Chant-4-Change Sets The Nation’s Capital Alight
January 20, 2009. It was a day that will not soon be forgotten: Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Only one day earlier, on Martin Luther King, Jr Day, some four hundred yogis, yoginis, and those with a general taste for the divine, celebrated Obama’s promise of change in a unique and uplifting way. They celebrated with a kirtan – call-and-response chanting – festival, the likes of which might be deemed the stuff of legends.
And I’ve been to my share of kirtans. But this one was special. It had the added weight of a new era – the hope of change, prompted by the promise of Obama as much as by Bush’s eight years of disappointment.
Kirtan leader and festival producer Gaura Vani echoed the message, “This event is just another example of how people are all coming together. It is a wave of transformational energy empowering the new administration. The purpose of kirtan is to transcend our differences and to see ourselves as connected in the service of the divine. Change is really happening.”
Chant 4 Change
The evening included international yoga personality Shiva Rea as the master of ceremonies, and opened with om and other mantra vibrated by Saul David Raye. This was followed by the lovely mellowness of Daphne Tse, whose acoustic guitar compositions set the tone of peace and harmony.
The contrast of Gaura Vani and his kirtan band, As Kindred Spirits, was palpable – his electric rock sensibility, augmented by traditional Indian dancers and a spirited drumming troupe, prompted Jai Uttal to say: “Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits are easily one of the most wonderful kirtan bands in the Western world! Listen, sing and be transported.” Everyone went wild.
Dave Stringer and Jai Uttal, one after the other, followed As Kindred Spirits. Each showed that they well deserved their reputation as kirtan masters with powerhouse voices, presented with style and passion. Kirtan is in every cell in their bodies, and they are able to transmit their love for God’s names to others.
Finally, Grammy-nominated artist Toni Childs left onlookers in awe. Her hip and bluesy rendition of “America the Beautiful,” equal parts Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin, appropriately ended the evening. But no one wanted the show to end, and for those trained in Yoga, or who have kirtan in their heart, it doesn’t have to. It becomes part of who you are.
For more information about Chant-4-Change, visit: chant4change.com
Steven Rosen (Satyaraja Dasa) is an initiated disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He is also founding editor of the Journal of Vaishnava Studies and associate editor for Back to Godhead. He has published twenty-one books in numerous languages, including the recent Essential Hinduism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008) and the Yoga of Kirtan: Conversations on the Sacred Art of Chanting (FOLK Books, 2008).
By Steven J. Rosen (Satyaraja Dasa)
