Mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल, lit, circle) – a spiritual and ritual symbol representing the universe, the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe, gateway to your inner being, or soul.
Hap Mandala is the fruition of efforts by artist/songwriter/entrepreneur Dan Humphries. Born and raised in the Albertan foothills of the Rocky Mountains outside Calgary, later moved on to Vancouver, Nelson/West Kootenays, and most recently Vancouver Island.
Hap’s Musical History
A solo vocal performance debut, standing on a chair, before an audience one thousand strong, Easter Sunday church presentation, three years old.
- The King Is Coming Dano, age 3
“The Market place is empty
No more traffic in the streets
All the builders tools are silent
No more time to harvest wheat
Busy housewives cease their labors
in the courtroom no debate
Work on earth has been suspended
As the King comes through the gate…”
Songwriting began in high school, and soon after a spontaneous grand prize win at ‘Molson’s Vocal Wars’ in Calgary sprouted some singing positions in a few cover bands which later included first experiences in touring and recording.
AGONY PIPE – ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY JONATHON CURLE
The first original project was ‘Agony Pipe’ (1991-1995) with Jeff Drummond, Brent Gough, and Brian Evans out of Calgary, Alberta. There were three albums released: ‘Lost In the Briars’, ‘Experience Machine’, and ‘A Real Brew Ha-Ha’. Agony Pipe played many shows and festivals, toured western Canada, and charted three songs on University and commercial rock radio.
THE HEATHERS, SHAMBHALA, 2001
In 2000 ‘The Heathers’ were formed in Nelson, BC with Paddy Duddy, Mike Hodsall (both of BC/DC and DOA), and Steve ‘Sully’ Sullivan. This crew performed throughout the Kootenays, lower Vancouver mainland, and Alberta, including a hazy Shambhala Music Festival appearance. The project disbanded around 2002.
“Creativity is channeled through us, we hold on to pieces and let others go, feeling and interpreting what passes and remains.”
The first solo album, ‘Road To The Bottom of the Barrel’, was recorded in 2002 under the moniker ‘Happy Trails’. Shortly after its release Dan decided on Hap Mandala as more of a suitable signature. Hap Mandala began as a personal musical outlet in 2003 out of Nelson, BC, and continues to this day.
