With everyone facing Covid, I think this song is so pertinent and  relevant in the present situation.  Jhirnu Vishirnu,  or song of service is still one of my favourites of the Prabhat Samgiit Collection, written with ink of the heart by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, the greatest Indian composer of the 20th century.  Click here to listen to the album 'Who Else Will' version. The beautiful painting on the cover of the album is by George Azzopardi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4hWDRbafeo

68/365 I left NZ in 1979 on a trip to the UK. On the way I stopped in Los Angeles. After a week or two I heard Baba was coming to Jamaica, so I hopped on a plane to Jamaica. There I got to Meet Baba physically for the first time. I sang a song for Baba, called Woman, the lyrics are by Rabindranath Tagore. Click below to see that video on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qDDEdYxPn4&t=1106s

67/365 My friend Tina Tourin wrote.. "I know what its like to hold soft innocence in your arms", which is exactly what I felt when I held my little one again after three weeks. It was a lovely day, with great company, great food, and high spirits.

What else to say.. Im getting the best present ever! Isabel, my daughter, is coming home tomorrow on my birthday! They have been away for three weeks in Czech visiting family. Click below to listen to Isabels song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrF9mQXROFw&feature=youtu.be

The End of our First Online Kiirtan Course - was really awesome, thanks to  everyone who shared their sounds, their voice, their soul. Maybe in future we will have a Kiirtan version of the Global Talent Show). Click below to listen to Unity Hours. thank you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bbd8or9C8Q&list=OLAK5uy_noW_l--_dcIphic45x_XaWcNzh8kif7oc.   

In this sixth session of the Online Kiirtan Academy Course, we were sharing stories and experiences about kiirtan, it was really lovely. Sometimes when doing something new, boundaries within are broken, and its possible to recognise that, yes, we are growing beyond what we've previously thought possible, its painful yet at the same time, painfully beautiful!  Click here to listen to Cascading Tears Kiirtan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lrxw78y5-E

Tonight I talk a little about what can you do with the emotion that comes up when we are making and playing kiirtan and what is devotion? What goes into making a kiirtan sequence? Although I am talking about a new concept,  it's old in the sense that kiirtaniyas do it whenever they choose kiirtans to play for half an hour or more in a row. Kiirtan sequences help us to choose which kiirtans to play that can weave together different strands of the dramatic devotional story. Click here to listen to Pradiip and me singing his divine kiirtan in Brazil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkGnN5PVAas&t=86s

What to do when someone joins the kiirtan playing drums or tambourine and is in their own flow? Drumming is so important in kiirtan and in Rarh kiirtan groups have made one whole section just for the drum solo. Its called katan and its amazing!. Check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJvLcXs7yh8

Many times we lose our voices when singing kiirtan because its quite strenuous if you are singing, dancing and playing the guitar continuously for over half an hour. But my training with Jagaranda was another incredible lesson in kiirtan voice training.  Listen to the strength and beauty of Shiva Ranjani Raga off Red Earth Fusion, to hear a traditional Rarhi Kiirtan raga.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoL1Hrx9sa4  

So tonight we gathered again, people from many different parts of the world to discuss the fundamentals of kiirtan and how we can improve our practice. I talked about the basic kiirtan rhythms of kiirtan that distinguishes it from other music genres, and about the ideation for lalita marmika kiirtan dance. We also had fun finding where to step on the first beat of the bar in time with different kiirtan tunes. Lalita showed us a very beautiful dance step based on Rarhi kiirtan, so that in future we can develop the dance form of kiirtan along with the music and singing. Amitabha gave us insight into the basics of pulse, beats, rhythms etc, it was all very interesting. One of the videos we watched showed some Kiirtan dancers (young girls) dancing very beautifully, at 5:22 mins. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1413869748806804/