(Kirtan Shakti)

The delightful Bhakti Without Borders, produced by Madi Das and Dave Stringer, features 12 singers from five countries. It is complete with musical mastery; it is one of those albums that satisfies your devotional and listening pleasure from beginning to end.

If you’re a sincere kirtan enthusiast, this album will surely rank in your top favorites. The melodies and arrangements of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition are very present and so enchanting, as they embody the sweet longing of the heart touched with loving devotion. The singers offering their voices and devotion include: Acyuta Gopi, Ananda-Amrita, Carmella Gitanjali Baynie, Chaytanya, Gaura Mani, Gaurangi, Jahnavi Harrison, Mallika Des Fours, Nalina Kaufman, Sudevi Dasi, and Tulsi Devi. These vocalists (collaborating with producers Madi Ji and Dave Stringer), have crafted a bhakti-drenched recording which serves to direct the consciousness toward the true meaning of prayer—to create a container to magnetize the Grace of God.

The intention of magnetizing such grace will benefit the Kirtan Shakti Project, a creative collaboration aimed at empowering and educating underprivileged girls in India. Listen to all ten of the tracks on the album with the knowledge that you’ve aided a noble cause will make the experience even more meaningful. Here, Bhakti Without Borders stays true to the ancient tradition of kirtan, with the inclusion of real karma yoga (selfless service). For more information, visit kirtanshakti.org.

By J.Yochanan Russell, a musician, Ayurvedic practitioner, and teacher who is also the editor-in-chief of Pranava Magazine: The Art & Culture of Kirtan in the West: pranavamagazine.com.

John Russell

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