Bhakti Fest Day 1. Vendors setting up, people arriving, the energy starting to ramp up. It always feels like I'm coming home when I come to Bhakti Fest. Home to the kirtan community, home to my Bhakti buddies. It is so great to be here. Please enjoy the m

I found this week's set to be inspiring, because the featured music brings us fresh, new interpretations of chant & kirtan. From Ian Boccio's resonant voice in Lahari, Nirinjan Kaur's serene offering, featured in the new 40-Day Sadhana from Spirit Voyage,

The first Fresh Tracks set was in 2010, and they have been opportunities to bring you new tracks from the world of kirtan. This is the first of those sets, filled with chants & artists that deserve another chance to be heard. And so we have a new series -

The podcast this week is a listener requested re-run. Enjoy! The chant "Hare Krishna" has gotten a bad rap. Since the 1960s the chant has become well known outside of India, mostly due to the efforts of the International Society for Krishna Consciousne

Grieving is a process. I must keep reminding myself of this as I move through its seasons in my life. "This time last year" is very much up, and as I move toward the anniversary of my mother's death I again find myself drawn to kirtan. It helps me to proc

What a day here in Madison! A stellar kirtan lineup, some wonderful fellowship within the community, and a rockin', funky "Hey Shiva Shankara" from Dave Stringer. Interviews with Mike Cohen, Joni Allen, Brenda McMorrow, Luna Ray & Ragani! A feast -- enjoy

Saturday at the very first Bhakti Fest in the Midwest! In this special edition of the podcast we have an interview with Sridhar Silberfein, a fun chant from David Newman's set and Krishna Das' opening prayer & chant. Enjoy, dear ones-- wish you were here

The "Let's Play Kirtan" sets are designed for those of you who like to sing kirtan & accompany yourself on an instrument. They're also for those of you who are thinking of forming a kirtan band. The New World Kirtan Band plays covers of the chants in this

I love the Fresh Tracks sets, as they're my opportunity to introduce you to artists who are either new to the podcast or who have newly released CDs.  This week's offering is mostly from artists I saw at Shakti Fest last month. There are some stellar art

Festivals like Shakti Fest have a curious effect on those who go -- after every festival it feels as though we've been somehow re-wired, and it's hard to come back from that blissful place. The trick is to not come back, but to stay in the bliss through l