KoMbo:Beyond Cultural Identity

With my thesis „Communicating Cultural Identity“ (1992-94) at the Institute of Science of Communications I encountered limitations. My perception of closed doors, towards the true origin and history of our humanness, kept nudging within me. Humans still allow to become seduced, in the power-game, which is abusing the term „cultural identity“ and is absorbing humans in the separation against each other. Beyond separation, we are Travelmates from the beginning, even Cellmates. To awaken means to become aware of one’s own creative force, multidimensional nature of Humanness and to recognize separation as an illusion.

Back then I calmed myself with the thoughts that the human identity and its dynamics would be better communicated in form of a story. My human mind searched for an acceptable solution for my self – without a result. I let go and decided to stop theoretising the cultural identity, and instead living it now. I finally became a mother of three boys. The fathers, with different nationalities: austrian – capeverdian – nigerian. Together with my sons and their fathers our Kombo-family was created and
grew naturally, here in Vorarlberg.

The question „who am I?“ got me to search in interdisciplinary scientific work. The answers have found me in my embodiment, in my experiences, “trusting in myself”, sinking deeper into Life. My scientific engagement with „Cultural Identity”, simply embodied as “KoMbo” living within me.

…at the end of my day at university I heard from a friend, a musician: „I give up, there are no Kombo players, I’ll play alone again“. “Kombo” is originally from the music of the 50s: “The Combos can be understood as germ cells of new ideas, as the musicians are entitled to the greatest possible freedom.” (Wikipedia.org). The essential thing is that they play together, improvising in their bond and joy of making music together without competing… from heart to heart.

…Africa plays a special part. At the end of the 80s I lived in Cape Town. I experienced how a politically organized racial separation was possible and I began to understand the propagandistic role and meaning of the media. In interviews with so-called „foreign Austrians“, I collected empirical material for my thesis. By traveling on the African continent I learned about a total other way of Life: I visited places related to the beginning of our human journey, I remembered and felt home. I came back to Vorarlberg in 1995 with the intention of finding peace with my family and then returning to my beloved Africa. And it came differently than what I initially thought: I embarked on my inner journey to find peace within myself and not in another place. In accepting my own suffering, I opened myself to the healing field of grace and clarification of my ancestral lineage.

I became a mother and then in February 1998, already separated from the father of my first son, my school friend Michael volunteered. He gave me a CD of “Cesaria Evora” for my birthday. The music of this Cape Verdean singer touched me deeply. After a stay in Crete and a “galactic” encounter, I flew with my son to Mindelo on Sao Vicente in October 1998. I didn‘t know anyone in Cape Verde, couldn‘t speak Portuguese and was shocked by the drought on this volcanic island …

just got back from her World Tour and I saw her live. A special welcome to Mindelo, so I felt. Which followed with years challenging at different levels, especially for my human heart…

At the end of 1999 I saw BAU playing with other musicians in Rua Lisboa. Bau, the bandleader on the world tour of Cesaria, had not shown himself to be a master when he played with the young musicians. I felt: the Kombo is alive – here in Cape Verde and so it triggered my soul memory…

Back in Vorarlberg the years of my conscious spiritual work and the fulfillment of a soul agreement with Maria Krimhilde Gmeiner, a pioneer of the pioneers and others, to energetically prepare a way for a collective ascension. This became a time of my greatest – inner – “adventure”. When my second son played football in a team, the Kombo came alive in me. Inspired by the football team, I communicated my passion for togetherness in a Kombo. Not long after I realized that the Kombo must first of all play from within myself: first in me, then together with others. Inviting the players within me to become players by heart, the good and the bad, the light and the dark. That demanded everything from me and from our family life, to say the least. It has succeeded: there is a new biological pathway for a new consciousness; a new energy structure for the body in order to be cosmic, multidimensional energeticly fluent…

After 13 years, in July 2014, we traveled back to Mindelo; perceptibly accompanied by the deceased father of my second son, who was noticeably present for me all of these years. Heart Soul Pain released, we experienced “Gifts of Wonder”. And I listened to BAU playing at the summer jazz … and we encountered Wole from Nigeria – for him it was the last day in Mindelo. Later it turned out that we are KoMbo-companions and on February 9, 2015 we received and translated via Skype together the KoMbo energies in

„a new coming together, beyond separation, in genuine heart-connection“
„ein neues mit ein ander, jenseits von Trennung, in echter Herzens-Verbindung“

and at The Lake of Constance, together with Ramona, in January 2016, we blessed the roots of KoMbo in this dimension. We encouraged our willingness to weave and grow the KoMbo herein our daily lives. Ramona had long been familiar with the pioneering spirit of Maria Krimhilde and together we learned that we are truly “grace notes” for one another. In her work, in her demanding special Art, Maria Krimhilde was a master teacher in embodying. She supported me to stay and persevere on my inner journey. I am grateful to her. In December 2012, she released her body and thick snowflakes fell from heaven. The KoMbo has grown through her feminine power and in her compassion as a pioneer and in our soul agreement. The three of us were born with surname Gmeiner and grew up in Vorarlberg, without relatives in the family of origin.

Through a constant lifting of my vibration, my uncompromising permission, „Kombo potentials“ could and will land. It’s a landing together. In this moment of time I love to joyfully thank to all co-players in front of the veil and behind the veil. Captains in resonance, sovereign with one another, experience it like a “Harbor to dock” – in this dimension.

and BAU and band from Mindelo came to Dornbirn in September 2017 – a big surprise for me and such a beautiful concert. I could tell him that he triggered my soul-passion in my consciousness – with his „maneira de coracao“ (Art of heart) – a real KoMbo player – and this band has a german teammate on drums … spontaneously I said to him: “you have to be special to play with them“ – he replied joyfully: „they let me play with them“ and I said: „yes, exactly, that’s what I meant“.

Inside, I felt it as an integration: “now Cape Verde is coming to me”… “a weaving herein and collecting KoMbo-threads into the immediate presence of our collective heart.”