New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World

Travel Well: A Tribute To David Newman. December 31, 1963 — April 18, 2024

Hello friends, I have sad news. On April 18th of this year our Bhakti world lost one of its brightest lights. David Newman left his body after a short illness, and his death sent waves of sadness & grief through the international Bhakti community. He was so young, and had so much left to give. But it was his time, and no one understood that better than David did. We hosted him for a kirtan & a workshop back in the spring of 2018, and he was a delight — deeply spiritual and also funny with a wicked sense of humor. Over the years I’ve seen David offer kirtan at many different festivals, but perhaps my favorite was when he wore the cheese hat at Bhakti Fest Midwest. That set is linked in the show notes, and I’ll also post the link to a GoFundMe for Mira and Tulsi, David’s wife and daughter. Please contribute if David’s music has moved you in any way. Last month we hosted Shantala here in Corvallis, and at the end of the kirtan Benjy & Heather offered their cover of ‘Tulsi’s Bliss’, from David’s CD ‘Stars’. Benji & Heather have led several pilgrimages to India with David, and they were close. When David got sick they composed the chant you’re about to hear and sent it to him, hoping it would lift his spirits. They performed this as the last chant of their kirtan here in Corvallis, and are accompanied by Jared May on bass and Johanna Beekman on vocals. It moved us to tears. I hope you also are moved by it. Link to Fundraiser for Mira and Tulsi So … getting back to the New World Kirtan podcast, I have been thinking so much about the path forward, and have come to the conclusion that it may be the time for a podcast that features mostly music has come and gone. I’m running into copyright issues, and the artists make money when I post playlists that feature their music on Spotify, but not when I play it on the podcast. This conclusion makes me so sad, because I have loved producing the New World Kirtan podcast for you. We started in 2008, when no one knew what a podcast was, and now there are so many that claim our attention. I want to thank each and every one of you who have listed to these offerings of kirtan music and interviews with kirtan artists over the years. Many of you continue to download the NWK podcast, and I’m always astonished at the weekly download numbers. We’ve been on a journey together over all these years, together through all the years of the great festivals with live recordings & artist interviews, We’ve gone through my mother’s death together, and two elections and learning about the kirtan scene in China, and when Kirtan went to the Grammy Awards. We were together during all the health stuff that happened to me and don’t think for a minute I didn’t feel your prayers. Thank you. Thank you for your emails. Thank you for being such a great audience. I hope I’ve contributed in some way to making your life better through this magical music. I’ll continue to be here, and I’ll post when something momentous happens in the kirtan world. I loved David Newman, and I couldn’t let his death pass without remembering his beautiful spirit and his music. I interviewed him several years ago, I’ll put the link in the show notes, and I’ll also include some links I’ve recorded of his performances in various festivals over the years. Savor his energy. He was special, and he will be missed. Your memory is a blessing, dearest David Newman. Travel Well, my friend. Travel Well. And until next time, dear hearts — Namaste. A Conversation With David Newman David Newman Live at Bhakti Fest Midwest The post Travel Well: A Tribute To David Newman. December 31, 1963 — April 18, 2024 first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

The Bhakti Love Reunion!

Hello friends, Happy Autumn! In this edition we’re featuring artists playing at next week’s Bhakti Love Reunion, October 13-15 in Weldon, CA — that’s near Lake Isabella. Three full days of Yoga, kirtan, music, dancing and great food — doesn’t that sound awesome? I am SO excited to be going, I haven’t been to a festival in such a long time, and many of the artists we all love will be there. Jai Uttal & Donna De Lory are headlining. There’s a lot more detail on the website, here’s the link. And if you enter NWK when you buy your tickets, you’ll receive a 20% discount! I hope to see you at the Bhakti Love Reunion! Ben Leinbach said it best; “It’s gonna be a great hang.” Indeed! Enjoy this magical music, dear listeners, and until next time — Namaste. The Music Jai Uttal: Dust & Tears; Ode To The Mystics Ananda Rasa Kirtan: Mulani – Dub Kirtan; Jagadambe Jay Ma Durga (feat. Prajna Vieira) Radhika Vekaria; Kali Johanna Beekman & Ben Leinbach: Yoga Soundtracks Vol. 2; Beauty We Love (featuring Girish) Donna De Lory: Sky Is Open (Mac Quayle_Donna De Lory mix) Jaya Lakshmi: Live at the Altar of Love; This Is The Day Kamini Natarajan; Jab Te Mohi Michael Hathaway: Offering; Servant (featuring Jai Uttal) Joss Jaffe: Dub Mantra Sangha; Ganesha Larisa Stow, Soon Soon Mikey Pauker & Johanna Beekman; Help Us Love Masood Ali Kahn; Ganesha (featuring Deepak Ramapriyan) Katie Wise & Bhakti Explosion: Lovolution; Lokah Love The post The Bhakti Love Reunion! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello Summer!

Hello friends, This set is devoted to the Divine Mother, with the exception of one chant, the title track from Shantala’s remarkable new CD ‘Five’. The whole CD is great, but I’m kind of obsessed with this track & have been playing it on loop. Heather Wertheiimer composed the chant over the course of the pandemic, and the mantra ‘Namah Shivaya” pulses like a heartbeat behind a five-line English prayer for our planet. The chanting flows in a layered musical tapestry that features the Grammy-winning violinist and singer Lili Haydn from Opium Moon, and she brings the piece into a beautiful new dimension. The other talented musicians who contributed to this remarkable track were Greg Barnett on bass, lead guitar, vocals, and vocals by Luna Marcus & Sarah Maines.I must have listened to it a hundred times, and it never fails to move me. I hope you’re enjoying this beautiful early summer wherever you are. It’s an honor to have you as a listener. Until next time my friends. Namaste. Here’s the link to Ziva Meditation: https://cd371.isrefer.com/go/ZOPreview/JaiMa/ Bhakti Love Festival: https://bhaktilove.com/ The Music: Jaya Lakshmi, Sublime: Jai Ma Edo & Jo, Bliss: Narayani Om (Abundance) Kristin Luna Ray, One Shared Heart: He Ma Durga Brenda McMorrow, Igniting the Beauty: Maha Lakshmi/Jai Ma David Newman, To Be Home: Bhavani Jaya Jaya Saul David Raye & the Atma Recording Project, 10,000 Suns. Music for Healing Peace & Awakening: Mother I Feel You (Gayatri Mantra) Feat. Sukhdev Jackson & Johanna Beekman Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band, Calling The Spirits: Jai Ma Mukti, Light of the Sun: Jai Jai Ma Shantala, Five: Five Deva Premal, Soul In Wonder: Lokah Samasta The post Hello Summer! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

A Set For Maha Shivaratri

I’m feeling blessed by a lot these days. Those of you who listen to the New World Kirtan Podcast are one of my biggest blessings — this community has enriched my life in ways too numerous to count. Thank you for being here. And we’ve been here together for quite a long time — the first edition of the podcast was posted in 2018 before anyone really knew what a podcast was. I was always trying to explain it! We’ve been through quite a journey together — my mother’s illness & death, my own surgeries & health challenges, several momentous American elections and the COVID-19 pandemic, to name a few. Kirtan & Bhakti Yoga were my anchors through all of it. To honor our journey, I’m rerunning some of the most downloaded episodes of the NWK Podcast over the years. We’ll begin with Om Shiva from 2013, to celebrate the Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri on February 18. This podcast has been a journal of sorts, and I have to say I loved listening to my 2013 self talking about how I’d like o build a kirtan community here in Corvallis. How far we’ve come! I’m blessed to have you as a listener, dear one. Until next time. Namaste. THE MUSIC 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: Om Namah Shivaya Prema Hara, Sweet Surrender: Shiva Appears (Om Namah Shivaya) Masood Ali Kahn, The Yoga Sessions: Om Namah Shivaya Betty Roi, La Lumiere Du Son The post A Set For Maha Shivaratri first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Kirtan Goes To The Grammy Awards!

Hello friends, I hope this finds you healthy & doing well. If the dark days are getting you down, take heart because on Wednesday we celebrated Imbolc, an ancient Celtic holiday that celebrates the beginning of Spring — it was traditionally celebrated by the lighting of fires to honor the sun goddess Brigid. This holiday traditionally marks the midway point between winter solstice & the spring equinox, so the light is coming back big time now. There’s a set to the Divine Mother to celebrate Imbolc up on Spotify at the New World Kirtan page if you’d like to listen. Life is good here, I hope the same for you. This edition of the podcast is an interview with Dave Stringer, Madi Das & Sean Johnson about the very exciting news that Madi & Dave’s CD ’Mantra Americana’ has been nominated for a Grammy award! Dave, Madi & Sean will tell you about the process behind getting the Grammy’s New Age category renamed to include chant for the very first time, how the pandemic helped with that process & led to the birth of the Auricle Collective — as you probably recall, I’ve been telling you about that project in the last several podcasts. Then we’ll hear about the mashup of musical influences that gave birth to this extraordinary album ‘Mantra Americana’, and how Dave & Madi feel about going to the Grammys for the second time. The music so rich musically, I know you’re going to love it! Now it’s Saturday, and the Grammys are tomorrow night, so let’s send the guys all our love and best wishes. And if you have a minute, don’t forget to give the New World Kirtan podcast a rating on iTunes, it will help more people to find us. Until next time, my friends — Namaste. MANTRA AMERICANA Hey Gopinath Boro Sukher Om Namoh Bhagavate Maha Mantra Americana Shri Guru The post Kirtan Goes To The Grammy Awards! first appeared on New World Kirtan > Calming Chants for a Crazy World.