Born Edward Larry Gordon in 1943 in Philadelphia, he studied violin, piano, trombone and voice in his early years in New Jersey. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano. After studying at Howard spent time in New York pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian and actor. Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, D.C. It was established by a congressional charter in 1867, and much of its early funding came from the Freedmens Bureau. ... In the United States, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) (a type of Minority Serving Institution or MSI) are colleges or universities that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the African-American community. ... Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ... Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, D.C. It was established by a congressional charter in 1867, and much of its early funding came from the Freedmens Bureau. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... A comedian (also comedienne, female) is a person who attempts to make people laugh through a variety of methods, normally through joke telling, or a stream of funny banter. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ...

In the early seventies he began to study Eastern mysticism and believed he'd found a new path for his music and his life. It was also at this time he bought his first zither from a local pawn shop. Converting it to an electronic instrument, he began to experiment using the instrument like a piano. By 1978, he developed enough skill to begin busking in the parks and on the sidewalks of New York. Mysticism, from the Greek (mueo, to conceal), is the pursuit of achieving communion with, or conscious awareness of ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct, personal experience (intuition or insight) rather than rational thought; the belief in the existence of realities beyond perceptual or intellectual apprehension that... A Musima Guitar Zither 45 strings with 21 melody, 24 chords The zither is a musical string instrument, mainly used in folk music. ... Modern pawnbroker storefront A Pawnbroker is a person who offers loans to individuals who use their personal property as collateral. ...

The following year he was "discovered" by Brian Eno while playing in Washington Square Park. The result was his most widely-recognized release, Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, the third installment of Brian Eno's Ambient series. This was his first album released under the name of Laraaji. Brian Eno in 1977 Brian Peter George St. ... original cover current cover Ambient 3/Day of Radiance (1980) is an album by the American ambient musician Laraaji which was produced by Brian Eno. ... Brian Eno in 1977 Brian Peter George St. ...

This international exposure led to many requests for longer versions of his compositions which he supplied to many meditation groups on cassette tapes. It also resulted in an expansion of his mystic studies with such gurus as Swami Satchidananda and the late Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, founder of the Ananda Ashram in Harriman, New York. Swami Satchidananda on the cover of his biography Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002) was an Indian religious figure who gained fame and followers in the West, especially in the United States. ...

Another product of Laraaji's increasing enlightenment was the creation of the Laughter Meditation Workshops which he still presents around the globe. Laraaji's releases include:

1978 - Celestial Vibration

1992 - Ambient 3: Day of Radiance original cover current cover Ambient 3/Day of Radiance (1980) is an album by the American ambient musician Laraaji which was produced by Brian Eno. ...

1993 - Flow Goes the Universe (All Saints Records) All Saints Records was established in 1991 by Dominic Norman-Taylor who has been responsible for all signings since. ...

1994 - Automatic (Channel Light Vessel) (All Saints Records)

1995 - The Way in is the Way Out (with Audio Active) (All Saints Records)

1996 - Excellent Spirits (Channel Light Vessel) (All Saints Records)

1998 - Sacrifice (collaboration)

2000 - Shiva Shakti Groove

2002 - My Orangeness