was the one who made it possible for me to come to this course. I am so grateful to her," she said.

Her experiences at Udaipuram, she said, moved her so deeply that they made her cry even when she talked about them.

Stanfield, who stirred the almost 500 women in the conference hall here with her humour-laced inspirational songs, said: "I love India for the colours it has.

"I have brought some new colourful dresses for my friends, so that they will no longer be boring," she said, amidst loud applause.

Stanfield, who scorned the "ethnocentric" attitude of her fellow Americans, went to the extent of apologising to delegates of Muslim countries at the conference "for the things that my country does that hurt the people of your country".

Stanfield, who was inspired by musicians like Joni Mitchell and David Wilcox, has not heard much of Indian music.

"But I love the music of US-based Indian singer Tom Prasada Rao," she said.

Stanfield said she was gearing up to launch a new programme called "Women helping women helping the world" to unite women across the US to change the world.

"But right now, I only have the name for the programme," she said with a hearty laugh.