The summer may be fading, but our love for kirtan is evergreen! If you are craving kirtan, please join us next weekend at Ananda Ashram in upstate NY for a blissful weekend of chanting with some of the most loved kirtaniyas on the East coast, including Karnamrita, Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, Shyamdas, Wah and a host of devotional musicians.

There will be two full days of kirtan, including optional yoga classes, meals and guided woodland walks on the beautiful ashram campus. See below for the full schedule, and we hope to see you there!

After our wonderful tour of the north east the Hanumen are calling on the name of Rama to leap over to the west coast for a joyful evening of kirtan. In collaboration with Bhakti Babe aka Sarah Garney, and local yoga studio, Paradise Found. we’ll be at the Unity Church of Santa Barbara on 14th September. Please join us – this will be our only date in the West before we all split again and head home.

SITA & THE HANUMEN

With Gaura Vani, Benjy Wertheimer, John de Kadt and Jahnavi Harrison (Sita)
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 7:30pm
Unity Church of Santa Barbara
227 East Arrellaga Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Doors open at 7pm
Tickets $20 in advance/$25 at the door
premium seating $30 in advance/$35 at the door

Tickets available at:
Paradise Found
17 East Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 564-3573

SITA & THE HANUMEN FACEBOOK Event Page: http://on.fb.me/hanumensb

We’re heading into fall now, and as leaves turn on one coast, we’re heading out to Bhaktifest in California, for a wonderful weekend that celebrates the bhakti yoga community on the West Coast. This is the third festival at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, and this year promises to be bigger than ever.

The evening crowd last year!

All of our Mantralogy artists will be leading kirtans over the festival, as well as many others, and we are excited that many of our friends and collaborators will be there to chant together. Two guests that we are really excited about are Radhanath Swami, who attended last year and gave some beautiful lectures and kirtans, and for the first time – Sacinandana Swami, a vibrant and devoted bhakti yogi who has dedicated the past few decades to teaching others the how, what, why, when, and where of chanting. Be sure to attend their talks if you can!

Though it’s always a sweltering event, we feel the cool shade of sanga with other bhaktas, who are said to be like wish fulfilling trees, hanging low with fruit and offering shelter to all. Please come and see us at the Mantralogy booth, where we’ll have all of our T shirts and CDs, as well as smiling faces!

Our booth last year, enthusiastically manned by Rasa and Sachi.

Remember this from last year?

Mantralogy is a US based team, combining our record label and clothing line that are based in Albany, NY, as well as the Mantralogy artists who live and travel all over the US and further afield. There has been such a rapid growth of interest in kirtan and bhakti yoga in the US, and we’ve been excited to be a part of that adventure.

However, things are blossoming elsewhere too. Here in my homeland of England, Kirtan has most commonly been known through the activities of the Hare Krishna movement in the UK – notably reaching the top 10 in the pop charts in the 1970s with a full on kirtan – unthinkable these days (or perhaps to be repeated!?) Over the years, Hare Krishnas have also been seen dancing and singing in the streets, wearing orange robes, and looking happier than any average English person usually permits. Just kidding.

Though it’s always been acknowledged that the US has had more of a headstart with the kirtan boom, the UK is following close behind. This weekend saw the first ever Bhakti Music Festival, taking place in the Somerset countryside. In a field, surrounded by cows, 300 people turned up to spend the weekend chanting and attending workshops on meditation, healing arts and kirtan from many different traditions. Almost the same number of people were on a waiting list for the sold out event, which had to be restricted due to venue limitations.

English summer weather couldn't dampen spirits.

I attended with my sister Tulasi, and we did kirtan on both days to a wonderful group of chanters. We also got to support others too, like Narayani, who has been tirelessly touring the UK in with her one-woman mission to capture the country with love for kirtan.

Kirtan inside the main 'Bhakti Barn'

Other tents facilitated workshops and smaller kirtans.

Kirtan throughout the day was well attended by the 300 festivalgoers.

Mantralogy stickers and As Kindred Spirits CDs alongside other local artists.

Festival organiser, Naomi - seen from within the 'Bhakti Barn' where kirtan was held.

The festival was organised as non-profit, with all proceeds going to charity. Organisers said they hoped it marked the planting of a new bhakti seed in the UK, and that it could one day become an event of the likes of Bhaktifest. I interviewed Naomi ‘Hari Pyari’ Francis – the festival’s mastermind, midway through the event:

We were all set for another repeat of June’s fantastic street kirtan, and assembled as planned in Union Square on a Friday night. The front part of the square was already filled with dancers, grooving away to loud reggaton music.

As the first few began to gather, and instruments arrived, light rain began to patter down – sending the dancers and all the onlookers running for cover. We stood our ground a little ambitiously, as the drizzle turned to a furious downpour. Undeterred, we began to serenade the crowds gathered under the overhang to the subway entrance. When the rain fell still harder, we escaped to the dry subway station, where the acoustics were perfect. Passersby stood for quite some time, and we even picked up some dancers that stayed with us for hours later!

We were blessed to have so many join us for the first time, and were touched by the comments of people that stayed and sang with us until the end. One girl had heard kirtan before when she was at university in Florida, and remarked how she didn’t understand the words, but just listening and trying to sing along made her feel so full and satisfied.

In the days since posting up some videos of our street kirtans, we’ve received so many words of encouragement and inspiration. So many people have loved seeing the exuberance and joy that kirtan out in public brings, and have been excited to see a whole new generation of people getting to taste that for the first time.

We do hope that this inspires you to do some kirtan out on the street where you are. It’s so simple, but it’s the quickest way to start a revolution, within and without. All you need are a few voices, some feet that work, and perhaps a percussion instrument or two. The most important thing is enthusiasm, and the mantra. We chant the Hare Krishna – maha (great) mantra. This mantra is especially meant for the modern age we live in, and was popularised by Shri Chaitanya, who took street kirtan to a whole new level.

If you happen to be in the New York area, please join us for a street kirtan! If you would like to find out when the next one will take place, or would like to join in with the fantastic new Kirtan Camp in the East Village, where you can learn more of the music, history and practice of kirtan from none other than kirtan legend, Acyuta Gopi, please contact Jason.

Acyuta Gopi - 'The Voice'

Ever wondered about the world behind the stories we often tell in kirtan? Or who the gods, godesses and demi-gods are, and how on earth they are all connected to each other? Where do they live? What do they do all day?

A new book from some of our friends aims to answer those questions and much more in a beautifully illustrated and extensively researched new book: The Illustrated Guide To The Vedic Universe. Creators Rasik Fitch and Jagannath Cassidy grew up with stories and characters from the Vedas, and wanted to pass them on in this unique way.

On their Kickstarter page, they explain that the book will be similar to books on the ‘Star Wars universe, the Lord of the Rings universe, the Harry Potter universe, and many other fictional worlds. These types of books contain descriptions of the history and special features of that “world” and many colorful illustrations of the main characters, creatures, animals, places, weapons, magical items, special powers, etc. This is the same type of book, but based in the Vedic universe!’

A sample page from the book, showing Arjuna, the famous warrior and devotee of Krishna.

They are currently raising funds to begin the extensive work on the project, involving many talented artists and researchers. If you would like to help, please click the image below to go to their website.

It’s been a couple of days now since we finished our tour of the north east. It was a wonderful adventure that took us through Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Block Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York – seventeen kirtans in eighteen days! We were blessed by the sweetest hosts and kirtan lovers in each place, and were honoured to share kirtan with many who had never experienced it before.

The gang after our our last kirtan in Boston: L-R Bonnie Argo, John de Kadt, Benjy Wertheimer, Purusartha das, Tulasi devi, Jahnavi Harrison and Warrick Moses.

There were so many great moments on the tour. As with anything that happens rapidly, it takes time to digest each beautiful moment. One of the most special took place in Waterbury, Vermont, where we were invited to do kirtan at the State Psychiatric Hospital. This is the highest level care facility in the state; the last resort for the 50 acutely afflicted patients, cared for by 400 staff.

We were invited there by our fantastic tour organiser, Jennifer Canfield, who has set up a non-profit called the Call and Response Foundation – hoping to bring kirtan to schools, hospitals, prisons and anywhere else it can have a powerful therapeutic effect. Walking into the grim building with her, lugging drums and other instruments, we were a little unsure of what to expect. Long corridors with barred windows eventually led us outside onto grassy lawn where about forty people were gathered. Most sat peacefully but some got up and moved away as we began to play and sing. After our first chant one older man called out ‘Do you know Harry Belafonte’s Banana Boat song?’ We obliged with a few lines, then moved into more chanting – Govinda Jaya Jaya!

We sang for about forty five minutes, just saying a few words in between each chant. I realised I had hoped to witness a dramatic external change in the patients – a Hollywood moment. I’d thought maybe they’d all end up dancing, or would miraculously be able to follow along with all the words. It certainly would’ve deepened my own faith in the power of kirtan. But as we received small smiles, a few clapping hands, or deep, heartfelt tears from one lady in the front row who talked to herself continuously, I realised that the effect of kirtan doesn’t always have to be so visible to be real.

Externally, kirtan can be like any other sweet, raucous live music experience. We sing, we dance, we play beautiful instruments, we challenge each other with complex rhythm and melody. But internally there is so much more going on. Kirtan is having an effect on a deeper level than the temporary body – it is awakening the soul. When we listen, it is our soul that is listening; when we sing, it is our soul that is singing; and when we feel profound joy within, it is our soul that is dancing.

Singing from her soul - Acuyta Gopi

Looking at the faces of the patients, even those seemed not to listen, I truly believed that they were experiencing the sound on a deeper level than their minds and medication were permitting. We can all experience this in our own way. Most of us experience mental turbulence to some degree each day, but sitting in kirtan, we often experience a deep relief – an opportunity to dive deep beneath the roiling waves on the surface, where the true colour and beauty of the eternal lie. In some ways, this whole world is a psychiatric hospital, and every mind is diseased – we think we are the cars we drive, the money we earn, and the bodies we live in for a few decades. Kirtan offers a universal medicine.

The staff thanked us profusely afterward and sent a brief report of their previous kirtan, with the Mayapuris.

‘The patients, who are challenged with severe and persistent mental illness, had the experience of being free from the the ill effects of their illnesses during the dynamic interactive performance. The music of the drums, flute, and chanting transported the audience into a peaceful place for that one idyllic hour. More than 80% of the patient population was present for the concert which took place in the common grassy yard that serves as the outside space for the maximum security hospital. Staff were moved to tears, and related that patients who are normally unresponsive to therapeutic attempts responded with emotion to the music.’

Enjoy these MP3s from the 24 Hour Kirtan brought to you by Mantralogy and The 24 HK.

• 00 24 Hour Kirtan 2011 – All MP3s .zip (1.33gb) (2609)
• 01 HH Bhakticharu Swami (634)
• 02 Agnideva (545)
• 03 Amala Kirtan (840)
• 04 Acyuta (426)
• 05 Ramdas (300)
• 06 Subhadra (274)
• 07 Rupanuga and Rina Mahapatra (208)
• 08 Rasa Chaitanya (213)
• 09 Pariksit (200)
• 10 Gauramani and Param (850)
• 11 Vani and Kishori Yatra (287)
• 12 Thakur (242)
• 13 Prema Hara (259)
• 14 Jagannath Kirtan (307)
• 15 Bhakti Lata (674)
• 16 Aksh (198)
• 17 Jahnavi (343)
• 18 Ananta Govinda (270)
• 19 Gauri Priya (238)
• 20 Gopal Trivedi (166)
• 21 Acyuta (287)
• 22 Gaura Vani (2192)
• 23 Ayush (2082)
• 24 Abhay (935)
• 25 Jamuna Jivan (1435)
• 26 Ekendra Tulsi Priya (1476)
• 27 Hari Kirtan (1633)
• 28 HG Mahatma (1584)
• 29 Krishna das (2010)
• 30 Agnidev (1873)

After our kirtan last night, silent lightning flashed for hours after a heavy downpour. This morning is fresh and clear though. Choirs of birds sing from the hedgerow chapels – sometimes bursting out and swooping through the air. The fields are full with wild roses, sweetpeas, and ox eye daisies. Low fruit trees and tangles of grapevines create green tunnels that eventually open out to the ocean. Welcome to Block Island!

Sunset on Block Island

Church by the ocean...

Block Island grapes line the roads.

Queen Anne's Lace attracts the BI honeybees. Seeking the nectar!

Yesterday marked our eleventh kirtan on this tour. In the past few days we’ve been to Harrisburg, PA; a few places in New Jersey; Staten Island and Rhode Island (none of which are actually islands). It’s really been a wonderful experience so far. We’ve been blessed with groups of eager chanters wherever we go, even though many have been very new to the kirtan experience. One girl in Harrisburg came to me at the end, moved to tears as she told how she read the Ramayana in a college literature class and had fallen in love with Rama many years ago. Singing his name for the first time suddenly brought back a flood of recognition as she realized his presence to be non different from the sound of his name. She had never chanted before, but showed me a tattoo of the word ‘Rama’ in Sanskrit on her body.

Block Island is a unique stop on our tour – hosted by the lovely Sue Littlefield, a bee farmer and yoga teacher here. Last night we did kirtan with almost 60 people in the local Catholic church that overlooks the sea.

Sue Littlefield, our host here (in pink) at the church.

It was an atmospheric setting. We introduced the idea of chanting to the mostly unfamiliar group, and were blown away when they sang back with gusto! I have been continually astonished at how willing people are to try new things – especially singing strange words at full volume! The other night in Rhode Island, two couples were blown away by the experience – describing it as ‘euphoric’ and speaking of the depth of feeling that they had been able to access. Those kind of comments are repeated everywhere we go. It’s humbling to be able to help facilitate that in any way.

Bonnie Argo

Folding T-shirts. Our eternal activity it seems.

Benjy - Wizard of Melody!

John - drummer, poet and secret lead singer

Playing for Shiva Rea's trance dance at Kripalu, MA.

Purusartha and Steve Gorn, who joined us on bansuri in Stone Ridge, NY.

Jai Sri Rama! Monkey Warriors!

Shani and Adelaide at Flow Together Yoga, PA - modelling Hanumen T-shirts.

Today we have one very welcome day of rest. Driving up to five hours every day and a high energy evening takes its toll after almost two weeks. Everyone on the tour works very hard – Benjy setting up and running sound whilst playing an incredible amount of instruments; John drumming like a madman and lugging equipment up and down and all around town; Purusartha and his wife, Tulasi setting an example for ‘love in action’ and Bonnie doing everything she can to be of service – whether singing or folding T-shirts.

Wiped out - and we haven't even started yet!

If you can join us in at any of our events on the coming evenings, please do. Your presence is a gift that we are always eager to receive.

July 20 7pm Roots and Wings Yoga and Healing, Newburyport MA
www.rootstowings.com
July 21 7:30pm Birthday Bhakti Bash, Montpelier, VT
www.sacredsoundseries.com
July 22 10:00am Seva Concert at Vermont State Psychiatric Hospital Waterbury VT magichousevt@gmail.com
July 22 7pm Awaken, Portland ME
lisabethsilverman@aol.com
www.theawakecollective.com
July 23 7:30 pm Kripalu, Lennox MA
Kirtan Concert
July 24 Yoga Three, Boston MA
Yoga Class with Live Music
Kirtan Concert
www.yogathree.com