ISKCON Knights of Kirtan set to shake up Gauteng and Durban

ISKCON Durban

MediaUpdate: Classical, world music and spiritual artists BB Govinda Maharaj, Jahnavi Harrison, Gaura Vani are scheduled to perform in South Africa
This unforgettable experience awaits classical, spiritual and world music lovers. Join this sacred, music experience and discover the uplifting power of Kirtan. Kirtan is a practice of devotion performed globally involving the chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of a variety of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed mrdanga drum, and karatal hand cymbals.

Performing live are His Holiness Bhakti Bringa Govinda Maharaj, Gaura Vani Buchwald, Jahnavi Harrison and their associate Kirtan leaders who captures the hearts and minds of audiences wherever they go - from New York to Johannesburg, Australia to London, Mumbai to Hollywood.

Hosted by the International Society for Krsna Conscioucness (ISKCON's) renowned youth organisation the Krsna Balarama Youth Group (KBYG) in association with IndianSpice are proud to bring a multicultural group of musicians, singers, and dancers who bring the ancient and magical tradition of kirtan to life as one has never heard it before. Rhythms and melodies of East and West combine to create a sound that is both cutting-edge and inspired.

The Krsna Balarama Youth Group (KBYG) has over the years been in the story of the growing kirtan or chant lifestyle here is South Africa. The forthcoming event ushers in a new era of spiritual intension and consciousness.

Artists Backgrounds

His Holiness Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami is a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and an initiating spiritual master in ISKCON. He met Srila Prabhupada in Buffalo, New York in 1971 and has been serving the society throughout the world since then.

Jahnavi Harrison

He served as cook and pujari in ISKCON centers in Buffalo and Toronto until leaving for Vrindavan in 1977 and from 1979 until 1987 served in ISKCON temples in Greece, Israel, Italy and France. Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami returned to Vrindavan In 1987 and while there established the Food For Life program. He has been an initiating spiritual master since 1992 and in 1993, he received initiation as a sannyasi (renounced order of life). He has over 500 disciples from all over the world.

Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami is a renowned singer of kirtan and bhajans (devotional songs). He has a group of professional musicians who travel with him all over world, to both entertain and enlighten audiences from all walks of life, and all age groups.

A defining moment in his Krishna consciousness was a conversation he witnessed between Srila Prabhupada and his godbrother Srila Akinchana Krishna Dasa Babaji Maharaja in October 1977.

During that exchange Srila Prabhupada repeatedly quoted Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura: "tandera carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa janame janame haya, ei abhilasa" “This is my desire: that birth after birth I may live with those devotees who serve the lotus feet of the six Goswamis.”

Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami felt that Srila Prabhupada was revealing an integral reason for his spreading of Krishna consciousness: his deep spirit of love and service for Krishna’s devotees. Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami travels to join devotees in the congregational chanting of Krishna’s names. He is known for his lively chanting and his ability to include all to participate.

At the age of six Gaura Vani left the United States to study sacred music in a gurukula or temple school in the timeless town of Vrindavan, India. He learned ancient prayers in Sanskrit and Bengali and to sing and play ethnic instruments like the harmonium and mrdanga. 25 years later he continues to share the magic he received and performs extensively with his kirtan ensemble, As Kindred Spirits, throughout the world from Europe, Africa and Asia, to the Americas. As Kindred Spirits features the voice and harmonium of Gaura Vani, and the rhythms and melodies of multi-instrumentalist Shyam Kishore, along with a multicultural group of talented musicians, dancers and performers.

Gaura Vani

Jahnavi Harrison was raised in an environment full of kirtan from birth. She began studying Western classical violin as a child, exploring different styles of music, from Irish to Klezmer. In recent years, her studies in South Indian dance (Bharatanatyam) have led her to undertake further study in South Indian Carnatic vocal and violin. She is a kirtan singer, writer, dancer, and a visual artist.

Since 2009 she has been travelling internationally with sacred music bands 'Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits' and 'Sita and the Hanumen', and is now based in London where she is trying to start a mantra music revolution with the 'Kirtan London' project.

Gauteng:
Date: Wednesday, 12 December
Venue: Wits Linder Auditorium
Time: 18:30
Tickets available at the door, Computicket or call Surekha on +2783 783 3314 or Naufal on +2782 837 4104

Durban:
Date: Friday, 14 December
Venue: TBA
Time: 18:30
Tickets available at the door, Computicket or call Surekha on +2783 783 3314 or Naufal on +2782 837 4104

Tickets to the concerts are available through Computicket. Contact Surekha Singh on +27 83 783 3314 or Naufal Khan on +2782 837 4104 for more information and tickets for Durban's event.

For further information please email naufal@indianspice.co.za or call 082 837 4104.

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