Those of you who have kids and also love to listen to music by Snatam Kaur will probably love the two new products that Snatam is about to release. The first product is called "Shanti the Yogi - Mountain Adventure - Yoga, meditation & music for children"
In this beautifully filmed and illustrated DVD, Snatam Kaur takes children on a mountain adventure with Shanti the Yogi. They will have a positive experience of yoga, mantras in motion, music and play. As children enter Shanti’s world through the beautifully presented story-telling and illustration, they are also guided through yoga and movement by Snatam Kaur in a children’s yoga class setting. The joy-filled music that the children sing with Snatam Kaur was made specifically to accompany the yoga, story, and mantras in motion on this DVD.
Snatam Kaur spent years sharing her unique musical yoga story-telling with children around the world and has finally captured it on film for children to take home with them. This is a children’s yoga adventure that parents are sure to love too!"
This weekend was pretty relaxed and nice. On Saturday we had a Baby Shower Party for Snatam Kaur who is going to be having her first child! Arjan was busy organizing and co-coordinating everything for the party. Normally only girls go to these parties….but Snatam and Sopurkh wanted it to be open to all, so us guys were allowed.
It turned out to be a very fun and special event. It started with 31 minutes of beautiful Kirtan by Sat Purkh Kaur and company. We then had lunch/food/socialized and then played some games. We played a custom version of the game called “Pictionary” where a someone reads some word or thing and they have to draw it on a paper with your team members trying to guess what you are drawing. The variation was that Arjan made baby/pregnancy related words so it was lots of fun. My team did pretty well because we had lots of veteran parents. Hahaha… it was good fun. Continue reading ‘Snatam Kaur’s Baby Shower and Weekend Pictures’
This weekend we celebrated the arrival of new souls joining into our community. It seems that the next "wave" of babies are on their way. My friends Guruprakash Kaur and Guru Darbar Singh along with Satmittar Kaur and Satguru Singh are both pregnant and preparing for new children in their families (along with Snatam Kaur who is due soon). Generally on the 120th day of pregnancy we join together and do kirtan and meditate to welcome the soul of the child.
Sat Mittar Kaur and Satguru Singh organized a beautiful rehnsabhai kirtan on this occasion. Yummy Langar, Good sangat, and beautiful kirtan. So Friday night many of us enjoyed hours of Gurbani Kirtan and meditating. There was a mix of shabads from lots of different sangat. With the coming of Guru Ram Das Ji’s Birthday many people sang shabads by Guru Ram Das and others sung in praise of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
It was so nice; my kids even behaved, so I could sit and meditate. I had to check periodically on my son Narayan Singh to make sure he wasn’t doing something mischievous. It’s normally only a matter of time if I don’t keep watch on him like a hawk. Part way through the night I didn’t see him around anywhere so headed to my office to look for him (The SikhNet office which is part of the Gurdwara building). Lo-and-behold, there he was with his friend Sahib Singh playing pinball on the computer. This wouldn’t normally be such an issue, but it so happened that the computer he was playing on was the same computer that was broadcasting live online and recording the kirtan going on! The next day I heard from my wife who said she was sleeping to the Kirtan when she heard these "scary loud banging, electronic sounds". I told her that it was the sound of Narayan playing pinball at the office. Hahaha. One has to laugh at these things. I was just listening to the recording and the pinball sounds were SOOO LOUD. I guess it was meant to wake people up. DING>>>DING!
Every year during the 3HO Summer Solstice Event in the mountains of Espanola, New Mexico many of us enjoy hearing beatiful kirtan by so many talented musicians from many different backgrounds. I was able to record some of it to share with you all. It has taken me some time to go through the audio tracks, find the good stuff, split them out, clean them up, etc. etc., but I think it is worth the wait! The recordings below are a mix of beautiful classical Gurbani kirtan and western style kirtan from a range of musicians (many whom you might be familiar with). So, sit back, relax and enjoy! (Audio player at the bottom of this blog post)
Some of My Favorites
Bhai Kultar Singh This summer Bhai Kultar Singh and his jatha visited our Sangat and it was so inspiring to hear them play kirtan and talk about Gurbani (in English). When I listen to the kirtan it just takes me to the time of the Gurus.
Raj Academy Jatha This summer we had a lot of classical kirtan which was so great! On Sunday during the week of Summer Solstice it was such an experience to hear all the stringed intruments all together played by the Raj Academy Jatha with Prof. Surinder Singh (UK). It evoked such emotion and longing for the Guru. Waheguru! I’m in love with the taus instrument. It has such emotion and beauty.
Chardikala Jatha We can always count on beautiful and energetic kirtan from this jatha.There are some great recordings of them. A few of them had some audio distortion, but I posted them anyways because they are still so nice.
I just happened across this nice video on Snatam Kaur and Guruganesha Singh sharing their gratitude about being able to do what they do; traveling around the world, singing gods prays, and uplifting people. I feel the same way about the work that we do at SikhNet and also feel fortunate and grateful to be able to do this.
The sun was beautiful, shining warmly on the Los Angeles neighborhood nestled between the two busy streets of Fairfax and Beverly. I was using some free time between recording sessions on my upcoming children’s album to take a walk. One of my favorite things to do is look at houses and lawns. It’s a fascination for me, really. I love to see beautiful homes and gardens, and in LA there are so many that it is just pure entertainment. As I walked, I was enraptured by the beautiful white roses climbing up white picket fences, the perfectly manicured lawns, the fancy gates with pathway lighting, the exotic orange flowers that look like flamingo heads, and the beautiful windows and stone-laden driveways. I wove in and out of the quiet streets for quite some time, feeling serene and meditative, and then I took a turn and suddenly found myself right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in LA. What a shock.
Those of you who have an IPOD or other digital audio/video player might have heard the term "podcast". Podcasting is a way to get the audio/videos automatically downloaded to your computer or portable audio player. Once you have things set up, you will always have access to the most recent shows, as MP3 files on your computer or portable device, ready for listening!
There are very few Sikh related podcasts at this time, however one of my friends (Dr. Savi) produces a regular podcast called "Sikhwithin". One tuned into one of the recent podcasts and enjoyed listening to it, so I thought I would share it with you all.
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You can also hear another recording with Dr. Savi on BBC Radio on the topic of "Religion in the Digital Age".
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I just got a copy of the new Snatam Kaur Live in Concert Album today and as soon as I got home I started watching the DVD 45 min video documentary (Path of Peace) which is part of this album. It was so inspiring to watch and see the "behind the scenes" of the Celebrate Peace Tour (Snatam Kaur and company) which meant to bring peace to people all over and from all backgrounds. Narayan snuggled up on the couch as I held Charanjeet Kaur in my lap sitting on the floor. The sounds and music made everyone (including Charanjeet) quite and relaxed. It was quite nice.
I then embarked on the next phase of my evening relaxation listening to the Audio CD of Snatam Kaur Live in Concert. I still had my parental duties to take care of so while listening to the CD after dinner I got the kids in the bathtub, cleaned them off, gave Charanjeet her nightly massage and dressed in pajamas. Near the middle of the CD when the kids were all taken care of I put on my wireless headphones and got "in the zone" lying on the couch listening to the music. All I can say is "aaaaahhhhhh". I melted away.
So, if you don’t have a copy of this new album head on over to SpiritVoyage.com to get one! (If you order before Oct 26th you can 20% off if you use the promo Code: autumn17 at checkout)
In related news: On Oct. 30th here in Santa Fe, New Mexico Snatam Kaur will be performing at The Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings Benefit Concert and CD Release Party! (Even if you are not local this might just be a great chance for you to come visit us!)
"Recorded at concert halls, churches and yoga studios as Snatam Kaur and her ensemble traveled across North America, you’ll hear performances which soar to the heights of these sacred spaces and find a home in the hearts of their audiences. Join in the magical experience of Snatam Kaur Live in Concert. Also includes a bonus DVD, Path of Peace, that intimately chronicles this tour.
This album fulfills years of requests for Snatam Kaur to capture the experience of her live performances on CD. There is something mystical that happens at her concerts that is represented in these songs.
The album opens with Azure Salver, a prayer translated in the book Peace Lagoon (Sukhmani Sahib). This song has been a favorite at her concerts, but has never been recorded before. This song is hilighted by the clarity of Snatam’s voice, the poetry of the lyrics, and the expert instrumental accompaniment."
Many people have requested audios from the week of the Summer Solstice camp, so here are a few for you all. If you haven’t already downloaded the mp3s by Ustad Narinder Singh and Murli Manohar (teachers of Chardikala Jatha) I suggest that you check those ones out too!
The first set of audio clips are from the all night Rensabai Kirtan on the last night of Summer Solstice Camp. I don’t know who the musicians are who sang for some of them so didn’t include that. Then there are a some of other recordings of Snatam Kaur, Chardikala Jatha, and others who you might recognize.
Those of you who have kids and also love to listen to music by Snatam Kaur will probably love the two new products that Snatam is about to release. The first product is called "Shanti the Yogi - Mountain Adventure - Yoga, meditation & music for children"
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