From 1972 to 1973, Hagen enrolled in the crash-course performance program at The Central Studio for Light Music in East Berlin. Upon graduation, she joined the band Automobil (picture), which released a well-received album in Germany, including her first hit "Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen" in 1974.
After a concert for a West German labour union in 1976 her stepfather, Wolf Biermann, was forbidden to return to the GDR. Because of their protests against it her mother, Eva-Maria Hagen and Nina were thrown out of GDR in 1977, and followed Biermann to his hometown Hamburg.
Nina subsequently met West-Berlin photographer Jim Rakete (who also produced some bands he shot the cover-photos for - like "Nena" some years later). He brought Nina together with the politically left-wing band "Lokomotive Kreuzberg" (later known as "Spliff"): thus the "Nina Hagen Band" was born.
In 1978 The Nina Hagen Band released their self-titled debut album, which included titles like "TV-Glotzer" (a cover of "White Punks on Dope" by The Tubes) and "Auf'm Bahnhof Zoo".
According to reviewer Fritz Rumler, she thrusts herself into the music, aggressively, directly, furiously, roars in the most beautiful operatic alto, then, through shrieks and squeals, precipitates herself into luminous soprano heights... she parodies, satirises, and howls on stage like a dervish.
Nina Hagen's eccentricity led to big disputes in the band and during a subsequent European tour Hagen decided to leave the band, though she was still under contract to produce a second album in 1979. This LP, Unbehagen (in addition to the obvious pun on her name, in German this also means 'discomfort' or 'unease'), was eventually produced with the band recording their tracks in Berlin and Hagen recording the vocals in Los Angeles, California. It included the single "African Reggae"/"Wir leben immer... noch" (a cover of Lene Lovich's "Lucky Number"). The headless Nina Hagen Band soon developed a successful independent musical career as Spliff.
Meanwhile, Hagen's public persona was steadily creating an increasing media uproar and she became infamous for an appearance on an Austrian talk show called Club 2, in which she performed an explicit simulation of masturbation. She also acted with Dutch sex-drugs-and-rock-'n'-roll legend Herman Brood in the movie Cha Cha, along with Lene Lovich and various Dutch bands.
An European tour with a new band in 1980 was cancelled, she had a love affair with a 16 year old punk from Amsterdam called Noddy (www.noddyriot.co.uk) and sang a RHCP rapduet with him at the OneWorldPoetry festival at the MilkyWay and lived with him in New York and in the Bahamas.
In 1982 her first solo album NunSexMonkRock, a dissonant mix of punk, funk and opera, was a minor hit, and led to a world tour with the No Problem Orchestra.
In 1983 came the album Angstlos and a minor European tour. By this time, Hagen's public appearances were becoming even stranger; over the years they frequently included discussions of God, UFOs, her social and political beliefs, animal rights / vivisection and claims of alien sightings. The English version of Angstlos, 'Fearless', generated two major club hits in America , "Zarah" and the disco/punk/opera classic, "New York New York".
1985's 'Nina Hagen In Ekstasy' fared less well, but it did generate club hits with "Universal Radio" and a cover of "Spirit In The Sky", and it also featured her hardcore punk take on Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which had been one of her signature live tunes in previous years. Her contract with CBS over, she released the Punk Wedding EP independently in 1987, a celebration of her marriage to an 18-year old punk. It followed an independent 1986 one-off single with Lene Lovich, the anthemic "Don't Kill The Animals".
In 1989 Hagen released the album Nina Hagen which was backed up by another German tour. Now living in Paris with her daughter Cosma Shiva, in 1991 she toured Europe in support of her new album Street.
In 1992 Hagen became the host of a TV show on RTLplus. The following year she released Revolution Ballroom and two years later the German-language album Freud Euch appeared, recorded in English as Beehappy in 1996. Also in 1996, Hagen collaborated with electronic music composer Christopher Franke on "Alchemy of Love", the theme song for the Tenchi Universe movie Tenchi Muyo! in Love.
In 1998, Hagen became the host of a weekly science fiction show on the British Sci-Fi-Channel, in addition to embarking on another tour of Germany. In 1999, she released the devotional album Om Namah Shivay, which was distributed exclusively online. She also sang "Witness" on KMFDM's Adios.
Nina has a strong interest in various religions, but that is mainly driven by her urge to build a better world and her own colorful freedom within it.
In 2000, her song Schön ist die Welt became the official song of Expo 2000. The album The Return of the Mother was released in February 2001, accompanied by another German tour.
Hagen dubbed the voice of Sally in the German release of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and she also did some voice work in Hot Dogs by Michael Schoemann.
Hagen has been featured on many songs by other bands, for instance Oomph!'s song Fieber, a cover of Rammstein's "Seemann" with Apocalyptica and in 2008 appeared readily on psy-trance act S.U.N. Project's X Black Album, most notably on the fully vocal track We're In Space. She also sang the song "Garota de Berlim" with Brazilian singer Supla in her early years.
Her two children are Cosma Shiva and Otis.
URLs:
BEST archive for Nina Hagen pictures and stuff (regrettably just in German), incl. very old GDR pics like a beautiful one at the age of 18 and one shot by the "Stasi" (together with her stepfather Wolf Biermann - wiki)
Hara Hara Amarnatha Gange
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
armanatha gange
hara hara omarnatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi amarnatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi gautami gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
hara hara mahadeva shambo
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
kashi amarnatha gange
kashi amarnatha gange
gautami ganga hara hara
narmade hara hara
jata shankare hara hara
parvati pate hara hara
bom bom hara hara
bom bom hara hara
bom bom hara hara
bom bom hara hara
armanathe gange
kashi vishvanatha gange
The lyrics to Nina Hagen's song Hara Hara Amarnatha Gange are a tribute to the sacred river Ganges and the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kashi Vishvanatha in the city of Varanasi, India. The repeated refrain of Hara Hara, which means "great God," is an invocation to Lord Shiva, one of the chief deities in Hinduism. The verses interweave the names of various holy rivers and places associated with Lord Shiva, including Amarnath Cave and the Gautami Ganga River. The song is a celebration of the power and beauty of the natural world, as well as an expression of spiritual devotion.
The song is notable for its fusion of Hindu and Western musical elements, blending traditional Indian instruments like the sitar and tabla with electronic beats and Hagen's signature punk-inspired vocals. The accompanying music video features striking visuals inspired by Indian mythology and culture, including scenes of Hagen dancing among temple ruins and wearing ornate traditional clothing.
Line by Line Meaning
Hara Hara
An exclamation of praise or reverence
armanatha gange
Refers to Amarnath Cave, a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Jammu and Kashmir
hara hara omarnatha gange
Continuing the previous line, expressing praise to Amarnath Cave
kashi vishvanatha gange
Refers to a temple located in the holy city of Varanasi which is dedicated to Lord Shiva
kashi amarnatha gange
Refers to the flow of water from Amarnath Cave in Varanasi, which is believed to purify the soul
hara hara gautami gange
Refers to the river Godavari, also known as Gautami Ganga, and expressing a similar reverence towards its purity
kashi gautami gange
Referring again to the flow of water from Gautami Ganga in Varanasi
hara hara mahadeva shambo
Expressing praise towards Lord Shiva, also known as Mahadeva, with the term 'Shambo' being a Sanskrit word for 'auspicious one'
narmade hara hara
Refers to the Narmada River and expressing a similar reverence towards it
jata shankare hara hara
Praising the deity Lord Shiva, who is often depicted with matted hair (jata) and is also known as Shankara
parvati pate hara hara
Praising Lord Shiva, who is often associated with his wife Parvati, with the term 'pate' meaning 'lord'
bom bom hara hara
An exclamation of praise or reverence
armanathe gange
Referring again to Amarnath Cave in Jammu and Kashmir
kashi vishvanatha gange
Referring again to the flow of water from the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Varanasi
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@torbenhennings2421
Ich habe das Konzert 1008 indische Nächte '98 in Hamburg in der Fabrik gesehen und fand es sehr beeindruckend!
Zu dem war das Publikum sehr interessant zu betrachten 😎👽💗💚
Ich glaube das nicht jeder der Konzertbesucher wusste was ihn erwarten wird!?
Ich ehrlich gesagt auch nicht, hatte aber auch keine Erwartungen.....
Ich denke das die meisten Besucher eine Setlist mit Nina "Klassikern " erwartet hatte?!
Ich konnte mich sehr schnell auf die indischen Nächte einlassen und fand das Zusammenspiel der verschiedenen Stimmen großartig💓💙
Ich war 22 Jahre jung zu der Zeit 🙄
Nina war sehr gut im Gesang und die Atmosphäre in der Halle war peaceful und mega entspannt 👌👌
Es war mein erstes Nina Hagen Konzert und es folgten darauf noch so einige....
Leider ist Nina 's Stimme mittlerweile sehr beeinträchtigt.......
Ich finde sie immer noch super und erinnere mich gerne zurück 😍
@AgathosDaimon2
Hara Hara Amarnatha Gange
Armanatha Gange
Hara hara omarnatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi amarnatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Hara hara Gautami Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Gautami Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Hara hara mahadeva Shambo
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi vishvanatha gange
Kashi amarnatha gange
Kashi amarnatha gange
Gautami ganga hara hara
Narmade hara hara
Jata shankare hara hara
Parvati pate hara hara
@chanamirjam4245
Deolinda Blathorsarn
Deolinda Blathorsarn
1 year ago
Hara Hara Amarnatha Gange
Armanatha Gange
Hara hara omarnatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi amarnatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Hara hara Gautami Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Gautami Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Hara hara mahadeva Shambo
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi vishvanatha gange
Kashi amarnatha gange
Kashi amarnatha gange
Gautami ganga hara hara
Narmade hara hara
Jata shankare hara hara
Parvati pate hara hara
@torbenhennings2421
Ich habe das Konzert 1008 indische Nächte '98 in Hamburg in der Fabrik gesehen und fand es sehr beeindruckend!
Zu dem war das Publikum sehr interessant zu betrachten 😎👽💗💚
Ich glaube das nicht jeder der Konzertbesucher wusste was ihn erwarten wird!?
Ich ehrlich gesagt auch nicht, hatte aber auch keine Erwartungen.....
Ich denke das die meisten Besucher eine Setlist mit Nina "Klassikern " erwartet hatte?!
Ich konnte mich sehr schnell auf die indischen Nächte einlassen und fand das Zusammenspiel der verschiedenen Stimmen großartig💓💙
Ich war 22 Jahre jung zu der Zeit 🙄
Nina war sehr gut im Gesang und die Atmosphäre in der Halle war peaceful und mega entspannt 👌👌
Es war mein erstes Nina Hagen Konzert und es folgten darauf noch so einige....
Leider ist Nina 's Stimme mittlerweile sehr beeinträchtigt.......
Ich finde sie immer noch super und erinnere mich gerne zurück 😍
@AgathosDaimon2
Hara Hara Amarnatha Gange
Armanatha Gange
Hara hara omarnatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi amarnatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Hara hara Gautami Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Gautami Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Hara hara mahadeva Shambo
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi Vishvanatha Gange
Kashi vishvanatha gange
Kashi amarnatha gange
Kashi amarnatha gange
Gautami ganga hara hara
Narmade hara hara
Jata shankare hara hara
Parvati pate hara hara
@thomas6220
I shazamed this song while it was playing in a movie. Very authentic.
@RoamingWind777
Thanks for the video by Nina Hagen! Michael Kostrov.
@urbangrouse
How beautiful!!!
@noblefrost
Im in a trance, i love this!
@viciouslady1340
A living Goddess!
@allanasimov4625
I...believe it. I saw her live, once in Chicago, at Estrojam. I am very glad I made that trip. She looked right at me several times (it was a small venue.) Many times since then, I've seen her in my dreams.
@stockscience
Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@felicidadeamor1
wonderful <3