Fairfax, CA – Noted for his heartfelt renditions and upbeat barn burners of classic Kirtans (Sanskrit chants from ancient India), and his first instrumental album Gauri’s Lullaby, currently in consideration for a New Age Grammy, his notable summer single “Behind the Walls” inspired by his work with inmates at San Quentin, and the horrible novel coronavirus outbreak currently taking place there, as well as hosting a sold out online Kirtan camp last summer, Jai Uttal is excited to announce tomorrow’s release of his new single, “Time and Again.” The song is available in all audio formats here.

“Time and Again” is the first single release from Jai’s upcoming album, Songs of the Mystics, that will be coming out next year. “Time and Again” was composed by Jai and his wife Nubia Teixeira, based on a song of the 16th century Indian Bhakti poetess, Mirabai. Though scorned by the presiding culture of the time, Mirabai’s passionate and sensual devotion to her Lord, and her complete disregard for social mores, became a clarion call to the poor and marginalized masses. She was, indeed, a mystic revolutionary!

‘Songs of the Mystics’ will include re-imaginings of songs and poems by many of the Bhakti saints, but Jai thought it appropriate to start with Mirabai. Her message and mood are timeless and resonate even today in the hearts of all devotees. About recording this track in all the insanity that is 2020, Jai notes, “I decided to release this song now because it seems that at this moment in history, more than ever, we are being called upon to act as well as to pray, each in our own way, that spirit will come and lift the mountain of chaos and division and divisiveness and pain from the world so that we can all breathe and our hearts can freely love once again.”

As with everything, the COVID-19 crisis has affected Jai’s recording process, noting that for this single, “My entire recording process has changed during this pandemic. Here in Northern California we’re still mostly in quarantine. So, this recording used pieces from various sources. The lovely background voices by the Pagan Love Choir were from a live concert I did of this song in February, which was multitracked. The accordion was recorded two years ago over a guitar demo I had at the time of the song. The rest of it was produced in Ben Leinbach‘s little studio that is now divided by huge plexiglass walls. Awkward, but we got the job done. I couldn’t let the pandemic squash creativity. Creativity is medicine!”

Besides COVID-19, the intense fires of Northern California and the social and political strife has also affected everything Jai’s life and he notes, “2020 has, indeed, been a year full of challenges, but it has also been a year of deep healing, personal growth and more intimate family interaction. It’s also been a time of deep connecting with my extended family and greater Bhakti community. I’ve been doing weekly live stream concerts and Kirtans, that have been a great point of focus for myself in terms of preparing and creating new songs and practicing my older songs, as well as bringing our extended Bhakti family and community together over Zoom. The pandemic has also pushed us to create online Kirtan Camps. These events have been greatly appreciated, and have enabled people from all over the world, who would never have been able to attend a Kirtan Camp in person, to join us The Online Camps have also helped me organize my own thoughts, experiences and music into a much more potent and accessible way of teaching. We’re in the middle of our second camp now.”

The Hindi verse, of “Time and Again,” ‘Meera Kahe Prabhu Giridhara Nagara, Hey Govinda Hey Gopala’, calls out: ‘Oh Lord of Mira, Govinda, Gopala, lifter of the mountain.’ One might paraphrase this as: ‘Oh my Beloved, please lift this insurmountable mountain of suffering and separation, that I may be yours forever!’

Jai adds, “I hope we all can taste a droplet of Mirabai’s intense, oceanic devotion.”

Chicago, IL – DJ Taz Rashid, one of America’s top yoga DJs, and the programmer for Spotify’s Official Yoga Playlist of the Month, is pleased to announce an offering to the yoga community and the vast number of teachers who have moved online due to Covid-19 shelter in place orders that are keeping the majority of Americans homebound, free music to use for their Zoom, Skype, IG Story, and Facebook Live online classes.

If yogis are using streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple music, etc. to play music during their classes, they can use ANY of DJ Taz Rashid’s music in their yoga classes in their FREE to the public live streaming yoga or meditation classes. Teachers can just play the music in the background of the class. Taz encourages them to share their playlists with their students as well.

All of DJ Taz Rashid’s music on Spotify is at https://open.spotify.com/artist/2XvQyfssNbXYWcOkKaWYlx?si=6ZDuH81JSzGVjbzZhO2v5Q and on Apple Music at https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dj-taz-rashid/996269726. If yogis prefer to create their own playlists from downloads, Taz’s top songs can be downloaded from https://mybestplaylist.lpages.co/dj-taz-rashid-a-gift-of-music-free-music-ig-videos/.

In addition to offering free music, DJ Taz will share classes to his socials when teachers share on their social media and give credit. If teachers share on Instagram or Facebook and tag him under @djtazrashid, he will repost to his over 40k followers. He requests teachers add in the video description “Music used with permission by original artist DJ Taz Rashid” and to be sure to tag him at @djtazrashid. This will ensure that the social media networks will not mute the music or take the class down.

Taz notes, “this is such a challenging time for the entire yoga community between studios on hiatus, and festivals cancelling. I’ve had six cancellations and fully expect 10-20 more so I really relate to what my teaching brothers and sisters are dealing with. We hope this helps at least a little during this crazy time.” Like so many yogis he’s moved his own work online and his schedule is at https://www.djtazrashid.com/copy-of-tour-2020.

If teachers are offering yoga and meditation class videos on paid platforms, or on-demand classes for sale, Taz is offering discounted rates for sync rights for these classes as well. Teachers interested in using his music for paid classes should email taz@djtazrashid.com to discuss.

Berkeley, CA – Celebrated Bay Area Kirtan musician Jai Uttal will return to The Freight & Salvage for his 3rd annual Valentine’s Day Bhakti Concert, this time with four amazing local songbirds, Sandy Cressman, Prajna Vieira, Lakshmi Devi, and Sandy Griffith, plus noted NorCal producer Ben Leinbach on bass.

This concert will be a unique opportunity to hear Jai’s music arranged for a heavenly rainbow of five exquisite voices. All veterans of Jai’s full band, The Pagan Love Orchestra, Prajna, Lakshmi and the two Sandys will share their transcendent vocal visions of Jai’s songs and bring the ‘music of the spheres’ to the historic Freight & Salvage. Jai will be acoustic and ‘unplugged,’ creating an intimate and mystical environment in which to share his songs and his soul. This completely new experience promises to be a treat for the ears and the heart.

Jai hosting a Valentine’s Day Concert is appropriate as sacred music is one of the main modalities of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love and devotion. As noted in Yoga Journal, “the Sanskrit word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means “to adore or worship God.” Bhakti yoga has been called “love for love’s sake” and “union through love and devotion.” Bhakti yoga, like any other form of yoga, is a path to self-realization, to having an experience of oneness with everything.”

“Bhakti is the yoga of a personal relationship with God, At the heart of bhakti is surrender,” says Uttal in the story.

Since its founding in 1968, the Freight & Salvage has been deeply rooted in that aspect of Berkeley’s culture that embraced freedom, justice, acceptance, collaboration, and innovation. The Freight is mission-driven, and has become a world-famous venue for traditional music – music that is rooted in and expressive of the great variety of regional, ethnic, and social cultures of peoples throughout the world.

With the Winter Solstice passing of American Bhakti yoga pioneer Ram Dass, Jai notes, “This concert is especially meaningful, as it’s my first public performance after the passing of my friend and guru-brother, the beloved spiritual leader Ram Dass. I hope that the Bay Area’s Bhakti family can come together to celebrate love and life and our dear friend’s memory. My Valentine’s Day gigs at the Freight & Salvage have been filled with so much spirit and good energy. The Freight is one of the most lovely and important venues in the Bay Area, and I’m always so touched by the care and respect they have for the musicians who perform there. I look forward to a night of joy, celebration and introspection.”

Tickets for the show are $15-$30, and along with a great live video of Jai’s new single “Psalm” with the Pagan Love Choir, are available at https://www.thefreight.org/e/jai-uttal-and-the-pagan-love-choir-77051500111/.

Fairfax, CA – Noted for both his heartfelt renditions and upbeat barn burners of classic Kirtans (chants of the Sanskrit names of God), Jai Uttal is excited to announce the release of his new single, “Psalm”, a modern revisioning of the ancient 23rd Psalm of King David.
The song is available in all audio formats here, and on YouTube here.

Jai will perform “Psalm” at a special Valentine’s Day Concert at Berkeley’s well-loved Freight & Salvage with the Pagan Love Choir. This concert will be a unique opportunity to hear Jai’s music arranged for a heavenly rainbow of five exquisite voices. All veterans of Jai’s many-faceted performances, these four exquisite Bay Area vocalists, Sandy Cressman, Prajna Vieira, Lakshmi Devi, and Sandy Griffith, plus noted NorCal producer Ben Leinbach on bass, and acclaimed trombonist Jeff Cressman, will share their transcendent vocal visions of Jai’s songs and bring the ‘music of the spheres’ to this historic venue. Jai will be acoustic and ‘unplugged,’ creating an intimate and mystical environment in which to share his songs and his soul. This completely new experience promises to be a treat for the ears and the heart. Tickets for the show are $15-$30 and, along with a great live video of Jai’s new single, “Psalm”, is available here.

Part of the Bhakti Yoga path of spiritual devotion, Kirtan has grown along with the explosive growth of the physical aspects of yoga that now has 36 million American practitioners. To share his lifelong journey in this yogic path, Jai has hosted his Kirtan Camps since 2003. The winter camp takes place in various exotic locations around the world, while the summer camp is held in Jai’s hometown of Fairfax, California, in Marin County. Jai will be joined by guest teachers Nubia Teixeira, Daniel Paul, and Prajna Vieira. Many of today’s leading Kirtan artists are alums of Jai’s Kirtan Camp, including Kirtan rapper MC Yogi, Santa Monica Kirtan luminaries Govind Das & Radha, Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band of New Orleans, San Francisco’s own Janet Stone and Stephanie Snyder, and so many others.

Summer Kirtan Camp is a training for those who aspire to lead Kirtan; those who wish to enhance their Yoga teaching with chanting; and those who simply wish to immerse themselves in the vast ocean of Bhakti. In this camp, Jai will share some of the many tools used in Bhakti practice. Attendees will leave this retreat with the inner experience and knowledge that they are able to dive into this world of devotion and sing and share their hearts with others.

More information on Summer Kirtan Camp is available here.