"Kirtan
is consciousness-transformative, directing the singers to vanish into
the song as drops merge into the ocean. From a linguistic perspective,
Sanskrit is the mother tongue of many modern languages, and a kind of
periodic table of elemental sound -meaning.
The
mantras are primarily recitations of the names given to the divine. But
perhaps the true understanding of the mantras can be found in the sense
of unity, well-being and timelessness that they elicit. The mantras
quiet the mind, and the music frees the heart. Ecstasy is both the
process and the product.
The primary
musical feature of kirtan is the use of call and response, a figure
that also deeply informs bluegrass, gospel and jazz. Kirtan is not a
piece of dusty ethnomusicalogical taxidermy, it's a living, breathing
organisms spreading its genes out into the world.
The
Bhaktis had no use for orthodoxy. They saw the expressions and form of
the divine in every direction they looked. From this perspective, even
music that cannot be characterized as traditional can still be
expressive of the Bhaktis' original intention.
Inquiring
into the origin and nature of the universe, both Western science and
Eastern philosophy arrive at the obstacle of the mind. How can the mind
come to see beyond itself? Is it a matter of spiritual practice, or
sadhana, or is it simply a problem of chemistry?
Everywhere
you look, the mysteries deepen in unexpected new directions. Isn't it
amazing that you can now look at an MRI of someone's brain, and see how
chanting changes it? Singing, we move ourselves into a field out beyond
questions and answers. Encountering bliss, the mind is still."
Kirtan...sparks
the joy in you and your voice through Sanskrit mantras and meditation –
said to be the perfect cure to murky waters.
No experience is required to thoroughly enjoy oneself.
In the wonderful words located on one of Dave's CD's, Japa,
"Kirtan
is a folk form that arose from the Bhakti movement of 15th century
India. The Bhakti's wrote ecstatic love poems to the divine, and
went around singing all the time.
Their message was simple: Cultivate joy.
See the divine in one another. In the eyes of Love we are all the same.
This was, and still is, a radical message. They taught Sanskrit mantras
to common people using simple melodies....
Links to finding Kirtan...all over the world:
Dave Stringer: www.davestringer.com
Swaha: www.swaha.com
John Friend: www.anusara.com
Baird Hersey and the Prana Harmonic Choir: www.pranasound.com
Wade Morissette: www.wadeimremorissette.com
Lulu Lemon: www.lululemon.com
If you know of more good connections, please email Beth at beth@bethmartens.com |
