Meet our 2021 Spring Sahavas Guests

Ursula Reinhart
was born in Germany and raised in post war Germany.  She left in her twenties to go "on the road" with her American husband, Mik Hamilton, and traveled in Asia for three years. Their journeying culminated with meeting Meher Baba on March 7, 1966.  She then went to the U.S., and lived in Santa Barbara until going back on the road with Mik and Robert Dreyfuss.  Ursula has had a variety of careers, including drug counselor, travel agent and private detective.  She has worked for the last 20 years providing doctors and psychiatrists to the prison system. She lives in Walnut Creek and has a son, Eric Van Buskirk.
 
Ursula’s story of meeting Meher Baba, including the events leading up to the meeting and the aftermath, is one of the great stories of the Advent.  If you haven’t heard it before … don’t miss it.  If you’ve heard it before, you’ll want to hear it again. 

Jamie R. Newell, Ph.D., MTS
Since his teen age years, James has been a vocalist, entertainer, and songwriter with interests in jazz, blues, folk, and world music.  James quit high school at age fifteen and began playing drums for internationally known cabaret singer, Helen Schneider.  James soon found himself touring college campuses in "packaged" blues shows featuring such artists as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Mose Allison, John Hammond, Jr., Robert "Jr." Lockwood and John Mayall. His affiliation with a former Muddy Waters guitarist ultimately led to more work as a drummer with a variety of blues greats including John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Jr. Wells, Big Joe Turner, and others. 

In 2007, he earned a Ph.D. in History and Critical Theories of Religion from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a master’s degree in pastoral counseling and theology from Vanderbilt University Divinity School.

James is the director of the Depth Psychology Alliance.  In addition to offering private counseling and coaching, James teaches online courses in Jungian psychology and religious studies.

During the summer of 2001, James was artist in residence at the Meherabad Performing Arts Center in Ahmednagar, India where he put on a series of multi-cultural concerts that included musicians from around the world.

James' most recent recorded effort is The Songs of Hafiz. With this CD Newell has broken new artistic ground by setting to music the poetry of 14th century Persian Sufi poet Hafiz of Shiraz. James has taken the classic images of Persian ghazal poetry and set them to an eclectic blend of world, folk and blues melodies.

Mark Trichka and Lisa Brande
Husband and wife Mark and Lisa have been full time professional performers for over 30 years, and lovers of Meher Baba for longer than that.

Mark first journeyed to India in 1982, playing his mandolin for Mehera and the Mandali, where Mani dubbed him Mandolin Walla. His CD of the same name was released in 2008, and included his heartfelt vocal compositions composed to his Beloved as well as mandolin instrumentals. Mark is also an accomplished guitarist and singer.

Lisa soon made the journey to India after marrying Mark in 1989, and has performed by his side ever since, on fiddle, guitar and vocals. They have released several Baba music CD’s with many originals, (most recently “Anything Is Possible” in 2016, and a new one is in the works), and have played all over the world together including India, Avatars Abode birthday celebration in Australia, and at many Sahavas programs over the years.

Mark and Lisa have a long history of performing with Jamie Newell going back to recording Jamie’s “Window To God” album together 24 years ago, and playing many Sahavas together. Lisa and Mark back Jamie up on fiddle and mandolin on Jamie’s sets, and Jamie backs up Lisa and Mark on drums on their sets of music. A rousing time in Baba’s Love is had by all!