In Alachua, FL, which is just outside of Gainesville, there’s an elementary school called the Bhaktivedanta Academy, which holds a fundraiser event every year. This year, they invited us to perform for their Gitanjali concert. It was special for me because I got to play with a lot of friends who were in the area: Bada Hari played keyboard, Vishvambar sang and played flute, and Purusharta played bass. Many of our friends danced, including Vrinda, Vishvambar’s fiancé, and Anapayani and her students from the Bhaktikalalayam dance school. We only had one day for rehearsal, but we had a blast putting music together with a bunch of old friends, and came up with a performance that the community really appreciated. They had been hoping to bring in someone famous for their special event, but instead they just ended up with us, so we gave the performance our full heart. In the end, the Gitanjali fundraising concert raised over $21,000.

The next day, I had to leave for a friend’s wedding up in Philadelphia, so my trip south was a whirlwind tour. I came in on Thursday, spent all of Friday and half of Saturday practicing and performing, and then left sunny Florida to go back to the chilly north.

Gaura Vani

Listen to the entire Kirtan!

To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.

[download_cat#75]