Product Description Japa by Dave Stringer About the Artist Dave's sound marries the transcendent mysticism of traditional Indian instruments with the exuberant, groove-oriented sound of American gospel music. A spontaneous and articulate public speaker, he probes the dilemmas of the spirit with a sly and unorthodox sense of humor. His work translates the ancient traditions of kirtan and yoga into inspiring and thoroughly modern participatory theatre, open to a multiplicity of interpretations, and accessible to all. Initially trained as a visual artist and jazz musician, Dave started chanting in the early 1990?s when a film editing project brought him to the ashram of Swami Muktananda in India. When the editing project ended, he remained in India to teach school in a rural village, and continued studying the traditions of yoga with Swami Chidvilasananda. After returning to the US, Dave taught meditation and chanting to prison inmates, and began leading kirtans at yoga studios in Los Angeles and Chicago. In the past four years Dave and his band have toured all over the United States, Canada and Europe, giving more than 400 performances. He has collaborated on recordings with Vas, Rasa, Donna De Lory, Axiom of Choice, Suzanne Teng, and Sheila Nicholls, and has performed with other noted kirtan singers Krishna Das and Jai Uttal. His voice can also be heard on the soundtracks of the film Matrix Revolutions and the video game Myst.
T**Y
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE KIRTAN PERFORMERS BEST CD
IF YOU ARE A KIRTAN FAN you just might love this guy. I know I do, and I will continue to purchase his CD's and attend his kirtans whenever possible. His expressive voice and mulitiude of un-kirtan-like instruments really works for me. This particular album has a young relative, Allie Stringer, singing with him and her voice makes this the BEST of the Stringer CD's (both of them). Now I've had people ask why he doesn't just stay soft and devotional. Well, he likes to get the energy rising so that you can't help but get up and rattle your bones a little bit. If you like that kind of kirtan music, check him out. I'd rather see him live than Krishna Das. For real.
K**S
Soulful Kirtan
New to Stringer's music, I am pleasantly surprised by these soulful chants. Initially the songs struck me as a bit too short(all of them are less than 10 minutes long) so I was inclined to give only a four star rating, but despite their brevity these chants are beautiful---especially the last four. I now wish I had given this recording a five star rating.Because the chants are so short, those new to kirtan may find this recording to be a gentle entry into kirtan. While I am enjoying all the chants, one stands out for me over and above the rest. It's the final chant, Shanti Om. This is perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful chant I've ever heard. The first time I heard this chant its depth and intensity drew me inward and expanded my awareness, if only for a short time.
H**H
Hey Shiva Shankara!
Dave Stringer's music is full of bubbling exuberance on this well-produced "call and response" kirtan album that includes backups by Donna de Lory and others of equally amazing talent.You won't pick these tunes at bedtime or when you're sitting down to meditate - but for yoga practice, housework, or rocking out in the car with the windows rolled down, this CD can't be beat!
L**N
A Kirtan Classic
This is one of the best kirtan CDs ever recorded. It doesn't get any better than Stringer's "Hey Shiva Shankara." Stringer and Krishna Das set the standard for the whole genre.
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