Days and times matter little, our main objective is to bring people together, and practice Kirtan in community.
About the Events:
These events we host are between an hour and a half, and two hours, depending on time and space. Often we start with some gentle seated stretching, a little breathing, and maybe some vocal warm-ups. Nothing too fancy, just enough to get you into your body, breath, heart, and voice. We spend about 2/3 of the time chanting, with short breaks in between each song for a little commentary about the chant, deities, and the practice of Kirtan/Bhakti Yoga. We encourage participation and welcome beginners. We try to always end in Savasana.
Sometimes I lead chants with the harmonium, other times with the guitar, and sometimes I use both. Every now and then I pull out the Ukulele to change up the Bhav.
Logistics:
Depending on how long the event is, we like asking between $20 and $30 per person, but we have also made exceptions where we only charged $15. We never turn anyone away for lack of funds. That being said, when we charge $20+ per person, it is easier for us to bring in more musicians to the event, including backing vocals, percussion, lead guitars, etc. More musicians also means we have more people willing to promote the event and spread the word, which tend to make them more lively and fun.
All our events are promoted via our website, newsletter (sign up here), and social media platforms. Sometimes we even pay for advertising space, in order to reach more people who might be interested in joining us.
Our Personal Touch:
I’ve been a part of the “Yogi Community” for almost a decade, and there are few things I enjoy more than bringing people together to celebrate ourselves and each other, with all the names and forms of the divine.
The majority of the chants we do are mostly in Sanskrit, but every now and then we like to throw in some cross-spiritual, inter-faith, multi-religious chants, that can include names from any spiritual traditions around the world. Chant selection is based on the space, the attendees, and the feeling of the present moment. We take requests, if there are any chants or names you want us to include, please let us know ahead of time.
Aside from Kirtan, I also love sharing medicine music, and my own repertoire of original songs which I write and share on guitar. The name of the band is Divino BetSatori, a multi-language name which translates to “Remember Your Divinity”.
We are working on creating some more live recordings, and our first studio album is expected to be out for Spring 2023.
You can learn more about us, our music and our mission at www.divinobetsatori.com
Blessings,