Listen and sample a song from David’s newest album – To Be Home as well as an intimate chat with David and host Shasta Townsend

David Newman or Durga Das, as he is also known, is a Kirtan ChantArtist, sacred singer songwriter and a practitioner and educator ofBhakti Yoga – the Yoga of Love. David travels extensively sharingKirtan, devotional music and the spiritual, meditative and musicalaspects of Yoga. David’s music embodies a devotional mysticism,distinctive musicality, poetic intimacy and a deep respect for India’sancient chant tradition.

David records for the Nutone Music Label. HisCDs include Lotus Feet: A Kirtan Revolution, Soul Freedom, Leap ofGrace: The Hanuman Chalisa, Love Peace Chant, a CD/DVD setentitled Into the Bliss and his latest release To Be Home. His liveKirtans are joyous, ecstatic, uplifting and exploding with energy. Adedicated Chant Troubadour, David tours throughout the world with hiswife Mira, a celebrated devotional singer, recording artist andpercussionist. He is also the author of Merging with Grace, the founderof The Stay Strong Project and of Yoga On Main in Philadelphia.

David has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and hasappeared in Yoga Journal, Yoga + Joyful Living, Yoga Magazine UK,Natural Awakening, New Age Retailer, Rock Om, Sacred SoundsRadio, Wave Magazine, Ultrasounds, In the Spirit, VividLife,Yogamates, Yogi Times, Australian Life Magazine, Yoga Chicago aswell as others. David has offered programs at Omega Institute, KripaluCenter, Sivananda Yoga Retreat, The Toronto and Vancouver YogaConference, Yogaville, and has toured widely throughout the US,Canada, Europe and Asia.

“David Newman/Durga Das is a rising star in the international subgenre of chant artist or mantric musician.”NPR’s – All Things Considered

“David is reminiscent of George Harrison, Dylan and Paul Simon whenthey are in soul mode.”LA Yoga Magazine

“Though David Newman has a deep sense of tradition in his music,there is also something thoughtful, poetic, personal, and almostromantic about his songs.”Yoga Journal

Technorati Tags: •-VividLife Radio Shows, David Newman, Durga Das, Kirtan, Possibility 101, Shasta Townsend, Spirituality, To Be Home, vivid life, vividlife, VividLife.me, yoga

Recently, David Newman (aka Durga Das) had a talk and Kirtan concert at the Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto.  When I arrived the atmosphere was fantastic.  There were candles lit around the room.

The first part of the evening was a talk and bhakti yoga session.  Around fifty people were taking part.  David sang a Kirtan song to get us in the mood.  We then did a yoga session.  Finally, we finished with a guided meditation.  I felt very relaxed and blissed out by the end.

The second part of the evening was a Kirtan concert.  There were probably around one hundred and fifty people participating.  Each Kirtan song lasted around 30 minutes.  Kirtan music is Indian devotional chanting.

About half way through the concert, a woman and her daughter sat down next to me.  We started talking and it turns out that she is one of the owners of the Yoga Sanctuary.  We had a great conversation and I found out that the Yoga Sanctuary is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary.  They are going to celebrate with ten days of free events in November.

Overall, it was a great evening and I would attend future events at the Yoga Sanctuary.  It has an amazing spiritual atmosphere and friendly staff.

Technorati Tags: arts and entertainment, Canada, Chris Oldcorn, Concert, David Newman, Durga Das, energy, entertainment reviews, gratitude, Kirtan, Kirtan Chant, life purpose, Meditation, Ontario, personal development, Personal Growth, spiritual, Toronto, Travel, vividlife, Yoga Sanctuary

As Yoga continues to spread its wings in America, a new component of the ancient tradition is emerging as part of the new spiritual music explosion. It is called Kirtan!

Kirtan is a group gathering where sacred mantras are sung together in a call and response style. It is a unique concert setting where music and singing are treated as meditation and the audience is as much a part of the band as the band members themselves. All throughout the country the awareness of this ancient practice is growing.

Here in the US there is a whole new breed of Kirtan singers. These “Chant Artists”, as they are called, are blending western musical sounds and styles with ancient Sanskrit healing Kirtan mantras.

DAVID NEWMAN AKA DURGA DAS

One such Chant Artist is David Newman who is innovating the world of chant by making musically eclectic Kirtan records and traveling extensively spreading awareness of this new musical genre. David, also known as Durga Das, is known for artfully blending songwriting, innovative musicality and Kirtan chanting in a way that makes the experience deeply accessible and even somewhat familiar to listeners of modern music.

In 2004 David met well known New York City Producer and Mix engineer Frank Wolf who has worked with artists such as Elton John, Pink, Santana, Dido and JLO. The two immediately found a natural musical rapport and recorded their groundbreaking Lotus Feet: A Kirtan Revolution. Lotus Feet became an instant classic in the newly emerging Kirtan field of ‘spiritual world mantra music’. It was reviewed on the National Public Radio show All Things Considered on June 20th, 2006. David and Frank followed up Lotus Feet with Leap of Grace, a beautiful recording of a sacred and ancient Indian healing prayer called the Hanuman Chalisa and a live CD/DVD Set entitled Into the Bliss.

LOVE, PEACE, CHANT

In the fall of 2008, David was approached by Nettwerk Records CEO and founder, Terry McBride. Terry, who works with such artists as Sarah Mclachlan, Avril Lavigne and Barenaked Ladies, signed David to a record deal with a desire to bring the beauty of Chant music to a widening audience. To facilitate this vision, Terry revived a subsidiary label of Nettwerk called Nutone and in addition to David, signed other notable chant artists including Krishna Das, Wah, Wade Morrissette and Reema Datta.

As a result of this affiliation with Nettwerk, David went back into the studio to collaborate with his long time producer Frank Wolf. The results are a beautiful and accessible CD entitled: Love, Peace, Chant. Love, Peace, Chant comprises an impassioned musical landscape calling forth the rich presence of Spirit through the poetic impressions of sacred song and the ancient Indian Kirtan chant tradition. From ecstatic Kirtan chanting to intimate sacred songs and hypnotic trance jams, Love, Peace, Chant is as emotionally evocative as it is spiritually transcendent.  Whether settling into the warmth of meditative reflection, blissfully calling forth the Divine names, or soaring into the mystic – Love, Peace, Chant emanates an exalted quality that both soothes and grooves with every note.

DAVID’S BIO AND REVIEWS

David Newman or Durga Das, as he is also known, is a Kirtan Chant Artist, singer songwriter and a practitioner and educator of Bhakti Yoga – the yoga of love. David travels extensively singing Kirtan (Indian devotional chanting) and sharing the spiritual, devotional, meditative and musical aspects of yoga. David’s music embodies a devotional mysticism, distinctive musicality, poetic intimacy and a deep respect for India’s ancient chant tradition. His recordings expand the traditional Kirtan medium by incorporating a wide range of musical and lyrical elements and by exploring a vast palette of progressive production influences. David recordings include Lotus Feet: A Kirtan Revolution, Soul Freedom, Leap of Grace: The Hanuman Chalisa, the CD/DVD set Into the Bliss and his latest… Love, Peace, Chant. His live Kirtans and concerts are joyous, ecstatic, uplifting and exploding with energy. A dedicated Kirtan Troubadour, David tours throughout the world with MIRA, a celebrated devotional singer, recording artist and percussionist. He is also the author of a book on meditation entitled Merging with Grace and the founder of Yoga On Main in Philadelphia. www.davidnewmanmusic.com • www.myspace.com/davidnewmandurgadas www.nettwerk.com • www.nutonemusic.com

“David Newman/Durga Das is a rising star in the international sub genre of chant artist or mantric musician”.

NPR’s – All Things Considered

“Though David Newman has a deep sense of tradition in his music, there is also something thoughtful, poetic, personal, and almost romantic about his songs.” — Yoga Journal

“David’s music especially his voice elevates the ear and then allows one to drive deep into the sweetness of the heart”. — Sharon Gannon, Founder Jivamukti Yoga

“David Newman’s Lotus Feet is in my top 10 list of CD’s I can’t live without. — New Age Retailer

“David Newman’s Into the Bliss is one of the best Kirtan CDs we have heard.”— Yoga Magazine

“Listening to David Newman’s Leap of Grace is like a mysterious/mystical musical journey, in which your thoughts are purified and elevated.”— Yoga Journal

“David Newman’s music is a river of Love”.— Bhagavan Das, Legendary Devotional Singer

“Prepare to be swept along helplessly to the current of this euphoric and divinely inspired Kirtan recording…You’ll beg for them not to finish…You’ll regret not having this one in your Yoga music collection.”— Australian Yoga Life Magazine

“Lotus Feet has become one of my favorite albums these days, which is no small thing given how much music in the sacred world genre I listen to daily.” — Leanne Wood, Co-Founder – Sacred Sounds Radio

Technorati Tags: David Newman, Durga Das, Kirtan Chant, Love Peace Chant

Tune in LIVE with hosts Shayne Traviss and ChrisOldcorn Wed. July 8th 2 pm EST

David Newman or Durga Das, as he is also known, is a Kirtan Chant Artist and a practitioner and educator of Bhakti Yoga – the Yoga of Love. David, a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba, travels extensively singing Kirtan (Indian devotional chanting) and sharing the spiritual, devotional, meditative, and musical aspects of yoga. David’s music embodies a devotional mysticism, distinctive musicality, poetic intimacy and a deep respect for India’s ancient chant tradition. His recordings expand the traditional Kirtan medium by incorporating a wide range of musical and lyrical elements and by exploring a vast palette of progressive production influences. David CDs include Lotus Feet: A Kirtan Revolution, Soul Freedom, Leap of Grace: The Hanuman Chalisa, a CD/DVD set entitled Into the Bliss and his latest release Love, Peace, Chant on Nettwerk/Nutone. His live kirtans and concerts are joyous, ecstatic, uplifting, and exploding with energy. A dedicated Kirtan Troubadour, David tours throughout the world with Mira, a celebrated devotional singer, recording artist and percussionist. He is also the author of a book on meditation entitled Merging with Grace and the founder of Yoga On Main in Philadelphia.

www.davidnewmanmusic.com

Co-host Chris Olcorn:
Chris Oldcorn is a spiritual teacher not associated with any one religion. Helping people live in the present moment is the basis for his spiritual teachings. Through his spirituality, Chris helps people discover their own unique purpose in life. He believes “we are here to have healthy relationships with each other.”

Technorati Tags: Bhakti Yoga, David Newman, devotional music, Durga Das, Kirtan Chant