Northwest Kirtan Tour

Sitaram Dass and Pavan Das were direct students and caregivers for Ram Dass and members of the kirtan group, Kripa. They continue to serve their teacher by sharing the devotional path of the heart.

Sitaram Dass

Pavan Das

Pavan Das is a community organizer, multi-media artist, and nonprofit leader. He resides on Maui, where he serves on the board of Hanuman Maui: Ram Dass Loving Awareness Sanctuary. His time with spiritual luminaries like Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh informs his commitment to cultivating a lived spirituality through which to effect social change. Learn more at pavandas.com

Sitaram Dass is a published author, teacher, kirtan singer, therapist, and lover of God. As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to provide affordable, free, and donation-based offerings as a praxis of Sacred Community. His new book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Learn more at sitaramdass.com

Through chanting, teachings, and story telling, these kirtans intend to awaken the Heart of Love.

This tour serves as a fundraiser for Sacred Community Project. Tax-deductible donations are a welcome way to support this effort.

TOUR DATES:

COLLABORATING MUSICIANS

Varies by city. Listed in the order of the tour.

  • VOCALS & KARTALS (entire tour)

    Zander karlin (they/them) is a sprouting kirtan wallah, filmmaker and musician hailing from New York. Guided by their Guru’s Grace, zander has led kirtan across the country, and accompanied seasoned wallahs such as Nina Rao, Devadas, Shyama Chapin, Sitaram Dass and more. zander also works with the Sacred Community Project and is the host of the Baby Teeth Podcast. They look forward to releasing their first track soon!

    babyteethpod.com

  • Kirtan Leader (Fairfax)

    The kirtan tour will kick off with a collaborative event with Lily Cushman.

    Lily is a teacher, writer and musician based in the Bay Area. Her work is a synthesis of the body practices of Classical Yoga, the heart practices of Bhakti Yoga and the mind practices of Insight Meditation. For nearly a decade Lily was the Owner and Director of the Brooklyn Yoga School, a lineage-based school run entirely by donation, voted "Best of New York" by NY Magazine. Lily offers workshops and retreats around the country and serves as Director of Operations to world-renowned meditation teacher, Sharon Salzberg. Her first book “A Little Bit of Mantras” was released in March 2019 from Sterling Publishing.

    lilycushman.com

  • Kirtan Leader (Arcata)

    Shemaia Skywater is a yogini with more than 3 decades of experience and has spent 25 years exploring music as a healing force. She is a kirtan leader, multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound healing events producer, body worker, and aromatherapy student. She loves breathing ocean air, swimming in rivers, tango and fusion partner dance, cooking Ayurvedic yumminess and jamming with friends.

  • TABLA (Eugene & Portland)

    Jeanette Kangas (aka Jeanette Wrate) has been performing and recording on Drum Set for over twenty-five years in Los Angeles and San Diego. Artists she has performed with include Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Witherspoon, Cris Williamson, Charlie Haden, Stacy Rowles, Big World, Maiden Voyage, Michael Vlatkovich, Steuart Liebig, Ellen Burr, Holly Hoffmann, Tokeli, Peter Sprague and Bob Magnusen. She is featured on recordings by Big World, Cris Williamson, Tret Fure, Glenn Horiuchi, Steuart Liebig, Ellen Burr, Nate Jarrell, Ensemble Off n On and her own quartets: the Jeanette Wrate Quartet and The Northern Lights Ensemble.

    Jeanette has been practicing Surat Shabd Yoga, the meditation on the inner light and sound as taught by Kirpal Singh, Thakar Singh and the current living Guru, Baljit Singh.

    She has been living in Oregon since 2016 and has been studying tabla for the past five years with Doug Scheuerell in Eugene. Currently she is performing and recording tabla and various percussion with Sounds of Devotion who have recorded three CDs titled, Mystic Poets I, II, and III.

    jkangasmusic.com

  • Kirtan Leader (Portland)

    Kavita Kat Macmillan is a musician, yoga instructor, workshop facilitator and transformational creative guide who brings over 20 years of teaching, sharing kirtan & study of nada (sound) yoga to her classes and offerings. Kavita's 'Open Heart Kirtan' presents traditional mantras in original compositions with Western and Indian influences. Through her musical offerings, yoga asana classes & ‘Open your Voice ~ Open your Heart’ workshops Kavita guides students towards authentic voice & movement focused on letting go of patterns that get in the way of artistic expression. Kavita’s album “The Beloved Lives Inside” was released in 2021. The title track, “Take My Hand” features vocals by bhakti legend Jai Uttal with notable musicians on all songs including Daniel Paul, Steve Gorn, Alex Milsted & Will Marsh. Kavita facilitates at retreats, workshops, private & group classes & spiritual festivals and is an open, supportive guide for those who wish to explore this path. www.openheartkirtan.com

  • DHOLAK (Vancouver)

    Swapnil discovered the Bhakti tradition through a formal Amazonian shamanic apprenticeship. Through connecting with Maharajji, he found himself returning to his once neglected Hindu roots. Now following the path of Bhakti yoga, he deepens his practice through devotional musical expression.

PREVIEW