The New World Kirtan website and podcast came about because of a Yoga teacher I met about fifteen years ago. She used to have magical satsang sessions in her home, a big old farmhouse just outside of town. On those evenings we chanted to CDs, and those of us who attended knew nothing about the artists or the music ‐ let alone kirtan. But we loved the feeling of open heartedness & joy created by singing the Sanskrit & Sikh chants. While we sang and harmonized to music that called the Divine Names, everyone in the room felt at One with each other and the world. This was my introduction to kirtan.
Our beautiful Yoga teacher has since moved, and my friends and I now host our own satsang sessions every Sunday night. We still chant to CDs, and the music I choose for the weekly podcast posted here is based on this satsang practice. It features the songs that appeal to us from kirtan artists such as Krisha Das, Dave Stringer, Ragani and other modern day kirtan wallahs.
A concert is the way most people are introduced to kirtan music, and the most important element in live kirtan is the voice. But you shouldn’t give a thought to your vocal ability, think of this as a sing-along . . .with meditation. In kirtan the voices blend in, and you become a co-creator of the performance with the musicians and all the other concert goers. There is nothing quite like it.
“In our culture, most of the entertainment is passive. The individual doesn’t have an impact on it. Their presence doesn’t matter,” says Dave Stringer, a kirtan wallah from Los Angeles who tours the globe. “One of the intoxicating things about kirtan is that it’s participatory. Your very presence shifts what happens."
Perhaps you’re someone who finds meditation hard to do, but you need more peace in your life. That’s where our weekly kirtan podcasts can help. The podcast can be played purely for musical entertainment, and I hope you find it appealing on that level. Play the chants in your car when you’re in a traffic jam, and you may find yourself with more patience. If your children are being fractious, try playing the podcast in the background to help them calm down. You can also use the chants to deepen your Yoga practice, or to accompany a walk. After awhile you’ll find they are becoming the background music of your life. You’ll feel more at peace, and your mind will be quieter. Give it a try.
(quote from “Kirtan! Chanting as a Spiritual Path” by Linda Johnsen & Maggie Jacobus, 2007, Yes International Publishers.)
