Kirtan Artists

mantrachants — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:00:22 +0000

Tulsi

Madhva

Jagat Pita

Hello world!

mantrachants — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:33:13 +0000

An evening of Kirtans with Jagat Pita and Madhva Anderson

Saturday July 2nd 2011

Doors open at 6.30pm

Kirtan starts at 6.45pm till 9pm

Venue:

Yogabase

255 liverpool rd

Islington, N1 1LX

Admission: Adults £5

To reserve your seat, please email info@MantraChants.com
(Spaces limited to 30 guests, Payment can be made at reception on the day)

Travel: British Rail and Tube: Highbury and Islington or Angel station

Bus: 4, 19, 30, 43

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7jClCnIXk

Kirtan is a group singing and music-making experience, involving ancient Sanskrit chants. It blurs the boundaries between performers and audience, and has been called “Sanskrit Karaoke”. Group singing and music has been part of human culture since time immemorial, but modern kirtan has its origins in the Bhakti movement of 15th century, when Caitanya Mahaprabhu took the tradition of sacred music from the temples of India and brought it out into the streets and homes of the people, re-integrating the sacred mantras with their places of congregation and living, and the popular music of the time. Kirtan is a living tradition, and continues to evolve culturally, while retaining its connection with an timeless core.

What do you do at your events?

We sing different mantras for about 20/30 minutes each. A typical kirtan will build over time as we all settle into the groove and the energy builds up. Sometimes people dance to the music, sometimes it becomes a deep inward journey aided by the collective singing and meditative music.

What is a typical time schedule for a kirtan event?

Allow 90 minutes and you’ll be good.

Is it religious?

The modern kirtan movement started by popularisers taking the sacred out of the temple and bringing it back to the street, putting it back in touch with people’s real life. It’s about integrating a vibrant spiritual practice with human community, rather than alienating it to an ivory tower where it is practised by an elite class. In other words, no it’s not about religion, it’s about keeping it real. Real people, real music, real experience together.

What should I wear?

Any casual comfortable clothing is good. Wear something that you’ll be comfortable sitting on floor (if you want – we also have chairs), or dancing if you want to. We leave our shoes at the door, so make sure your socks are matching or mis-matched, depending on how you want to rock it.

Do I have to sing?

No you don’t have to sing. You don’t have to swim if you go to a swimming pool either – you can just sit and watch other people swimming. Is more fun if you do it too, though…

Do I have to be a singer?

That’s what’s so great about kirtan – you don’t have to be a singer. There is a marvellous effect when many people sing together – because all the voices and pitches are different a wonderful wavering effect (chorus) occurs. Even if you can’t carry a tune, the kirtan can carry you, and your singing, however off-key it may be, contributes to create the total experience.

What are mantras?

Mantras are Sanskrit verses that encapsulate truths about ourselves, our inner nature, and the world around us. They are used as memory-aid devices for teaching. Short, easy to remember, often rhyming and set to particular rhythms, they are the means of transmitting truths in a pre-literate world. And they sound much better with music than Britannica or Wikipedia

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