Hi friends,
Well, Kirtan Camp is over, and with tears and hugs and laughter and promises to stay connected, all the campers returned to their homes. Once again I’m amazed by the power of this thing we call Kirtan Camp. Sure, Daniel, Nubia and I have a lot to offer, as do all the campers, but what happens there seems to be above and beyond all of us. It’s as if all the gurus, guides, and great ones gather to listen to our simple attempts at singing, praying, even just counting beats, and bless us and grace us and pour magical pixie Bhakti dust on our heads….. Really!!! (Sound a little crazy? Well, I feel a little crazy. But who doesn’t?)
Anyway, now we’re packing for our trip to Brazil in two days. (Now that’s crazy!!!!!). Half vacation, half work, and half family visit. (The ‘new math’ as taught by Ezra Gopal.) I’m quite excited about our gigs in São Paulo. (Check my events page for details). The Brazilian kirtan ‘audience’ is always super inspired and inspiring, dancing and singing as only Brazilians know how to do. Daniel Paul will be with me, and this time so will Prajna Vierra on vocals, from the Kirtan band, Mukti. At Yoga Pela Paz, a huge free festival in beautiful Ibirapuera park, I’ll even be singing with my old friend and ‘gurubai,’ Krishna Das. So if your thinking of making a big pilgrimage this week, fly down to Sao Paulo!!!!!
The other big news is that my new album Bhakti Bazaar will be released at the end of August. It’s another collaboration with Ben Leinbach, somewhat along the lines of our Music for Yoga and Other Joys… CD, also released on the Sounds True label. I really love this record. And to whet your appetite, I’ve put a sample of one of the songs on my site as a free download. Please check it out here.
Before signing off I want to remind you all about our upcoming Winter Kirtan Camp in Mar De Jade, Mexico. This place looks absolutely amazing. They’ve been hosting retreats for about 30 years and are anxiously awaiting our joyously noisy gathering. And for us in California, it’s just a 2 hour flight!!!! But here’s the important part: the ‘early bird’ special expires on September 1st, so please act now and get a better price…..
Ok, that’s it for now. Time for me to do some packing, check on our flight reservations, see if my instruments need any attention before we travel, put some flea medicine on our little kitty cat, take my vitamins, check the phone machine, and, and, and, and, and hopefully get a good night of sleep. I need it!
Lots of love,
Jai
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