How are AJNA's Songs Written?
Bio of Ross Carlson

Song Lyrics in Sanskrit - Les's Musical Odyssey

Leslie Lloyd Martinez was born 9-19-41 in Denver, Colorado under the sign of Virgo with Leo rising frequently in the year of the snake. Analysis of his astrological chart was undertaken by noted astrologer Neil Mickelson as part of a special study of rare individuals born under a Grand Trine, Hot Stuff astrologically speaking! Les was destined to accomplish great and wonderful deeds.

I am not saying he was naughty as a child, but his mother was heard saying, quite often, that he was the cause of W.W.II. When he was one year old his family moved from Superior, CO., a mining town population 100 to another mining town Lafayette, CO., population 1,500 located 12 miles east of Boulder and at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Behind their home were open fields where Les could roam freely beneath a majestic view of the Rockies. This experience strongly influenced his unrestricted free thinking some times wildly imaginative outlook on life. His world has no boundaries.

As a child Les heard the Music of the Spheres when he was very quiet. Until he was able to speak and ask questions, he thought everyone could hear their own inner cosmic radio station. His parents loved music and played the radio or records. Most of the time they listened to pop, Jazz and classical music. They loved to dance and took him and his two sisters with them to parties where he was exposed to live Latin music and Eastern and Western European World Music; Waltzes, Polkas and Gypsy influenced music. His grandparents listened to both Spanish and English radio stations and records. As a child, ages 4-8, he and his sisters would sing and dance to Mexican music in costumes to entertain wounded members of the armed forces and disabled veterans. At age 8 he started playing the trumpet.

When he was 10 years old Les persuaded a 16 year old named Ted to give him his guitar. Ted left the guitar at Les' grandmother's house for two weeks. Ted had taken lessons for two years when he heard Les playing his guitar he said "You play this better than I do, Les. Have you taken lessons?". Les said no, but I have played trumpet for two years. After Les "quick talked" Ted into giving him the guitar, he received one lesson from his great uncle John Salaz. He learned how to hold, tune and take care of the guitar. His uncle John said "you live too faraway for me to give you any more lessons, so listen to the radio and your records and play what you like. You can figure it out." So from age 10-14 Les listened and played Pop, R&B and other songs he liked-as well as the original songs and music lyrics he heard in his mind.

Les would trade songs with his friend Tony Chaves and they would play together and sing. Les was given a Yoga book at age 12. This was his first exposure to Sanskrit and the wisdom of the Vedic Philosophy, as well as Hatha Yoga. At age 14 Les and Tony decided to take classical lessons. They would hitchhike to Boulder for lessons together. After 24 lessons they quit and started playing R&B, Rock and Roll, and composed their own original songs, along with the music lyrics.

When Les was 17 he left Lafayette to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder. Les studied Political Science, Psychology and the Naval Science classes required by his UNSR scholarship. He continued playing R&B, rock, and folk, as well as his own original songs. He was often quoted as saying "playing music is the most important thing in my life. It's so much fun and a great way to meet beautiful women."

At age 20 Les graduated with his BA and was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy. Six weeks later he met his ship the USS Manfield DD 728 in Hong Kong with his guitar in one hand and his suitcase in the other. Among his other duties Les was assigned as officer in charge of the ships nonexistent Rock band. He formed a band and played at exclusive parties for the ships' "Top Brass" in the US and Japanese navies as well as various clubs in Japan.

Les's ship would go out to sea for 30 days at a time. As fate would have it, this Colorado Mountain Man turned out to be chronically sea sick. Eventually the problem caused him to be put ashore at Subic Bay, Philippines. Where luck would have it, Les was assigned shore duty running the Bachelor Officers' Club and quarters. He quickly obtained permission to install slot machines. The slots earned so much money he could afford to hire many top US rock and jazz groups to play in the club. There he was exposed to many excellent musicians and the best current music. Les continued to compose original songs, write the music lyrics and perform them while in the Philippines. He also traveled extensively in Asia during his tour there. He went to India, Thailand, Japan and all over the Philippines exploring music and culture.

After two years Les ended his illustrious naval tour and returned to obtain his Master's degree in public administration from CU(Colorodo University), Boulder. He continued to write and record his original music with music students who lived in the Cheyenne Arapaho dormitory (formerly Nicholas Hall) where he was the head resident overseeing 400 male students. He assessed all of them a $10 recreation fee when they moved in. They didn't realize he made up the fee. With the $4,000 he was able to set up parties every Friday with a live band. For $1/person the boys and their dates had free beer, snacks and live music all year.

Les tied for first place in a song writing and music lyrics contest in Colorado with John Denver year 1966. He "blew off" the chance to share an album with John because he was negotiating a recording contract with Capitol Records. Les said "Let him have it all. With a name like that he will never make it." Les's Capitol Record contract never materialized.

He moved to San Francisco during the "Summer of Love" in June of 1968. He continued to write, record and play music with various groups exploring the frontier of Rock. There he continued to explore yoga and meditation as well. In S.F. he attended concerts with great rock, jazz, folk, R&B and East Indian musical groups. There he developed very eclectic musical tastes; all of which influenced his own writing of music lyrics and song composition. Les traveled to Europe in 1968-69. He visited all the countries of Western Europe. Everywhere he went he attended concerts and explored World Music.

Les returned to Colorado in 1970, this time Denver, where he explored flamenco music, rock, folk and Sanskrit music with devotees of Swami Sathchidananda. In 1971 he received a fellowship which helped him to complete his Ph.D. at the (USC)University of Southern California in Public Administration/Business Management specializing in Decision Making which he later taught at the Master's level at (SDSU)San Diego State University.

In 1972 Les moved to San Diego where he tied for top honors in a song writing contest with Dennis Bales of the rock group 'LIsten'. Les and Dennis co-authored over 300 songs and music lyrics-many of which were recorded and played by 'Listen' in night clubs throughout California, Arizona and Nevada.

During this time Les continued to study vedic philosophy, yoga, meditation and Eastern music. He began to write music lyrics and songs in Sanskrit while he continued to write music lyrics in English and Spanish. Les grew more and more interested in vedic philosophy and spent months meditating and playing music in the mountains of California. He completed the TM(Transcendental Meditation) Siddhis Program and still practices the yoga sutras of Patangali.

'Listen' got an audition with Warner Curb Records because of the song and music lyrics of "Our last goodbye", co-authored by Dennis and Les in 1976. 'Listen' was offered a 5 album contract if they could write 6 more fast rock songs of the same quality. Dennis and Les wrote the songs in 2 weeks. Dennis moved to LA first. The band didn't want to move. 'Listen' lost the Warner Curb contract but Dennis and Les got a song writing and music lyrics contract with Screen Gems Publications.

Les traveled to Europe again in 1978 and 1986. He roamed from Norway and Sweden to Southern Europe. Where ever he went he explored the popular music and the music of the greatest Western musical composers. He made a pilgrimage of visiting their homes and music.

In 1991 Les began leading satsangs with (AOL) The Art of Living Foundation, singing, playing songs and writing music lyrcs in Sanskrit. He composed songs, wrote music lyrics and recorded solo projects in Sanskrit, English and Spanish. He has continued to do this since 1991.

Ross Carlson and Les began co-writing songs with the music lyrics in Sanskrit in 2005. Skrit Music and AJNA were born. In the summer of 2006 they began recording "Dance with the Universe" produced by Allen Phillips and was completed in May 2007.

AJNA has presently composed enough songs and written the music song for 2 more CD's. The journey continues, stay tuned.