Wednesday, May 23, 2001


this morning i got some email asking me about music for yoga. let me make four recommendations. . .

perhaps the most familiar yoga music is kirtan, or sanskrit chanting. some people really enjoy singing kirtan as well as listening to it during asana practice. three singers ('kirtan-wallahs") seem particularly well known here in the USA:


  • jeff kagel, also known as krishna das, and who has recorded with yoga students madonna and sting on his triloka label;

  • christian hunter, also known as keshav, apparently yet another pal of sting's;

  • wah, a friend of krishna das' who has toured with yoga student courtney love;

  • jai uttal, a jazz musician and friend of yoga students don cherry, blondie, and bob dylan, who has toured with popular bands like yoga students phish and the beastie boys.



the reason i mention all these celebrity names is not only to attest to the quality of the kirtan-wallahs' music, but also to show how influential kirtan has become in contemporary popular music.

as for records i like, i particularly prefer krishna das' live on earth 2 cd set, esp. the first song on the second cd, "devi puja." there are quite a few people from bangalore at my job, and one woman noticed this album. i lent it to her; she waxed enthusiastic about it for a week. she found it very spiritual, which i guess shows the quality and sincerity of krishna das' music.

if you have any others to recommend, don't hesitate to email me!

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