New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World

This is the first podcast to feature all new music from Kundalini artists, and there are some beautiful offerings here. I especially loved Krishna Kaur's CD, and if you're wondering if that voice backing her up is familiar -- you're right! Click here to find out who it is. The Denver Chant Fest is coming up President's Day Weekend, February 14-16, followed by Dave Stringer's Flight School. We'll be live streaming & recording podcasts at the Chant Fest, and I've been invited to attend Dave's Flight School, so I'll be able to tell you all about that. Now there's a weekend (or week) that's a guaranteed cure for the winter blahs! Until next time my friends -- Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Ong Namo Nirinjan Kaur From Within Sat Narayan Sirgun Kaur The Cosmic Gift Pavan Pavan Jai Jagdeesh Of Heaven & Earth Har Gobinda Krishna Kaur One Creator Har Mukhande Krishan, Snatam Kaur, Jai-Jagdeesh, Nirinjan Kaur, Gurunam Singh, Guruganesha Singh, Mirabai Cieba Bhangra Remix: Kundalini Mantra Fusion Mix Standing Like A Tree Snatam Kaur Sat Nam! Songs from Khalsa Youth Camp Ang Sang Wahe Guru – Touching Infinity Mirabai Cieba Sacred Love Meditations Guided Meditation for Dissolving Negativity Ramdesh Kaur Relaxation Meditation    

Nina Rao tours with Krishna Das, and has been his assistant since the early 90's -- she also leads kirtan on her own, and has a new CD "Antarayaami". Nina has been involved since the beginning of the Bhakti Yoga movement in the United States, and we talk about her chanting roots in India, how her life changed after meeting KD and what it was like to sing at the 2013 Grammy Awards. I think you're going to love getting to know her better -- I certainly did. Don't forget about the discounted tickets to the Denver Chant Fest, the line-up is awesome. Next week we'll have a Fresh Tracks set that features new music from Kundalini artists. Until then my friends -- Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Vinayaka Always Nina Rao Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts Samadhi Hanuman Chalisa Nina Rao Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts Uma Hanuman Chalisa Nina Rao Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts Bhajagovindam Nina Rao Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts Narayana/For Your Love Krishna Das Heart As Wide As The World Ocean of Ram Hanuman Chalisa Nina Rao Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts    

This week's show has the music to get you up and dancing through your last minute holiday errands and into the New Year -- it's also the last podcast of 2013. Our first show in 2014 will be an interview with Nina Rao, longtime assistant to Krishna Das and kirtan wallah in her own right. I loved talking to her about her introduction to kirtan, how she met KD, watching kirtan grow from its roots in New York and what it was like to sing on last year's Grammys. Don't miss this one, it was a fascinating conversation. May your heart be filled with the joy of this blessed season, and until 2014 my friends --  Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Be The Change (Earthrise SoundSystem Bollywood Dub Remix) MC Yogi Elephant Powered Remixes Gobinday (Drumspyder Remix) Mirabai Ceiba Kundalini Remix: Yoga Mantras Revisited Radio Gaga Chalisa Marti Walker Rasa Lila Ganesha Windmix Jai Uttal Dial M For Mantra Be The Light Aykanna Mantra Mala Ghasi Ram Blues (Desert Dwellers Remix) Kaya Project Night Visions: Desert Dwellers Selected Remixes You Lovin’ Me (Featuring Camille Armstrong & Srikala) Earthrise Soundsystem Rock Beats Paper Siva Siva Arakara (Ancient Grace of Being) Turiya Nada Arakara: Ecstasy of the Awake      

It's the holidays, we're making "unwise nutritional choices", and it's cold -- who wants to exercise? Well, this is the set to get you out the door. Let's take a walk with some great kirtan music, your body will thank you for it in January! With the snow we had last week I wasn't able to get out the door myself, but this set had me dancing all over the house and it got my heart rate up -- I hope you like it too. As mentioned on the podcast, Dave Stringer has invited me to take his Kirtan Flight School after the Denver Chant Fest in February! Here's a link to Dave talking about the Flight School, it looks like SO much fun! I can't wait to tell you all about it. Enjoy this beautiful season dear hearts, and until next week -- Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Jai Ma Carrie Grossman Soma-Bandhu Jaya Shantala Jaya Last Breath (Hare Krishna Maha Mantra) Jai Uttal Queen of Hearts Sita Ram Kristin Luna Ray One Shared Heart Parashaki Wah! Maa Govinda Hari Jaya Lakshmi Jewel Of Hari It’s About Love C.C. White This Is Soul Kirtan Shree Ram Michael H. Cohen Om Dattatreya: Journey To The West  

This week we have another set of new music from artists familiar and brand new, and there's more to come -- the next Fresh Tracks will be from Kundalini artists! It's official -- New World Kirtan will be at the Denver Chant Fest on Valentine's Day weekend with live-streaming, interviews and podcasts of the performances. What a line-up -- MC Yogi, Jai Uttal, Dave Stringer, Donna DeLory and more, check it out. Here's the link to Blue Spirit Wheel in Corvallis. Please enjoy the offering, and until next week dear friends -- Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Invocation Yvette The Song of Breath Dance With Me Hanumen Hanumen Jai Shri Radhe Kirtan Path Samgayati – A Gathering In Song Track 5 Kirtaniyas & DJ Drez The Beat Generation Om Tara Ma Blue Spirit Wheel Darkness To Light Saraswati (Desert Dwellers Remix) Girish Night Visions: Desert Dwellers Selected Remixes Prayer Wah! Savasana3   

Lord Shiva, "he who is oblivious to the world", is the most powerful of the Hindu deities. He is known as the destroyer, and is believed to be at the core of the centrifugal force of the Universe. Shiva, with Brahma (the creator) & Vishnu (the preserver)  are the three Godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Lord Shiva is a complex deity because he destroys in order to create, so his energy simultaneously holds both the creation and destruction of the world. With his matted hair and a body often covered with ash & surrounded by snakes, he's a memorable figure. The chant "Om Namah Shivaya" is an ancient mantra honoring Lord Shiva -- it means "I honor the Divinity within me".  If you'd like to use this potent mantra to stabilize the mind for meditation, here's a description of how to do a 40-day extended practice. This is a deep set honoring a powerful & complex energy. Enjoy the musical offering, and have a beautiful & joyous Thanksgiving my friends. Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Om Namah Shivaya Ty Burhoe, Krishna Das, Manorama, John Friend & Amy Ippoliti Invocation Om Namah Shivaya Shantala Jaya Om Namah Shivaya Indiajiva Om Spiritus – Music for a Peaceful Planet Om Namah Shivaya Carrie Grossman Soma-Bandhu Om Namah Shivaya Govindas Yoga Sol Shiva Appears (Om Namah Shivaya) Prema Hara Sweet Surrender Om Namah Shivaya Masood Ali Kahn The Yoga Sessions: Masood Ali Kahn Om Namah Shivaya Betty Roi La Lumiere Du Son  

In the introduction to the podcast this week I talk a lot about Ram Das. When I was in my early twenties Be Here Now literally blew the doors of perception open for me, and my life changed because of it. Through his old lectures and the Here And Now podcast curated by Raghu Marcus I'm rediscovering Ram Das, and finding that he is an incredible teacher at all stages of my life. I enjoy listening to him a lot -- he's very funny. Why not give a listen and see if he speaks to you? I'm still going through the treasure trove of music I brought back from the festivals this summer, and there are some gems in this week's show. Please enjoy the offering dear hearts, and we'll see you next week. Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Devi Puja Krishna Das Chants For The Divine Mother: A Tribute To Anandamayi Ma Bolo Ram Bhakti Messenger Universal Prayer Funky Jai Ma Govind Das & Radha Kirtan Live! At Bhakti Yoga Shala (Disc 1) Amazing Grace Donna De Lory The Unchanging Greetings From Coney Island, New York Devadas Brooklyn Mellows Tumi Jim Gelcer Bhakti Groove Machine Jai Ambe Jaya Lakshmi with Ananda Kirtronica      

This episode begins a new series for the podcast called Blasts From the Past. As mentioned last week, I've been trying to figure out the best way to put the older episodes up on SoundCloud, and re-running them seemed a good way to do it. It has been interesting to go back and remember where I was on this beautiful Bhakti Yoga path when the episode was recorded. It is said that chanting works "slowly but inevitably" to uncover the mirror of your heart, and from personal experience I know this to be true. My spiritual path, my 'center of gravity', as Krishna Das says, has deepened from singing kirtan. It's truly magical music. Enjoy the offering, beloved travelers. Namaste. Here's a link to the book mentioned in the podcast, Journey of Souls by Michael Newton. Sunday Satsang Posted by Kitzie on Nov 23, 2010 in New World Kirtan Podcast | 1 comment - I was introduced to kirtan in an unusual way.  Years ago I met Sujita, a Yoga teacher who lived in an old farmhouse just outside of town.  She had classes there, and on Wednesday evening people came to chant.  I didn't know what chanting was, but I was going through a divorce and anything that offered peace sounded good to me.  The first time I went to chant it was an evening in early summer.  It was dusk when I arrived, and  I could hear the sound of voices chanting "Om" from the open windows of the big old farmhouse.  The sense of peace was palpable.  When I entered I could see everyone sitting in a semi-darkened room with a luminous statue of an Indian goddess--still don't know which one it was--at one end.  There were lots & lots of candles.  No one knew each other, but week after week we met and sang to magical music from CDs Sujita chose.  It was my  introduction to kirtan, and where I first heard the music of  Ragani, Krishna Das, Wah & Snatam Kaur.  Sujita also loved traditional kirtan, the kind that starts very slowly and builds to a faster & faster pace over about an hour, but I loved singing to the more melodic & rhythmic chants she played. Long story short, several years ago Sujita had to move, the magical farmhouse is no more, and so a friend and I have started a satsang group here in town.  We sing to CDs, as we did at Sujitas.  As an interesting result of this, I've never experienced a live kirtan.  But that's going to change very  soon, because rumor has it there is a lot of great kirtan coming to the Northwest this spring & summer. You can read what our Sunday satsang is like here.  Our group continues to grow, and satsang is a jealously guarded time in my life.  It centers me for the week, grounding me in the knowledge that "wherever we are God is . . . and all is well".  Enjoy the set.  Namaste. THIS WEEK'S SET SONG ARTIST CD SONGBOOK Holy Ma Shantala Sri P. 7 Radhe Suite I: The Longing David Newman Love, Peace, Chant P.  12 Radhe Suite II: The Dance David Newman Love, Peace, Chant P. 12 Radhe Suite: The Union David Newman Love, Peace, Chant P. 12 Aja Uttama Dave Stringer Divas & Devas Bonus Track Ecstasy: Forklift Your Experience Satkirin Kaur Khalsa Lightness of Being P. 15 Hara Hara  Mahadev/Om Namah Shivaya Jai Uttal Kirtan: The Art and Practice of Ecstatic Chant P. 4

After what we just went through in the United States with the government shut down, I'm feeling angry -- how about you? Being angry is not a pleasant place to be, so as usual I've been turning to kirtan to change that energy. Chanting the Names always works because mantra is good medicine -- but the trick is to live in the place they bring me to ALL the time without getting knocked out by the antics of our elected officials and other life stuff. This set, as always, is to help us remember what is real in  this "shimmering wasteland, ocean of illusion, desert of delusion". I hope that listening will give you a new outlook on life, as it did for me. Until next time my friends -- Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Breath Control MC Yogi Pilgrimage Let’s Get Together (Featuring Srikala & C.C. White) Earthrise Soundsystem Rock Beats Paper People Get Ready Spring Groove Spring Fever What If Avasa & Matty Love Love Is King Love Is Queen Down On My Knees Jai Uttal Thunder Love Jai Jai Ma Mukti Light Of The Sun Hanuman Wah! Wah Om Namo Bhagavate/Because The One I Love Shantala Sri Oneness Chant Lauren Monroe Oneness Chant -- Single  

In this special edition of the podcast we have an excerpt from an interview done by the Mindrolling Podcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione. In the course of the interview (which was fascinating) she did a meditation on Feeding Your Demons -- demons defined as anything that is taking your energy at the moment. I found it to be very powerful, and thought you all might also benefit. I'd like to thank David Silver & Raghu Marcus of Mindrolling for very kindly making a cut of the meditation for New World Kirtan listeners, and I'm also happy for the opportunity to feature their podcast -- I never miss it, and there are many episodes that may be of interest to you also -- interviews with Krishna Das, David Nichtern and one done that was especially poignant -- Shyamdas, recorded last November before he went back to India. Coming up next is a Feel Good set -- we all need it after the past several weeks don't you think? I'll be back with that soon. Namaste dear friends.

The Fresh Tracks sets are some of my favorites. This week's show features a mix of kirtan artists who are new to the scene, and several from old favorites. I hope you enjoy the offering. Here's a link to the Mindrolling podcast mentioned in the show. More on the the Feeding Your Demons meditation coming soon. Namaste dear ones. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Gurudeva Daniel Paul featuring Gina Sala & the Kirtan All-Stars Tabla Mantra (Songs of Love & Rhythmic Rapture) Dance of the Siddhars (Awaken the Inner Guru) Turiya Nada Arakara: Ecstasy of the Awake Jagadambe Jay Ma Durga (Featuring Prajna Vieira) Ananda Rasa Kirtan Mulani – Dub Kirtan You Lovin; Me (Featuring Camille Armstrong & Srikala) Earthrise Soundsystem Rock Beats Paper Devotional Rescue Rahasya Devotional Rescue Maha Lakshmi/Jai Ma Brenda McMorrow Igniting the Beauty Satya Sutra (Featuring Masood Ali Khan) DJ Drez Jahta Beat: Chanting With Tigers    

Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band played a beautifully moving set at Bhakti Fest West this year. Their music was colored by a terrible family tragedy -- the death of Sean's younger brother Jeremy early in the summer. As I produced the podcast & listened closely I could hear how Sean, Gwendolyn & Alvin poured their hearts into this set, allowing the music to carry them. At the end Sean talks about how the love of the Bhakti community held him up in the weeks after the death, and how it continues to support him. I have felt this love & support myself after my Mom's death -- and have felt so blessed to be part of this beautiful community. I also want to take a moment here to acknowledge Shiva Baum, the Bhakti Fest MC. Shiva is the voice of Bhakti Fest for me, and for a lot of other people. His selfless service shines in every word he utters from the stage. Next week we'll have a Fresh Tracks show, with new CDs from Brenda McMorrow, Rahaysa and Daniel Paul featuring Gina Sala & the Kirtan All Stars among others. Until then, my friends -- have a blessed week. Namaste.

Every Bhakti Fest I've attended has been special, and each has been unique. Bhakti Fest 2013 was the 5th year celebration, and Mother Nature celebrated with strong winds and a deluge of rain. In this week's show I'll take you through the festival day by day and tell you why it was so unique for me this year. Featured artists are Fanna Fi Allah, Spring Groove (with special guest Dave Stringer) and Deepak & the Breath of Life Tribe. Here's a video of the rockin' backstage kirtan during the rainstorm, thanks to Bhakti Babe aka Sarah Garney. Photo courtesy of Lakshmi Grace Designs.

I know Saul David Raye through his kirtan sets at festivals, but many more people know him for his Yoga classes -- unique because they weave together heart wisdom teachings, dynamic asana, breathwork, meditation, chanting, music, intuitive movement and a variety of other techniques. I watched & recorded his intensive after the Denver Chant Fest last February -- it was a beautiful & moving experience. Our conversation covered many topics -- Saul's time in LA as a music producer, his love of India and his devotion to Bhakti Yoga, learning about the death of Shyamdas on the last Bhakti Yatra. There are also sweet moments of serendipity -- a poem translated by Shyam, an impromptu a capella chant. I hope you enjoy this mellow conversation with Saul as much as I did. It's now time to pack our bags for the biggest family reunion on the planet -- Bhakti Fest West's 5th Year Celebration in Joshua Tree. If you see me, I hope you'll come get a big hug -- look for the  New World Kirtan table back by sound booth and come celebrate with us. Next time from the Bhav my friends. Namaste. Selections are from Saul's Atma Yoga intensive at the Denver Chant Fest, Hey Yanna Ho from his live set at Shakti Fest 2013 and Sri Krishna Govinda with Shyamdas, Krishna Das & Jai Uttal from the Omega Ecstatic Chant CD.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a devotional hymn to Hanuman, the Hindu deity who is the central character in the Sanskrit epic The Ramayana. It tells of his strength, courage, wisdom and of his devotion to Rama. The Chalisa has 42 verses, and learning it has been my goal for the last few months. In the process something interesting is happening. Hanuman's grace, and his energy of always being in "the service to the good, in the service of love, in the service of purity of heart" is increasingly showing up in my life. It's giving me a deeper understanding of the nature, and the blessing, of service. Hanuman, as Krishna Das so eloquently puts it, is a river of Grace -- the Chalisa can be a doorway for you to enter the flow. Blessings to you, dear ones. Namaste. The quote is from "Hanuman A River of Grace" by Krishna Das. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om Hanuman Chalisa Bhagavan Das The Howler At Dawn Samadhi Hanuman Chalisa Nina Rao Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts (Bonus Version) Hanuman Chalisa Amanda Feinstein Mirror of My Heart – Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa Sri Hanuman Chaleesa/Gate of Sweet Nectar Krishna Das Door Of Faith Hanuman Chalisa Shantala Jaya