Spring Ecstatic Chant

Celebrate spring with a weekend of inspiring musical prayer. Known in India as kirtan (Sanskrit for “devotional chanting”), the call-and-response, rhythmic quality of these prayers kindles a joyful mood and can lead to profound states of deep meditation. In India, kirtan is accepted as one of the surest paths to enlightenment.

During the weekend, we sing a variety of traditional and new chants in an array of chanting styles, accompanied by contemporary and ancient instruments, including the harmonium and tabla—standards in Indian classical music. The weekend includes an extraordinary late-night Saturday session.

This third annual program is a spring version of Omega’s Labor Day weekend ecstatic chant, which has enthralled sold-out audiences for many years.

Save $50 on the Labor Day weekend Ecstatic Chant workshop when you take Spring Ecstatic Chant. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts.

Faculty
Jai Uttal is a pioneer in the world music community. A student of India’s Ali Akbar Khan and master teacher Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Uttal’s blend of Eastern and Western sound has put his music at the forefront of the world fusion movement. His many albums include Beggars and Saints, Shiva Station, the Grammy-nominated Mondo Rama and Thunder Love. jaiuttal.com

Shyamdas, a kirtan leader in Omega’s Ecstatic Chant weekends, has lived in India for nearly 40 years, where he explores the arts of puja and celebration. He is a prolific translator and writer on the subjects of devotion, sacred chant, divine service, puja, and Vedanta. A well-known devotional bhakti teacher, he leads workshops internationally. shyamdas.com

Donna De Lory is a singer and songwriter whose music is a beautiful hybrid of English lyrics and devotional Sanskrit mantras set to modern melodies. A longtime accompanying vocalist for Madonna, Donna De Lory has also recorded with Selena, Carly Simon, Jewel, Bette Midler, and Carole King. Her new release is Sanctuary. donnadelory.com

Sruti Ram and Ishwari have gained fans and accolades for their passionate, heart-opening kirtan and their debut CD, Fire of Devotion. Both classically trained musicians, Sruti Ram has sung kirtan as his personal practice and in temples for 35 years while Ishwari has written and performed her own music for 30 years. Together they weave harmonies that create a haunting, hypnotic effect that uplifts the soul. ishwarimusic.com

David Newman (Durga Das) travels extensively singing kirtans and offering workshops on the healing power of sound and the devotional aspects of the yogic path known as Bhakti Yoga. Newman has released the CDs Soul Freedom, Lotus Feet, Leap of Grace and Love, Peace, Chant, as well as the CD/DVD set Into the Bliss. He is founder of Yoga On Main in Philadelphia and author of Merging with Grace. davidnewmanmusic.com

Mira, a dedicated practitioner of Bhakti Yoga and singer of kirtans worldwide, is acclaimed by LA Yoga magazine as, “ in her zone when she sings to God.” Also an accomplished percussionist, she has toured with Bhagavan Das and has released the CD, A Living Prayer. sacredcymbals.com

Gaura Vani’s musical roots are deeply planted in both Western and Eastern musical styles. At the age of six, Gaura Vani left the United States to study sacred music in Vrindavan, India. Twenty-five years later, he continues to share sacred music worldwide with his kirtan ensemble, As Kindred Spirits. The group has released two CDs, Ten Million Moons and Nectar of Devotion. gauravani.com

Omega is grateful to the additional musicians who support this event, including Daniel Paul