Benjy Wertheimer, with his wife Heather, is the co-founder of the beloved kirtan duo Shantala; and over the years I’ve come to know him as the kind of guy who decides to stop waiting for the world to change and simply starts to change it. Benjy joins me from Portland, Oregon, where he and his […] The post Benjy Wertheimer: Love In Action first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Welcome back to New World Kirtan. I’m so glad you’re here. For the first episode of our new season, I sat down with the extraordinary Saul David Raye — musician, teacher, and devoted practitioner of yoga and sacred world music. We talked about what community means in today’s world, how kirtan opens the heart, and […] The post Saul David Raye: Turn The World To Love first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends! After two years away, the New World Kirtan Podcast is returning. This episode of the podcast will tell you more about the why. But basically, when we lost our beloved Bhakti brother David Newman — Durga Das — in April of 2024, the heart went out of me to continue producing this podcast. […] The post The New World Kirtan Podcast Returns – Building Community Through Chant first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends, I have sad news. On April 18th of this year our Bhakti world lost one of its brightest lights. David Newman left his body after a short illness, and his death sent waves of sadness & grief through the international Bhakti community. He was so young, and had so much left to give. […] The post Travel Well: A Tribute To David Newman. December 31, 1963 — April 18, 2024 first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends, Happy Autumn! In this edition we’re featuring artists playing at next week’s Bhakti Love Reunion, October 13-15 in Weldon, CA — that’s near Lake Isabella. Three full days of Yoga, kirtan, music, dancing and great food — doesn’t that sound awesome? I am SO excited to be going, I haven’t been to a […] The post The Bhakti Love Reunion! first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends, This set is devoted to the Divine Mother, with the exception of one chant, the title track from Shantala’s remarkable new CD ‘Five’. The whole CD is great, but I’m kind of obsessed with this track & have been playing it on loop. Heather Wertheiimer composed the chant over the course of the […] The post Hello Summer! first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

I’m feeling blessed by a lot these days. Those of you who listen to the New World Kirtan Podcast are one of my biggest blessings — this community has enriched my life in ways too numerous to count. Thank you for being here. And we’ve been here together for quite a long time — the […] The post A Set For Maha Shivaratri first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

Hello friends, I hope this finds you healthy & doing well. If the dark days are getting you down, take heart because on Wednesday we celebrated Imbolc, an ancient Celtic holiday that celebrates the beginning of Spring — it was traditionally celebrated by the lighting of fires to honor the sun goddess Brigid. This holiday […] The post Kirtan Goes To The Grammy Awards! first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

It has been a glorious summer & fall here, one of the most beautiful I can remember. But now the rains have started, and the leaves are falling. The Corvallis kirtan community continues to grow, and we’ll be starting live kirtan concerts again in December. It feels good to be returning to this magical practice. […] The post Thoughts of Peace, Words of Love — More Fresh Tracks From the Auricle Collective first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.

OK, guys — time is running out! Let’s all come together and support the Auricle Collective by clicking on this link. I hope you all enjoy more new music from the talented artists of the Auricle Collective. Be well, enjoy the summer, and until next time — Namaste. THE MUSIC: Sean Johnson & the Wild […] The post More Fresh Tracks From The Auricle Collective! first appeared on New World Kirtan Calming Chants for a Crazy World.