Bhakti Fest, a Transformational Event September 15-17 in Joshua Tree, California, Announces New Lineup Additions

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Joshua Tree, CA – June 22, 2023 – Bhakti Fest, Southern California’s popular yoga and spiritual music festival, is excited to announce several additions to the talent lineup of their 2023 edition at the beautiful Joshua Lake & Campground over the weekend of September 15-17.

Newly announced yoga teachers include superstar Seane Corn, plus Raghunath Das, Hemalayaa & DTO, Devasonic, Natalie Valle, and Carmen Curtis from ARIEL Yoga. Other all-star yoga instructors include Yogrishi Vishvketu, Shiva Rea, Kia Miller, Andrew Sealy, Tejal Patel, Tommy Rosen, Allison Eaton, Govind Das & Jacqueline Michelle, Harpinder Kaur Mann, MC Yogi & Amanda Giacomini, and local favorite, Urban Yoga’s Kristin Olson. From those who have never stepped foot on a yoga mat to those who don’t travel without one, all student levels are welcome and encouraged to attend.

A curator of sacred sound, Bhakti Fest will host non-stop Kirtan and chant, along with other conscious music, across various musical genres, including blues, rock, pop, gospel, traditional, and hip-hop. New music lineup additions include Ayla Nereo, Amritakripa, Satsang, Radhika Das, Fantuzzi, and Egeman Sanli. 2023 headliners include transformational music legend Michael Franti, and Grammy nominees Pato Banton, Krishna Das, and MC YOGI. This year’s musicians also include favorites such as Desert Dwellers, Snow Raven, Sol Rising, DJ Drez & Marti Nikko, David Starfire, Raghunath Das, The Hanuman Project, Nina Rao, Gina Sala, Karnamrita Dasi, and more.

Bhakti Fest provides participants with the unique opportunity to interact and learn from some of the greatest luminaries of our time. New workshop leaders include Sita Devi Dasi and Paul Heussenstam. Other speakers include Michael Brian Baker, Radhanath Swami, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Jai Dev Singh, Nidhi Pandya, Indy Singh, Scott Blossom, Reginald Hubbard, Zoe Kors, and Tejal Patel.

Bhakti Fest is a pioneering gathering known for non-stop yoga, kirtan and other spiritual and conscious music, meditation, sound healing, vegetarian cuisine, therapeutic bodywork, spiritual study, conscious community, and transformation that continues to serve as a beacon for spiritual seekers from around the world. After a COVID-driven break since 2019, the festival is excited to welcome its fans home.

Festival producer Bella Silberfein notes, “We are so thrilled to be collaborating with such an amazing lineup of talent for the return of Bhakti Fest this year. It is amazing to see how excited the community is for it to be back and to gather again after the past few years.”

No family festival is complete without a Kids’ Village! In the cool shade, fun, physical, creative, musical, and conscious activities allow parents and children to enjoy time together.

Bhaktis will feast on various raw, vegan, and vegetarian food and beverage options. There is an extensive marketplace with eco-friendly, sustainable vendors offering clothing, devotional art, musical instruments, CDs, crafts, jewelry, and more.

Accommodations onsite include glamping, camping, and RV parking. There are also several hotels within a few miles of the campground that offer discounts for attendees.

With a world-class lineup of musicians and yoga instructors, conscious workshops, and artisan vendors, Bhakti Fest offers the most heart-opening, consciousness-raising experience of any festival today. Attendees describe the festival as “immersed in the greatest conscious party you have ever experienced, filled with music, yoga, dancing, love, light, and heart-centered community.”

Tickets for Bhakti Fest 2023 are available here. The non-profit festival donates a percentage of its funds to charities and other nonprofit groups that provide food, education, and environmental beautification programs worldwide. These include Food for Life Vrindavan, Love Serve Remember Foundation, Ramana’s Garden, Share Your Care, and the Seva Foundation.

Vincent & Theo Release Debut Single “Soul Smell” with Amazing AI Video Tomorrow

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Los Angeles, CA – May 11, 2023 – Vincent & Theo, the exciting collaboration between top television composer David Schwartz and singer/songwriter and noted guitar slinger Julian Coryell will release their first single and video, “Soul Smell” tomorrow May 12 on all platforms linked from here.

“Soul Smell,” asks a rarely thought of question – what does your soul smell like? The single inspired video director Ian Schwartz to create a unique AI-assisted video of monkeys at a bar, in space, and in a cyberpunk landscape to accompany the song. The video can be seen here.

“Soul Smell” is the title track for the Soul Smell album set for release on June 2. This unique project resulted from a COVID file-sharing collaboration between these two Los Angeles musical fixtures, Emmy-winning TV composer David Schwartz and singer/songwriter and session/touring guitarist Julian Coryell (Alanis Morissette, Demi Lovato) recording as Vincent & Theo.

As Julian was the main lyricist on the project, he notes that his inspiration for “Soul Smell” was, “What does your soul smell like, is an existential way of asking, how are you doing? This is a recurring theme throughout the album, examining life’s perennial queries from a quirkier perspective.”

Unlike the instrumental and guitar-oriented work they are known for, Soul Smell is a jazzy alt-rap affair that recalls both the spoken word and lyrical grunge of the 90s – Soul Coughing, 311, Cake, but sans guitar, along with a healthy dose of William Burroughs, Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen’s world-weary slices of life.

In just a few short months, they had 11 songs which they filled out with some of their favorite musicians: noted film and television singer/songwriter Lucy Schwartz (vocals, vocal arrangements), keyboard legend Larry Goldings (piano, synths), Death Cab for Cutie’s Zac Rae (keyboards, synths), and popular LA session drummer Jake Reed (drums, percussion).

The group will play an album release event at the legendary Westside club The Mint on June 5 as part of the popular bi-weekly Monday night club Hunnypot Live – Where Music Lovers Go To Play. The well-liked event, hosted by music publisher John Anderson in his “Hot Tub Johnnie” persona, is known as a clubhouse for those involved in film and television music. Vincent & Theo will headline with a work-friendly set time of 8:15 pm. Before the music, John will interview David about his esteemed Hollywood career, starting at 7:15 pm.

Tales of the last days as written by shadows: Liminal Shade Releases Debut Single, “On Fire” Today

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Los Angeles, CA – May 12, 2023 – Liminal Shade is darkwave electronic dance pop.

Honduran singer Mar Boreal and bassist & sonic alchemist John von Seggern.

Mar’s hauntingly beautiful voice enchants the listener, while John von’s bass playing provides a pulsating rhythm underpinning the ethereal soundscapes.

History is a hologram projected over a laughing void

Together they create a sound that is captivating and mysterious, with an emphasis on emotion and storytelling.

Music that is both haunting and danceable, inviting listeners to step into liminality and seek transformation.

Seeking an identity to survive the future.

They weave a sonic tapestry that ensnares the senses, evoking emotions and narratives from the depths of the subconscious.

Enter the liminal shade and embark on a journey of infinite possibility.

John von Seggern’s Ambient Bass Guitar Album Out Tomorrow, Concert & Soundbath at Los Angeles’ Philosophical Research Society on June 15

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Los Angeles, CA – June 8, 2023 – Bassist, electronic producer, and Jon Hassell collaborator John von Seggern is excited to announce the release of his solo album Ambient Bass Guitar on all platforms tomorrow, linked from https://linktr.ee/john_von. To celebrate the album’s release, he will present an immersive audiovisual experience at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz on Thursday, June 15.

From 2014-2020, John von worked closely with legendary trumpeter and electronic music pioneer Jon Hassell, resulting in the acclaimed 2018 release Listening to Pictures, which the Guardian newspaper named one of the top contemporary classical releases of that year. A follow-up release, Seeing Through Sound, was released in 2020. He also performed with Hassell at clubs and festivals in Los Angeles and Europe.

For this album, John von has taken the software setup he created for Hassell and used it on his bass guitar instead, creating a vast universe of transcendent ambient sounds from the five strings of his bass.

He notes, “All the sounds you hear are produced in real-time using complex chains of processing and effects, a live dialogue between me, my bass, and my computer. These sounds are made possible by advanced audio technologies, but every note here was played by my very human fingers on metal strings.”

He began his music career in New York City in 1991, attending the New School Jazz program in Manhattan for one year on a full performance scholarship. During this time, he honed his skills as a bassist and improviser, studying privately with jazz bass legends Gary Peacock and Reggie Workman.

He moved to Tokyo at the end of 1991 and began his career as a professional jazz bassist, playing at many leading jazz clubs such as the Shinjuku Pit Inn, Sometime, and Club J. He first played electronic dance gigs at clubs in the city’s vibrant Roppongi district, playing bass on the acid jazz scene and opening for leading Japanese dance act United Future Organization at Club Yellow.

John relocated to Hong Kong in 1995 to work as a touring and session bassist in the city’s booming pop music scene. Over the next six years in Hong Kong, he played on five world tours, many smaller gigs, and dozens of recording sessions as one of the top session musicians in Asia.

He began DJing in Hong Kong in 1999 and started his first electronic band, Digital Cutup Lounge, one of Asia’s earliest acts to use computers in live performances. DCL went on to sign a recording contract with an HK-based label and released two critically-acclaimed albums, Cutup Mixdown and Network Effects. DCL frequently performed at clubs and festivals in the region over the next few years, including significant gigs in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Guangzhou, and Beijing.

John also began working as a remixer at this time, drawing on his knowledge of the music of non-Western cultures to rework major Western pop artists such as Nelly Furtado for Asian music markets, and vice versa.

From 2001-2003 John attended graduate school in music, first at the University of Hong Kong and later at the University of California-Riverside, eventually earning an M.A. in Ethnomusicology. His thesis research focused on how the digitization and etherealization of music via computer networks affected its production and consumption patterns. These trends would soon become crucial in determining the future shape of the music industry and music itself.

Since moving to Los Angeles in 2004, John has contributed sound design and effects for numerous films, notably joining composer Thomas Newman and his ensemble for the soundtrack to Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning WALL-E (2008). He also worked with composer Paul Haslinger (ex-Tangerine Dream) on numerous projects.

From 2005-2011, John also worked for Native Instruments as a music technologist and wrote the manual for the popular software synthesizer MASSIVE. At various times, he trained celebrity artists and composers for NI, working with Herbie Hancock, Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, and Dr Dre’s production team, helping them learn new music technologies.

John’s recent burst of creative endeavors was precipitated by moving from noisy Hollywood to the calmer environs of the San Fernando Valley, along with the influence of the students, teachers, and staff at Icon Collective, the top electronic music production school, where he directs the online education program.

He notes, “Being around young creative people, along with teachers and staff at the top of their game, inspired me to return to my earlier love of electronic music and bring it together with my bass playing. Bass is so integral to dance music. I knew I could bring a depth of emotion to dance and ambient by combining my musical life’s work and the most cutting-edge production techniques available.”

The event will host a pre-concert reception with the artist in the courtyard starting at 7 pm, with the performance beginning at 8 pm. The PRS, as it is becoming affectionately known by LA’s brainier spiritual hipsters, is located at 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

The event will also feature video projections by Steve Nalepa and Branden Sahagun.

John von is excited to present this performance at the PRS, a venue steeped in esoteric history and lore, the perfect place for a concert of ambient bass vibrations. His bass waves will gently vibrate every cell of listeners’ bodies as they enter a deeper state of contemplation and relaxation. Attendees should bring blankets or yoga mats to better relax into the music.

Tickets for the event are $15 ($10 for students) and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-von-seggern-ambient-bass-guitar-concert-soundbath-tickets-638980025457.

John von Seggern Presents Ambient Bass Guitar Concert & Soundbath at the Philosophical Research Society on June 15

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Los Angeles, CA – May 18, 2023 – Bassist, electronic producer, and Jon Hassell collaborator John von Seggern will present an immersive audiovisual experience at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz on Thursday, June 15.

The event celebrates the release of von Seggern’s Ambient Bass Guitar album on June 9 on all platforms. The album can be pre-saved at https://linktr.ee/john_von.

There will be a pre-concert reception with the artist in the courtyard starting at 7 pm, with the performance beginning at 8 pm. The PRS, as it is becoming affectionately known by LA’s brainier spiritual hipsters, is located at 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027.

The event will also feature esoteric video projections by Steve Nalepa and Branden Sahagun.

From 2014-2020, John von worked closely with legendary trumpeter and electronic music pioneer Jon Hassell, resulting in the acclaimed 2018 release Listening to Pictures, which the Guardian newspaper named one of the top contemporary classical releases of that year. A follow-up release, Seeing Through Sound, was released in 2020. He also performed with Hassell at clubs and festivals in Los Angeles and Europe.

For this album, John von has taken the software setup he created for Hassell and used it on his bass guitar instead, creating a vast universe of transcendent ambient sounds from the 5 strings of his bass.

As he notes, “All the sounds you hear are produced in real-time using complex chains of processing and effects, a live dialogue between me, my bass, and my computer. These sounds are made possible by advanced audio technologies, but every note here was played by my very human fingers on metal strings.”

John von is very excited to be presenting this performance at the PRS, a venue steeped in esoteric history and lore, the perfect place for a concert of ambient bass vibrations. His bass waves will gently vibrate every cell of listeners’ bodies as they enter a deeper state of contemplation and relaxation. Attendees are suggested to bring blankets or yoga mats in order to better relax into the music.

Tickets for the event are $15 ($10 for students) and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-von-seggern-ambient-bass-guitar-concert-soundbath-tickets-638980025457.

Television Composer, David Schwartz Hosts Hunnypot Live – Where Music Lovers Go To Play, as a Release Event for his New Band, Vincent & Theo, at The Mint on June 5,

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Los Angeles – May 8, 2023 – Noted television composer David Schwartz (Arrested Development, Northern Exposure++) will co-host the popular bi-weekly Monday night club, Hunnypot Live – Where Music Lovers Go To Play, at West LA’s legendary music room The Mint on June 5. The well-liked event, hosted by music publisher John Anderson in his “Hot Tub Johnnie” persona, is known as a clubhouse for those involved in film and television music. David’s new band project, Vincent & Theo, will headline with a work-friendly set time of 8:15 pm. Before the music, John will interview David about his esteemed Hollywood career, starting at 7:15 pm.

Soul Smell is the unique project that resulted from a COVID file-sharing collaboration between two Los Angeles musical fixtures, Emmy-winning TV composer David Schwartz and singer/songwriter and session/touring guitarist Julian Coryell (Alanis Morissette, Demi Lovato) recording as Vincent & Theo.

Unlike the instrumental and guitar-oriented work they are known for, Soul Smell is a jazzy alt-rap affair that recalls both the spoken word and lyrical grunge of the 90s – Soul Coughing, 311, Cake, but sans guitar, along with a healthy dose of William Burroughs, Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen’s world-weary slices of life.

In just a few short months, they had 11 songs which they filled out with some of their favorite musicians, some of whom will be joining on this gig: noted film and television singer/songwriter Lucy Schwartz (vocals, vocal arrangements), keyboard legend Larry Goldings (piano, synths), Death Cab for Cutie’s Zac Rae (keyboards, synths), and popular LA session drummer Jake Reed (drums, percussion). Some other top players helped on a few songs, including additional writing on “Bad Porn” by Isaiah Gage, R&B singer Antwaun Stanley, vocals on “Would Be Solar Panel Technician,” bass legend John Patitucci for the electric bass solo on “Junk Food Love,” and Tamir Barzilay gave some additional percussion to “Junk Food Love” as well.

Doors for this free event will open at 7 pm, John will interview David at 7:15 pm, Vincent & Theo will perform at 8:15 pm. They will be followed by André Miguel & The Moment at 9 pm and Fencer at 9:45 pm. Hot Tub Johnnie hits the turntables for the Afterparty at 10:15 pm.

While the event is free, we would love you to RSVP to susan@susanvonseggern.com if you plan to come.

Music Legend Michael Franti Headlines Bhakti Fest, a Transformational Event September 15-17 in Joshua Tree, California

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Photo of Michael FrantiJoshua Tree, CA – April 5, 2023 – Bhakti Fest, Southern California’s popular yoga and spiritual music festival, is excited to announce a new headliner for their 2023 edition – socially conscious music legend Michael Franti will appear in a rare solo performance at the event at the beautiful Joshua Lake & Campground over the weekend of September 15-17.

Franti has been a regular performer at transformational festivals in his native California and beyond since forming his band Michael Franti & Spearhead in 1994. He is the creator and lead vocalist of his current independent project, Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip-hop with various other styles, including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter of a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues.

One of the rare artists to use the powerful medium of music to explore social and political issues, Michael Franti has proved to be a musician with a moral conscience. This gifted spoken word artist, composer, poet, and political activist began his musical career with the industrial punk/spoken word band, The Beatnigs. He later formed the American industrial hip-hop band, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, a fiery group whose music explored political themes. Seeking further improvement and innovation, Franti founded Spearhead. He pushed boundaries with his music and became pivotal in hip-hop’s renaissance, drawing from soul-driven beats and funk rhythms. With Spearhead, he also explored new ideas and set on to a more provocative tone and style. Their debut album, Home, received critical acclaim. Widely regarded as a master of contemporary protest music, Franti is an innovative songwriter whose skillful songwriting abilities successfully blend rock, hip hop, punk, rock, and jazz.

Throughout his multi-decade career with Spearhead, Franti has earned threeBillboard No. 1’s with triumphantly hopeful hits “Sound of Sunshine,” “Say Hey (I Love You)” and “I Got You,” as well as six Top 30 Hot AC singles, 10 Top 25 AAA Singles and three Billboard Top 5 Rock Albums. Spearhead’s 12th studio album Follow Your Heart, released in June 2022 and debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes Pop Chart behind Harry Styles.

Franti resides in Bali when he is not on tour and owns Soulshine Bali, a 32-room top-rated boutique hotel located in Ubud, Bali that focuses on joy through wellness and music, offering unique retreat opportunities and accommodations, along with special events and celebrations. Soulshine Bali continues to expand and grow with recent renovations, including a second restaurant, day club, panoramic yoga shala, and a new spa. For more information, visit soulshinebali.com.

In January 2019, Franti released his self-directed documentary Stay Human, which won an array of awards at film festivals worldwide and influenced his writing for his album Stay Human Vol II (Thirty Tigers), which debuted at No. 1 on both the Americana and Independent Album charts and received critical acclaim from USA Today, Billboard, Associated Press, and Paste.

Bhakti Fest is a pioneering gathering known for non-stop yoga, kirtan and other spiritual and conscious music, meditation, sound healing, vegetarian cuisine, therapeutic bodywork, spiritual study, conscious community, and transformation that continues to serve as a beacon for spiritual seekers from around the world. After a COVID-driven break since 2019, the festival is excited to welcome its fans home.

Festival producer Bella Silberfein notes, “having Michael Franti appear at a Bhakti Fest event has been a goal of ours since we started in 2009. We are so thrilled he’s headlining our first festival post-COVID and are looking forward to integrating his vibe and fans into our festival.”

The festival returns with all-star yoga instructors, including Yogrishi Vishvketu, Shiva Rea, Kia Miller, Andrew Sealy, Carmen Curtis, Tejal Patel, Tommy Rosen, Govind Das & Jacqueline, Harpinder Kaur Mann, Michael Brian Baker, MC Yogi, Amanda Giacomini, and local favorite, Urban Yoga’s Kristin Olson. From those who have never stepped foot on a yoga mat to those who don’t travel without one, all student levels are welcome and encouraged to attend.

A curator of sacred sound, Bhakti Fest will host non-stop Kirtan and chant, along with other conscious music, across various musical genres, including blues, rock, pop, gospel, traditional, and hip-hop. In addition to Franti, headliners include Grammy nominees Pato Banton, Krishna Das, and MC YOGI. This year’s musicians also include favorites such as Desert Dwellers, Snow Raven, Sol Rising, Kirtaniyas, Satsang, DJ Drez & Marti Nikko, David Starfire, Raghunath, Hanuman Project, Nina Rao, Radhika Das, Gina Sala, Karnamrita, and many more.

Bhakti Fest provides participants the unique opportunity to interact and learn from some of the greatest luminaries of our time. Speakers include Radhanath Swami, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Jai Devi Singh, Nidhi Pandya, Indy Rishi, Scott Blossom, Reginald Hubbard, Zoe Kors, and Tejal Patel. As always, Bhakti Fest will screen digital Satsang with the legendary, dearly departed Ram Dass, whose book Be Here Now helped bring Eastern philosophy west in the 1970s.

No family festival is complete without a Kids’ Village! In the cool shade, fun, physical, creative, musical, and conscious activities provide an opportunity for parents and children to enjoy time together.

Bhaktis will feast on various raw, vegan, and vegetarian food and beverage options. There is an extensive marketplace with eco-friendly, sustainable vendors offering clothing, devotional art, musical instruments, CDs, crafts, jewelry, and more.

Accommodations onsite include glamping, camping, and RV parking. There are also several hotels within a few miles of the campground that offer discounts for attendees.

With a world-class lineup of musicians and yoga instructors, conscious workshops, and artisan vendors, Bhakti Fest offers the most heart-opening, consciousness -raising experience of any festival on the scene today. Attendees describe the festival as “immersed in the greatest conscious party you have ever experienced, filled with music, yoga, dancing, love, light, and heart-centered community.”

Tickets for Bhakti Fest 2023 are available here. The non-profit festival donates a percentage of its funds to charities and other nonprofit groups that provide food, education, and environmental beautification programs worldwide. These include Food for Life Vrindavan, Love Serve Remember Foundation, Ramana’s Garden, Share Your Care, and the Seva Foundation.

First-ever Awards for Paranormal Content Creators Announces Podcast Nominee and Filmmaker Finalists

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The ParaPod Awards Spotlight the Podcasters, Filmmakers, and Television Shows That Often Go Unnoticed During Awards Season on Saturday, April 1, at the Hyatt Regency Valencia

Santa Clarita, California – March 7, 2023 – The upcoming ParaPod Festival, taking place Friday, March 31 through Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Santa Clarita, California, is the first of its kind to not only celebrate all things paranormal in one place but to honor the influencers and content creators who work in the paranormal genre. The two-day event will wrap up with a live awards ceremony – the ParaPod Awards – with awards given to podcasts and their hosts, documentary filmmakers, and television shows and personalities.

“As a content producer and host myself, being able to create a platform to celebrate the paranormal genre and those content creators who are working in it has been a long-time goal,” says ParaPod founder Tony Sweet. “Influencers, podcasters, documentary filmmakers, television producers, and hosts who dare to cover topics like UFOs or Bigfoot often get overlooked by mainstream awards shows, and I want to change that.”

Podcasters whose content covered the paranormal were asked to submit their work in various categories via the ParaPod Festival website. A committee of listeners rated the podcasts in their selected categories to create a list of finalists. The finalist podcasts were then listened to and rated by a second committee to determine the nominees. The podcast nominees for the ParaPod Awards are:

In the category of Best UFO Podcast:

  • Strange Darkness Radio
  • UFO Chronicles Podcast
  • Paranormal Almanac

In the category of Best True Crime Podcast:

  • Hollyweird Paranormal
  • Heart Starts Pounding
  • Ghost Town

In the category of Best Ghost Podcast:

  • Ghost Town
  • Mega Strange
  • The Haunted Happy Hour

In the category of Best Spiritual/Psychic Podcast:

  • The Witching Hour
  • The Colby Rebel Show
  • Paranormal Almanac

In the category of Best Podcast Host(s):

  • Jason Horton & Rebecca Leib/li>
  • Derrick Acosta & Johnny Weiss
  • Kaelyn Moore

In the category of Podcast of the Year:

  • Heart Starts Pounding
  • Ghost Town
  • Mega Strange

Documentary filmmakers worldwide submitted their short-form and feature-length paranormal films via FilmFreeway.com to be viewed and rated by a viewing committee, who determined which films would be official selections. Then, a panel of judges rated the films to determine the finalists in each category for the ParaPod Awards.

The finalists for Best Short Paranormal Documentary are:

  • (After)Life, directed by Ben Goldman (USA)
  • Close Encounters Interview with Preston Dennett, directed by Matt Schwartz (USA)
  • The Conspiratologist, directed by Stephen Bradford and Justin Jay Jones (USA)

The finalists for Best Feature Paranormal Documentary are:

  • Contemplation: On the Psychedelic Experience, directed by Julian Austin Palmer (AUS)
  • Accidental Truth – UFO Revelations, directed by Ron James (USA)
  • Black Knight Satellite: Beyond the Signal, directed by Melissa Tittl (USA)

The ParaPod Festival social media team also launched an online series of audience polls to determine the nominees and winners of the ParaPod Audience Favorites Awards for mainstream, paranormal television series. The nominees for the ParaPod Awards are:

In the category of Best UFO Series:

  • A Tear in the Sky
  • Ancient Aliens
  • Truth Declassified

In the category of Best Non-fiction Ghost Series:

  • Ghost Adventures
  • Destination Fear
  • Kindred Spirits

In the category of Best Cryptid Investigation Series:

  • The UnXplained
  • Mountain Monsters
  • Destination Truth

In the category of Best TV Psychic Medium:

  • Chip Coffey
  • Tyler Henry
  • Patti Negri

In the category of Best Paranormal Host:

  • Ben Hansen
  • Zak Bagans
  • Giorgio Tsoukalos

The content of podcast nominees and film festival finalists can be viewed online at www.parapodfestival.com in the Podcast Awards Listening Room and the Film Festival Screening Room.

The winners will all receive a handsome, custom-created ParaPod Award. Podcast and filmmaker winners will be offered a non-exclusive contract to air their content on the ParaPod TV Roku channel. The Best Feature Paranormal Documentary winner will also receive a sponsored one-year subscription to WriterDuet Pro.

In addition to the awards mentioned above, the festival will present a Media Legend Award to Emmy and Peabody-award-winning investigative journalist Linda Moulton Howe, who has covered UFO and disclosure topics for over forty years and has become one of the most recognized names in the paranormal genre. Best-selling author and producer Billy Carson is receiving the Pioneer Award for his work in bringing paranormal content into the mainstream.

The ParaPod Awards will begin after the City of Santa Clarita-sponsored ParaPod Festival events on Saturday, April 1, at 7:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. The awards ceremony is only open to speakers, invited guests, and VIP ticket holders. VIP Weekend passes are available online at www.parapodfestival.com.

Bhakti Fest Welcomes Thousands Home for a Transformational Event September 15-17 in Joshua Tree, California

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Joshua Tree, CA – February 15, 2023 – Bhakti Fest, Southern California’s popular yoga and kirtan festival will return to the beautiful Joshua Lake & Campground on September 15-17, 2023.

This pioneering gathering, known for non-stop yoga, kirtan, meditation, sound baths, vegetarian cuisine, healing bodywork, spiritual study, conscious community, and transformation, continues to serve as a beacon for spiritual seekers from around the world. After a COVID-driven break since 2019, the festival is excited to welcome its fans home.

Festival producer Bella Silberfein notes, “while we’ve been doing smaller retreat-style events during the pandemic as a way for yogis to deepen their practice and will continue with those as they are very popular, we are thrilled to be back with a full festival in Joshua Tree in 2023. We look forward to bringing our entire Bhakti family together for another amazing weekend of sun, music, wisdom, and yoga.”

The festival returns with all-star yoga instructors, including Yogrishi Vishvketu, Shiva Rea, Kia Miller, Andrew Sealy, Raghunath, Sujala Roy, Tommy Rosen, Govind Das & Jacqueline Michelle, Harpinder Kaur Mann, MC Yogi & Amanda Giacomini, and local favorite, Urban Yoga’s Kristin Olson. From those who have never stepped foot on a yoga mat to those who don’t travel without one, all student levels are welcome and encouraged to attend.

A curator of sacred sound, Bhakti Fest will host non-stop Kirtan and chant across various musical genres, including blues, rock, pop, gospel, traditional, and hip-hop. Headliners include Grammy nominees Pato Banton, and Krishna Das, and MC YOGI. This year’s musicians include favorites such as Ayla Nereo, Desert Dwellers, Snow Raven, Sol Rising, Kirtaniyas, Satsang, DJ Drez & Marti Nikko, David Starfire, Raghunath, Govind Das & Jacqueline, Amritakripa, Nina Rao, Radhika Das, Gina Sala, and many more.

Bhakti Fest provides participants with the unique opportunity to interact and learn from some of the greatest luminaries of our time. Speakers include Radhanath Swami, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Jai Devi Singh, Krishna Das, Nidhi Pandya, Michael Brian Baker, Nina Rao, Snow Raven, Reginald Hubbard, Marti Nikko, Tommy Rosen, Zoe Kors, Raghunath, and Jacqueline Michelle. As always, Bhakti Fest will screen digital Satsang with the legendary, dearly departed Ram Dass, whose book Be Here Now helped bring Eastern philosophy west in the 1970s.

No family festival is complete without a Kids’ Village! In the cool shade, fun, physical, creative, musical, and conscious activities provide an opportunity to enjoy time together.

Bhaktis will feast on various raw, vegan, and vegetarian food and beverage options. There is an extensive marketplace with eco-friendly, sustainable vendors offering clothing, devotional art, musical instruments, CDs, crafts, jewelry, and more. Bhakti Fest’s own Bhakti Shoppe will feature highly sought-after items from the bazaars of India.

Accommodations onsite include glamping, camping, and RV parking. There are also several hotels within a few miles of the campground that offer discounts for attendees.

With a world-class lineup of musicians and yoga instructors, conscious workshops, and artisan vendors, Bhakti Fest offers the most heart-opening, consciousness-raising experience of any festival on the scene today. Attendees describe the festival as “immersed in the greatest conscious party you have ever experienced, filled with music, yoga, dancing, love, light, and heart-centered community.”

Tickets for Bhakti Fest 2023 are available here. The non-profit festival donates a percentage of its funds to charities and other nonprofit groups that provide food, education, and environmental beautification programs worldwide. These include Food for Life Vrindavan, Love Serve Remember Foundation, Ramana’s Garden, Share Your Care, and the Seva Foundation.

World Devotional Music Visionary Jai Uttal Walks in the Footsteps of the Ancients with New Album Dust & Tears

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While love and spirituality are still the topics, the album moves away from Hindu chants to a more universal direction


Jai Uttal’s new album, Dust & Tears, is a gem. It is essential Jai but in a new dimension, as beautiful as his many other works, but more available to the (my) western ear. On Dust & Tears prayers are veiled, but ever present. “Psalm” is a spiritual and musical blockbuster of melody, arrangements, vocal, and chorus. I’m happy putting the entire album on repeat, which is exactly where it is while I write this.
– Joan Baez

Fairfax, CA – Grammy-nominated world and spiritual music legend Jai Uttal will release his 22nd album Dust & Tears tomorrow on all platforms, linked from https://ffm.to/dust-and-tears. The album is a departure in that it’s mostly English lyrics, as opposed to the call & response Kirtan chants of much of his previous work.

Dust and Tears is one of the most introspective, profoundly personal albums in the vast catalog of the beloved world and devotional musical innovator Jai Uttal. It is also one of his most boldly adventurous recordings—an inspired synthesis of divine poetry and song from across the ages and around the globe. The musical palette is relatively spare but nonetheless sparkling and spellbinding—weaving together myriad world music flavors to create a wondrous, warm tapestry of devotion and love.

Over the course of nine pristine tracks—gorgeously recorded, as always, by Ben Leinbach—Jai invokes and honors the great singer-saints of India’s Bhakti tradition, the beauty of Old Testament palmistry and the heartfelt songs of America’s wandering, folk-singing storytellers.

In creating Dust and Tears, Jai collaborated closely with his wife of many years, the yoga teacher, dancer, and author Nubia Teixeira. She suggested the idea of transmuting ancient mystical songs into the language and music of our own time and contributed substantially to the album’s richly poetic lyrics. “The reality is that Nubia wrote well over 50 percent of these words,” Jai notes. “Sometimes it was a little bit more me; other times it was a little more her. And sometimes, it was both of us. What a fabulous gift to collaborate with my wife in this way.”

Jai’s 17-year-old son Ezra Uttal also played a key role as the album’s keyboardist, creating sublimely layered orchestrations and earthy synth solos.

Along with these family members and Leinbach (who played bass and percussion as well as co-producing the album), Jai assembled a small but gifted coterie of his frequent musical collaborators, including trombonist Jeff Cressman, accordionist Sunniva Brynnel, percussionists Visvambhar and Vrinda Sheth, and backing vocalists Sandy Cressman, Prajna Vieira, Natalie Cressman, Sandy Griffith, Lakshmi DelSanto and Lucía Lilikoi.

A few more musical guests lent their colors, but the production remained intimate, leaving ample space for each individual talent to shine, not least of all Jai. His vocal performance on Dust and Tears hits new heights of ecstatic bliss and plumbs new depths of despair and longing—the voice of a prophet, crying forlornly in the wilderness yet lovingly swaddled in layers of angelic harmony.

“In my kirtan, mantra, and prayer singing over the years, I’ve felt deeply connected with the men and women of the ancient past,” Jai says. “People who invested their hearts and souls in these words—these mantras—and who connect with us today, and lend us their shakti, their hearts, their emotions, and the power of their prayers, to increase the power and potency of our prayers.”

Jai will be doing his annual Valentine’s event at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage on Saturday, February 11. Tickets are $15-$30 and are available at https://secure.thefreight.org/12070/jai-uttal.