“Kirtan Represents in Grammys First-Round Ballot as Nominations Voting Wraps Up Nov. 5 Grammys season has officially begun, and more than ever before, the world of mantra music represents. More than a dozen artists in the “non-genre” of kirtan/chant/yoga music are on the first-round ballot for consideration to be among the 57th Annual Grammy Award Nominees for Best New Age Album.[Yes, “New Age” is what the non-genre of kirtan seems to get lumped into in the Grammys world. Not World Music, which is a separate Grammy category. But that’s another story. That we’ve already written. Read it here: Kirtan in a New Age: What’s in a Grammys Category?]The buzz started a week or so ago on social media, when Jai Uttal announced that his “Return to Shiva Station” was among those being considered for nomination in the Best New Age Album category. Next, Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band put it out that their latest release, “Unity,” is also being considered. Bit by bit, word came forth of other artists whose offerings are also on the list of qualified entrants that members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) will vote upon to decide who gets the coveted Grammy Nomination.This got us thinking: who else is on that list? And what exactly does that mean?So here’s the scoop that we got from one of our favorite voting NARAS members (who preferred to remain under the radar). Among the total of 78 titles on the nominations ballot for Best New Age Album, we counted 18 from artists in the kirtan or mantra-music world (few can be accurately termed “kirtan albums” in the strict sense of call-and-response kirtan). And the entrants are…(drumroll please):AKASHA BLUE SKY, Bhakti House Band UNITY, Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band LIVE IN CONCERT, Mirabai Ceiba AT THE TEMPLE DOOR, Ajeet Kaur FROM WITHIN, Nirinjan Kaur feat. Mathew Schoening & Ram DassRIVER OF LIGHT, Ashana LIGHT OF THE NAAM: MORNING CHANTS, Snatam Kaur KIRTAN WALLAH, Krishna Das SARASWATI DREAMS, Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda MANTRAS FOR LIFE, Deva Premal + Miten with Manose BHAKTI, Paul Avgerinos SHAKTI GUITAR, Stevin McNamara RISING, Alex Theory and Shiva Rea RETURN TO SHIVA STATION: KAILASH CONNECTION, Jai Uttal SHIVOHAM, Manish VyasKASHI: SONGS FROM THE INDIA WITHIN US, Prem Joshua & Chintan HOLISTIC DEVOTION, Patrick BernardINCANTATIONS, Sheela BringiSo, what does it actually mean to be on the “first-round ballot?”Essentially, it means that you’ve passed the basic entrance exam of submitting an album in accordance with the Academy’s fairly rigid guidelines. It means that you are “on the list” — your album is officially entered on the ballot that was sent on Oct. 16 to 12,000 or so members of NARAS. Considering there were at least 300 submissions that didn’t make that cut, we’d say Congratulations to anyone who made it that far.What’s next? The nominations voting is the next step in the Grammys process. NARAS members have until Nov. 5 to vote for their favorite artists/albums/tracks (in the New Age category there is only one award, for Best Album). Members can vote in up to 20 categories. In some Grammy categories, special committees help sort through and determine who gets the nomination. In the New Age category, there are no committees, so it’s the membership vote that counts here. The top four or five will get the coveted Grammy Nomination, and will forever after be known as “Grammy-nominated so-and-so.”Kirtan Grammy Win Would Be a FirstKirtan artists have gotten the nomination only twice before: Krishna Das in 2012 for “Live Ananda” and Jai Uttal in 2002 for “Mondo Rama.” Neither won the Award; both broke new ground. Uttal was the first Grammy nomination ever in this category and Krishna Das was the first to play at the Grammy Awards (at least, on the internet broadcast). It was a pretty exciting night. Well at least for a kirtan junkie…As for this year’s first-round entrants, well, what can we say? Just look at the diversity within that list. Jai Uttal is back in the Grammy pool with “Return to Shiva Station” (read our review here) and KD is back with “Kirtan Wallah.” New to the Grammy ballot are Sean Johnson and his cohorts, Alvin Young and Gwendolyn Colman, aka the Wild Lotus Band, for their epic and long-awaited “Unity.” All Grammy-worthy, IMHO. The other chant-world luminaries on the list are Deva Premal, Miten and Manose’s “Mantras for Life,” a collection of practical-oriented mantras done in repetitions of 108, and Snatam Kaur’s “Light of the Naam,”a sequence of traditional Sikh greet-the-day chants.Of course, that’s just the beginning of this list of Grammy hopefuls. We fell in love with Steve McNamara’s Shakti Guitar when we heard him play it live at Ahimsa Fest last year (and we missed him there this year), and are continuing the love affair with the album, a soundscape of acoustic comfort music that’s easy to snuggle up inside. Patrick Bernard, a sonic chameleon of sorts and, with 20+ albums, practically an icon in the world of New Age music-therapy, melted our hearts when we first heard him at the Montreal Chant Fest — unplugged and pared down to a harmonium and a response singer with kartals, singing to Radha and Krishna with such deep soulfulness it brought us to tears (yeah, I know, Chant Fests will do that…). “Holistic Devotion” takes that core and arranges it up, with an apparent choir of angels singing backup.At the other end of the spectrum are the best little bhakti band in Texas that you may not have heard of yet, the Dallas-based Bhakti House Band, whose “Akasha Blue Sky” oozes with joyful devotional. Remember the name.The Kundalini crowd is well represented on this list, no doubt due to the crack management at Spirit Voyage records. There’s Snatam of course. Then there’s Nirinjan Kaur, who has been whispered to be the “next Snatam” and who collaborated with respected producer/musician RamDass Khalsa and cellist Matthew Schoening for “From Within.” Ajeet Kaur is another Sikh-tradition songstress on the rise who seems to wow everyone who experiences her live kirtans. Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda have a partnership that transcends ordinary notions of “music” into something wholly pure and transcendental, whether they’re chanting kundalini mantras or rockin’ the kirtronica. The same could be said for Mirabai Ceiba’s Markus and Angelika, whom we’ve experienced live enough times to be pretty confident that their “Live in Concert” disc is a little slice of heaven. Ashana is new to us and we like every recording we’ve heard so far.And there’s more…well, we’ve got some homework to do. Our favorite kind of homework.So there you have it, your Mantra Music Guide to the Grammys. Now, who among these entrants would you most like to see win the Grammy for Best New Age Album…who gets your vote? Who would you like to see on that list who isn’t? ” - Brenda Patoine
“YOGA RASA TO HOST CD release party for renown world fusion group, Bhakti House band Saturday, May 31, award-winning world fusion group Bhakti House Band will launch its newest CD, “Akasha Blue Sky”, at a release party hosted by Yoga Rasa at 17226 Mercury in Bay Area Houston at 7:00 p.m. Led by native-Texans Randall and Kristin Brooks, Bhakti House Band presents an East-meets-West fusion of percussion-driven instrumentation, rich harmonies, Sanskrit mantra, Kirtan, and inspirational English lyrics to create a sacred space for listeners to surrender their minds to the rhythmic groove of the heart. RSVP to Yoga Rasa at 281-282-9400.”
“ 30 Best Songs of the Year that should be on your Playlist now. Via Melissa Smith on Jan 1, 2012 Wanna dance, move, smile, change the world or at the very least, be inspired? Listen to these: Florence + the Machine’s, Shake it Up (Turn it up and dance now! Or get some revenge with her song, Kiss with a Fist.) Mumford & Sons, Awake My Soul (If you like this, check out Admiral Fallow, Squealing Pigs) Young the Giant, My Body (Originally released in 2010, a special edition re-released in 2011. Worth a second go around.) The Black Keys, Hell of a Season (Incredible live. They toured with the over-played Kings of Leon as the opener. In 2012 they’re rightfully the opening act.) Aloe Blacc, You Make Me Smile (Great video from the Take Away Show. Deluxe edition of the CD released in 2011 with instrumental versions of all the songs.) Mat Kearney, Hey Mama (Really teeny-bopper but with a shortage of clean, fun songs my kids can listen to, I’ll take it.) Singer/Song Writers are flooding YouTube, Facebook, Daytrotter, The Take Away Show, CD Baby, SoundCloud, and other independent labels. Dozens of ways to view and interact with these outstanding artists. Here’s a few you shouldn’t miss: Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs, For the Summer (His all time best song: Be Here Now.) Marketa Irglova, For Old Time’s Sake (If you love the Swell Season, this is her solo attempt, available on Daytrotter) James Vincent McMorrow, Higher Love (The remake is far better than Steve Winwood’s version; the album Early in the Morning is beautiful and worth the download.) The Civil Wars, Dance with me to the End of Love (A Leonard Cohen song) Gem Club, Twins (A haunting song) David Berkeley David Berkeley, The Blood and The Wine (Moving. It will hit every parent’s heart.) Ariana Hall Ariana Hall, The War Is Over (Um, I Like You, is a favorite.) Kopecky Family Band, Remedy (First introduced to me at SXSW, they often send out free songs for each holiday. Great live. Free Christmas song.) Alexander, Truth (If you like Edward Sharpe’s song: Home, this is his solo album. Just as unique, if not more so.) Bhakti House Band If you practice yoga, eventually some of these songs will begin to seep into your music playlist and not just when you set foot on the mat. The Bhakti House Band, Hari Om, You are the Love (A passionate song, passionate band, pure kirtan) Desert Dwellers, Waves of Reflections (Also known as Yogitunes, they offer free downloads.) Gypsy Tears, Om Namo Lakshmi (Kirtan meets acro yogis with this ukulele lead upbeat mantra) Simon Gentry, Jai (Electronic/new age instrumental that’s a perfect for on mat. On itunes, not from 2011 but a worthy find.) Yogi Artists but not quite yoga music: Avasa & Matty, Love, Lovin Yourself (Smile inducing kind-a-music) Trevor Hall, Te Amo (Lyrics to melt your heart and ends with a beautiful spoken Rumi quote; for everyone else listen to Om Shakti Om.) Bob Weisenberg, Granadinas (A fan of flamenco from age 7 when I saw Maria Benitez perform live, this album is classic flamenco guitar.) More great music everyone should have on their list: Blind Pilot, We Are the Tide (First introduced to the song, One Red Thread, this 2011 album is worth a good listen.) Bon Iver Bon Iver, Perth (Still feel his album, For Emma For Ever Ago is his best and this version also from a Take Away Show. Any Bon Iver, I admit, I adore.) Motopony, Seer (Re-released as a bonus track in 2011, another one worth a second time around.) Pretty Lights, I know the Truth (Even better is their earlier song: Hot Like Sauce.) TV On the Radio, Will Do (Alternative that doesn’t try too hard Aso check out the song: Tonight.) DeVotchKa, 100 other lovers (Very 80’s. Their best tune, How It Ends.) Wintersleep, Weighty Ghost (Seems to be a trend to throw a choir into the chorus. This one works.) Andrew Bird, Bein Green (It’s not easy, that’s for sure, bein different. Yes, the Muppets still inspire.) Obvious omissions include: Coldpay, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, Adele, Steve Gold, My Morning Jacket, Moby, Lykke Li and more who all came out with amazing albums this year. Tell me, who made your top 30 list this year? For more playlists: yoga playlist December, yoga playlist November, and from the Soundtrack of My life. Another Play list on Elephant Journal: 14 Love Songs (with an Edge) You should know. About Melissa Smith Melissa is a freelance writer, zealous traveler, momma, and Acro Thai Therapeutics Yoga Life Student Occasional Teacher. She leads advanced teacher trainings for Leeann Carey Yaapana Yoga, specializing Therapeutic Partner Practice and hosts retreats in Texas, Thailand & New Orleans for Grace Yoga Retreats. Connect with her on Facebook, her Grace Yoga Blog, and Twitter. or read other Elephant Journal articles. Read more from Melissa Smith » ” - Melissa Smith
“Where’s the New Year’s Bhav? by Brenda Patoine on December 31, 2011 It’s almost New Year’s Eve…do you know where your kirtan is? Maybe it’s me, but doesn’t it seem like there’s a plethora of choices out there for the conscious kirtaniya who seeks something other than paying too much for dinner and drinking too much for driving on the last night of the year? Judging by the bounty of bhaktified celebrations being touted on Twitter and Facebook, 2012 is going to arrive with a bhavalicious bang. We’ve pulled together a “Dream List” of events across the country that we’d like to be teleported to on the eve of 2012, along with a few very special Jan. 1 programs that promise to keep the bhav flowing and welcome the new year with a wave of bhakti bliss. Bhakti Bliss-Out in the Berkshires Bhakti Bliss at Kripalu This one’s at the top of my list, but if you don’t already have a ticket, you’re out of luck. The bhakti bash in the Berkshires, which started Thursday night, is sold out. On board for the weekend are David Newman (aka Durga Das) along with his beloveds, Mira and Tulsi; Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band all the way from N’awlins; John de Kadt playing in his own back yard and regrouping with Sita & the Hanumen; Shantala (aka Benjy and Heather Wertheimer), hot off a cross-country tour and armed with a brand new CD that everyone’s raving about, and the inimatable Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, featuring the dancing violinist everyone loves, Jahnavi Harrison. West Coast: Portals Open; the Shala Delivers If you can’t find kirtan in southern Cali on New Year’s Eve, then you must already be deep in samadhi . The West Coast is fertile ground — West Coasters would say Ground Zero — for bhakti love of all beats. In San Diego, one of the hottest young kirtaniyas in California, Deepak Ramapriyan, will be tearing down the house with his Breath of Life Tribe at the World Beat Cultural Center. Ascension 2012, an event billed as “opening a portal of light to ascend into the new year,” also features songstress Ena Vie along with Aztec Dancers, African Drum and Dance, and tons more. A couple hours north, at Bhakti Yoga Shala, Santa Monica temple of devotional music and yoga, proprietor-wallahs Govindas and Radha will be hosting a full-on all-night bhakti bash with 12 hours of continuous chanting from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Andres Solcado, Psalm Isadora, Shakti Didi and many more artists will be there for kirtan, plus a special puja (ceremony), dharma talk, and prayers. The Shala calls it all an ”auspicious ritual to join together in community, plant deeply our sweetest intentions for 2012 in the garden of our hearts, and sing, dance, meditate and celebrate together as ONE!” Up the coast in Seattle, Gina Sala and Dave Stringer are joining forces to present what is sure to be a bhakti-rockin’ eve at Samadhi Yoga. Patrick Richey will be on tabla and Cajon. This is a rare opportunity to sing with Gina and Dave together, who invite you to “Come as you are, participate as you like: dance, lay back, meditate, snuggle, and sing in the New Year!” DreamTime & More in NYC Dreamtime NYC sounds, well, dreamy. An all-night cornocopia of consciousness-raising and culture, including kirtan (duh!), yoga, art, contact improv, meditation, and sacred ceremony. Check out the full line-up of artists and activities here. If you’re looking for something more low-key and introspective in your evening activities, Jivamukti on Broadway might be the place. From 8 to 9 p.m., the golden-voiced, deeply devotional young chantress Anjula Prasad will lead kirtan, followed by a 3-hour silent meditation and a special midnight address by Jivamukti founders Sharon Gannon and David Life. For the full monty, come early for asana practice and vegan dinner. Boston Bhav Kirtan Takes First Night! Kirtan infiltrates First Night Boston! A traditional Hare Krishna harinam through Copley Square and the Back Bay, led by Krishna devotees Niranjana Swami and Rama Raya Das, follows arati and darshan (beginning at 7 p.m.) at the ISKCON Boston temple. Then, head over to The Arlington Center for First Night Kirtan, featuring Dancing Kirtan with Deejay Mantra, Shubalananda, with Ashley Flagg, and Anna Sobel on tabla. Texas, Arizona & the Heartland Too Don’t believe for a second that the New Year’s bliss is limited to coastal hubs. Out in Texas, The Bhakti House Band is hosting a 12-hour kirtan at The Bhakti House (where else?) in Fort Worth, with The Sound and the Meaning, Prema Shakti, and Rudra Das & The Dharma Love Train. Built into the family-friendly evening and pot-luck dinner will be an “open mic” period for anyone who would like to also share a chant. Details here. In Sedona, you can Chant in the New Year with the Kirtan Wallahs for the eighth year in a row at 7 Centers Yoga Arts. The Raw Spirit Fest will rock in the New Year with Donna De Lory, Fantuzzi and much more in Phoenix. In Minnetonka, Minn., join Kirtan Path and the Wild Moon Bhaktas for four hours of kirtan and a midnight ceremony at the Living Waters Market and Center for Harmonious Living. Princeton, NJ? Check out Bliss in the New Year, featuring kirtaniyas Suzin Green, Dan Johnson (table) and Kartikkeya (percussion) at the Princeton Center for Yoga & Health. Up in Wolfe Island, near Kingston, Ontario, Brenda McMorrow is headlining a five-day kirtan and meditation retreat called “Opening to Your Divine Life.” Sounds divine, doesn’t it? New Year’s Day Bliss Why should the bhav stop at midnight? We’ve heard about some great New Year’s Day programs that will keep the spirit flowing long after the ball drops. Our top pick: 108 Hanuman Chalisas. This has become an annual tradition at many yoga centers, but perhaps most famously at Dharma East in NYC. Chantress Nina Rao will be leading her signature “Nina Chalisa” (as heard on Krishna Das’s “Flow of Grace” CD), and she will be joined by a number of other wallahs including Ambika Cooper, Shyama Chapin, Sharada Kagel, Jeremy & Lily Frindel, Keshav Das, and more. Admission is free and you can join or leave anytime. Best of all, if you can’t make it to NYC, you can join the Chalisa chanting via live-stream at www.chantkirtan.com. If you’re bhavving in the New Year at Bhakti Yoga Shala, don’t go anywhere: the bhakti love continues Sunday when Govindas and Radha will “sensitively yet courageously lead us through the purifying and transformative ritual of 108 Sun Salutations.” Details here. Who could resist starting off 2012 with Girish and DJ Drez? ‘They’ll be joining yoga teacher Janet Stone for “Sankalpa: Awakening Your Soul Vision” at Yoga Tree Castro in San Francisco for a morning workshop to greet and “clarify your heart’s intentions for the year to come” through asana, breath, music, mantra and tantra. Back in New York, kundalini chant artist Jai Jagdeesh will be leading a special class and kirtan concert at Kundalini Yoga Park Slope in Brooklyn, one of a planned series of events organized by Occupy Yoga NY. (Yeah, they’re still alive and spearheading a conscious community in solidarity with the Occupy Movement.) Whew! And that’s just a sampling. We know there is so much more out there — and we want to know about it! Where will you be chanting this New Year’s Eve/Day? ” - Brenda Pantoine
“ Fresh Tracks 8 September 13, 2011 2 comments What to say about this summer, except I’ll never forget it — and our family now has a new angel in Heaven. I’ve returned to Oregon for awhile, and I’m listening to kirtan again. It feels like re-discovering an dear old friend. All the music this week is new to the podcast, and there’s more on the way. It was a joy for me to put this set together. Please enjoy the offering, dear ones. Namaste. SONG ARTIST CD Om Mercury Max The Eternal Om He Ma The Bhakti House Band The Sound of Devotion Om Namah Shivaya (Sonicturtle Remix by Adham Shaikh) Thomas Barquee Kundalini Remix: Yoga Mantras Revisited Bright Star GuruGanesha Singh Kundalini Surjhee Nanda Nanda Sahadev Rhythm & Bliss Kirtan Guru Rinpoche Mantra (EarthRise SoundSystem Remix) Deva Premal GlobeSonic DJ Alsultany Presents Yoga Lounge Hari Om (Featuring Prajna Vieira) Ben Leinbach Ben Leinbach Presents Sangha Bow to You Ananda Yogiji and Jaya Lakshmi Ananda Yogiji and Jaya Lakshmi: Live At Altar of Love ” - Kitzie Stern