Jyoshna - From Nothingness To Empowerment

Tonight I talk briefly about a few of my favourite Kiirtan songs (Pada Kiirtan), one in particular Ami Jedeke Takai. It is on the Dancing Divinity album recorded in 1999 after our performance at Sweetwaters Festival near Auckland. Click Below to Hear the Kiirtan on Sounds of Silence at 24:41. Thank you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlh53Toi9T8&t=1261s

I spent some time with Ashoka Dhar, a renowned Dhrpad singer living in Kolkata in 2005. We used to sit for over an hour and sing Sa... to the sound of the tamboura. Its mystical effect still woks today.. To Celebrate the 55th day I sing 'Who Else Will' a Prabhat Samgiit song. Click below, thanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4hWDRbafeo

Today I talk briefly about What goes into making a blissful recording of Kiirtan Chants.. is it the Experiences.. the People? or the greater purpose?.  Click Here to see the Avarta Kiirtan I Album Launch in Whitegate, Co Clare, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_V_u0io14c&t=791s

Today I talk about the fascinating structure beneath Rarhi Kiirtan that Tinku and I delved into, in our research into Rarhi Kiirtan... It was unknown to anyone outside the tradition until we managed to unravel its amazing secrets. Click below to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJvLcXs7yh8

Today I talk briefly about blind spots and find the beauty and intensity of Rarhi Kiirtan again. Click below to see it near the end of the video   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFBNsnnWjto

Tinku (Sanjay Kumar Mahato) talks about Kiirtan and Covid - Tinku is my friend and has been my research partner since 1997 in India. I stay with his family whenever I go there to research kiirtan together. Today he talks about how it is believed that kiirtan can bring rain, cleanse the environment and heal heart and mind.  The recorded sound is not good but I think you will get the good vibes...

50/365 Kiirtan Rhythms and Ecstatic Dance In this podcast I talk about the amazing khol drum rhythms and sounds in Rarhi Kiirtan. How this musical goldmine gave me the material and inspiration to  prove absolutely that kiirtan is a music genre in its own right with its own central corpus of compositions/composers/and a very unique infrastructure. Click Below to see the most amazing Rarhi kiir...

Today I talk briefly about kiirtan literature - how incredibly subtle and sensual it is at the same time as you can hear in the Gitagovinda by Jayadeva for example, (11th century), how it reflects the potential within each of us to experience infinite love for the divine. Click below to listen to a song I write in this bhava or 'mood', called 'I Kiss Your Fingers' on Longing album. https://www.you...

In this interview I talk to Amitabha (Erik Azzopardi) as we prepare to teach the Kiirtan Course together. We have been friends since 2004 when we both arrived in London. Now we are embarking on a new venture, one we are very excited abou. oClick Below to LIsten to' Mermaid', a song on UNity Hours II album, with Amitabha playing a beautful piano part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUIwDMoCGg the...

How to manifest a dream without giving up - its been a dream of mine to have a Kiirtan Academy but it could only happen after huge personal struggle and transformation

Jiivan and I talk about how we recorded Avarta Kiirtan 1 at sunrise Farm in County Clare, Ireland. It was a very collective /collaborative project!

Kiirtan Dance is not as common in the west as it is in the East. But how many of us have fallen in love watching someone dance...how important is it to be able to be in the Flow and feeling Bliss. Click the link to see Rarhi Kiirtan -    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJvLcXs7yh8   

Today I interview Christina Tourin, Celtic Harp player , composer and leader of the International Harp Therapy Programme .  We talk about her vision and how she started manifesting it firstly in one small city in Vermont, then watching it grow exponentially year after year to become the most successful harp Therapy programme in the world.  WE also talk about her experience playing on the...

What Qualification do I think I have to be giving this Kiirtan Course?. Today I share an experience I had with my guru and the events in my life that happened after that. To hear the music click on the link below. It's of a friend, Dharma singing 'You are Mine' in Portuguese, but its really about sharing the spiritual journey with others and meaningful collaborations. https://www.youtube.com/watch...

I am excited and can't wait for it to begin. I am so looking forward to sharing with you my research and experience, so am launching my Online Kiirtan Course, Transform Your Kiirtan- Transform Your life ..in a few days..  Are you Ready? Will you Come? I am definitely going to be there :)  Expan he dialogue box to click the link below on the Shiva Gajan festival - rare footage of a Tantri...

Today I talk with Acarya Cirasmita from Vermont, USA, about her work with AMURTEL. She talks about the children in the AMURTEL CHildrens home. stories that will break your heart but stitch it up again full of love when you hear what she has to say.. Plus a little reminiscing about recording 'Touched by The Sea' album together in Vermont.  Expand the Dialogue Box to Listen to 'How Can I say Go...

Today I share one very personal experience  with my spiritual teacher, (who I call affectionately, Baba) when Baba said something very profound to me..Please click the link below to listen to Dharma Kiirtan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqwilnQEhpE

Today I interview Rajatakrishna, a superb musician and friend from Argentina. We have worked together on four major projects, 'Red Earth Fusion' album  (Rajatakrishna was the sound engineer), two Brazilian performance tours and 'Kiirtan Live in Brazil' (recorded together). He is also spearheading the RAWA movement (Renaissance Artists and Writers Association) in Argentina and Brazil with his...

39/365 Sometimes it takes some creative thinking to satisfy others needs and yet not compromise ones own. So in making a diverse kiirtan concert I found I could stitch together 'Threads of Bliss' in a kiirtan style and hence sing only one mantra. Click the link below t Listen to Anand Sutram Part 1. The Creation Cycle, the Tantric philosophy of Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. Expand the Dialogue Box an...

My special guest today is Anjali Silva, a brilliant singer/songwriter/kiirtaniya living in Olympia Washington, USA. We discuss Anjali's background in Latin American music, her kiirtan protection story and her experiences recording 'Red Earth Fusion Kiirtan' album together, among other things. click below for links of us playing together in 2008 and a track from Red Earth Fusion titled Shiva Ranjan...

Three Big Mistakes a Kiirtaniya should Avoid at All Costs but which  taught me some very important lessons.   Surrender Kiirtan: written in the early days in Australia at Yoga Lifestyle Training   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYnp1cVV1v0

36/365 I am now surrounded by deep red poppies when it used to be Japanese knotweed.  In this process of moving from grief to motivation or nothingness to empowerment I find myself at a bit of a plateau at least for the moment. Click below to listen to Plateau (at 6:30), written in Vermont, USA at Cirasmita and Giridhara's place many years ago. Click below to listen to Plateau (6:30 mins).&nb...

How friends become family when you love what you are doing together - Michael Lloyd  and I. Michael and I have known each other since the late 90s. Michael is a musician, writer and producer, and presently works for TVNZ on 'Shortland Street', among other things.  His family, Sarah, Amelie and Sofia, and mine are very close and I am god -mother to his daughter Amelie. We have made more t...

33/365 During this time, I find myself using Three very Powerful Tools to Protect myself and others during Covid. Listen to some uplifting kiirtan at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmP_FbypLRc&list=PLOk7i-zvC-Es8GmgP6AT4R9ysWjqR7BSN  

Really excited about sharing my kiirtan collection with you..very soon!  Coming from a serious rock bottom, to getting motivated again and finding my directions again is what its all about for me now.  Click below to hear Puri Kiirtan   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynaVgxbXx-8&list=OLAK5uy_kGVYr2eSvO5_1gWic1nJ5VcH8Zyit1kj8