Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Recap of the Omega Fall Ecstatic Chant weekend

Hello Beloveds:

The Omega Fall Ecstatic Chant 2013 Festival this past weekend was absolutely amazing!  Thanks to Stephan Rechtschaffen and Shyamdas for continuing to make this event a glorious expression of love and oneness.  As Gaura Vani said at the closing ceremony, the vibration just gets deeper and deeper every year.  We're on our way to becoming a Kirtan Nation!

I had the great privilege of singing onstage with the sublime Adam Bauer--a rising star in the kirtan world, whose first CD "Shyam Lila" will be released this fall. I was also blessed to sing at the finale with so many kirtan musicians I revere: Gaura Vani (my producer, no less), Jai Uttal, Ishwari and Sruti Ram of Sri Kirtan, Donna Delorey, Krishna Das, Steve Gorn, Vraj Devi, Ananta Cuffee, Visvambhar – Vish, Janaki Cuffee, John McDowell, CC White, Adam Bauer, Arundhati, Patrick McAndrew and Steve Postell. 

It was wonderful to see so many wonderful old friends at Omega and to make new friends as well. Among my new friends are the beautiful London-based wall Vrajdevi (a great friend of Shyamdas) and the dashing vocalist Patrick McAndrew, who sings with CC White.  I feel like I'm name-dropping, but it's just that I am so thrilled at how many beautiful and talented people there are in this world, and how many of them seemed to have congregated in Rhinebeck this weekend.

Shout-out also to the author Matthew Sharpe, a former Columbia University colleague with whom I lost touch with years ago but have found again. I'm so proud of all Matt's successes as an author and professor.
Jai ma!

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