This Diwali gathering was the first official celebration of a “Hindu” holiday at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits led a Kirtan that was a magical gathering. Chanting in the Bethlehem Chapel with guest singer and yogi, Vrindavan Rao from Ottawa, Canada, the Diwali Kirtan brought together 150 people from across the spectrum of Washington, DC vibrant spiritual and interfaith community. This event was hosted by the organizer of the Sacred Circles event, Grace Ogden, along with W. Rukmini Walker (Gaura’s mom). The Bethlehem Chapel is a synchronistic place to host this groundbreaking event as it was the first completed chapel in the huge structure that is the National Cathedral and is considered the cornerstone of the building. It has therefore maintained it’s distinction as a groundbreaking place for worship and community.
The VCU show on Oct. the 18th was great fun. Our good friend Gauri, a PHD student at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), invited us to perform as guests of the Yoga Education Student Orginization (YESO). The turnout was a little less then expected due to an unforseen student holiday that occured over the weekend, but all who were there danced and chanted their hearts out. Continue reading ‘Kirtan MP3s and Photos from VCU’
Saturday, we were welcomed at Baltimore Yoga Village for a spirited and interactive performance. Gaura brought his kids, who were eager to dance for everyone and Vrinda taught us all some fun Bharata Natyam steps. When the kirtan got going, all were equipped to move…with style!
Check out the pics and kirtan recordings from that night.
On Friday night, we spent some time with our old friends at Studio Serenity. The energy was calm and meditative until we decided that it was time to get our groove on. It wasn’t long before everyone was on their feet!
We recorded and uploaded all the kirtan from that night. Take a look!
Welcoming the Sacred Feminine in a Celebration of Diwali
Diwali program 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Free and open to the public
The Hindu-Vaishnav harvest festival of Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil and marks the start of the New Year. Small twinkling earthen lamps called “divas” are lit to welcome the feminine divine presence of Laxmi and her blessings of wealth and prosperity in an invocation of happiness for the year to come. Come add your voice to this joyful candlelit celebration as we chant the names of God in the ancient Indian call-and-response group worship practice of “kirtan.” Canadian vocalist Vrindavan Rao joins singer and harmonium player Gaura Vani and the sacred world music group As Kindred Spirits to invite us into a musical meditation of dance, healing, and connection with the divine. Continue reading ‘Diwali at the National Cathedral’
This year’s Philadelphia Ratha Yatra was amazing. The weather was perfect and the mood was relaxed and festive. The organizers were on top of everything and the food was incredible. Have we used enough adjectives?
Our friends, The Mayapuris and Tribhangi, also came up from Alachua, FL so we all got to play on stage together.
The Global Mala Project is a worldwide effort spearheaded by Shiva Rae, Sean Corne, Michael Franti, and yogis, yoga studios, performers and activists around the world. Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits were featured performers for this year’s Second Annual DC Global Mala, which coincided with the Fall Equinox and UN International Peace Day (Sunday, September 21st). Continue reading ‘Global Mala 08 - Kirtan Videos and Pictures’
Some more Kirtan recordings from our second show in Upstate NY. We were honored to stay with and perform for our friends Saci Suta, Keli Lalita, Raghunath and Bridget and their amazing and large familes.
A few weeks ago we performed in Upstate New York with our good friend and amazing yoga teacher Raghunath. We also recorded the performance for your kirtan thirsty ears.
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