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Celebrate Peace Concerts
02/20/2008 Nassau, Bahamas
02/23/2008 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
02/24/2008 Winter Park, FL
02/27/2008 Atlanta, GA
02/29/2008 Asheville, NC
03/01/2008 Winston-Salem, NC
03/04/2008 Buckingham, VA
03/05/2008 Virginia Beach, VA
03/07/2008 Washington, DC
03/08/2008 Philadelphia, PA
03/11/2008 Endicott, NY
03/12/2008 Auburn, NY
03/14/2008 Ottawa, ON
03/16/2008 Toronto, ON
03/18/2008 London, ON
03/20/2008 Burlington, VT
03/22/2008 Danbury, CT
03/27/2008 Chicago, IL
03/29/2008 Kansas City, MO
03/30/2008 Fairfield, IA
04/02/2008 Fort Worth, TX
04/19/2008 Lenox, MA
Kundalini Yoga Workshops
04/18/2008 Lenox, MA
Seduction of Spirit
with Deepak Chopra
04/03/2008 Austin, TX
... view all events |
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My recommendation for this newsletter is a tough one because there are three new CD’s that I just absolutely love! So, please let me just be indulgent and tell you about all of them! (Let’s see if the editors let me get away with that!)
 Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa’s sadhana mantra CD, Aquarian, is so wonderful. I take it on the road with me and sing along every morning. Her vocals are pure devotion and crystal clear. She has a voice of an angel, and I find that I can meditate to this CD very easily.
... buy this album now at Spirit Voyage
 Ram Singh has released Har Ji – Mirror of the Soul which has beautiful guitar work and lovely compositions. He has a beautiful and rich voice, and I find myself listening to this CD quite often, to relax and meditate.
... buy this album now at Spirit Voyage
 And finally, there is Gurunam Singh’s CD, The Journey Home. I’d say this CD is a complete home run! It is joyful, beautiful, meditative, and absolutely uplifting. If you have ever met Gurunam Singh, you’ll know that this album does justice to his loving devotion to God. It is so beautiful and personal.
... buy this album now at Spirit Voyage
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Dear Snatam,
Hello. I felt a very strong pull to write you today after hearing your miraculous voice for the very first time. As a former soldier, who fought in Iraq, I have felt broken inside, and at odds with myself and the world around me. Listening to you brought me peace for the first time in many years, allowed me to grieve for all that I lost as a person there and helped me find a level of closure to that period of my life. Thank you for that.
April Sharon
Written December 2, 2007
Dear Snatam,
I just wanted to write and tell you how much your beautiful music has meant to me lately. I met you on November 5th at your concert at Anjali Yoga in Tuscon.
Shortly after returning from my trip out there …I became ill, and ultimately I ended up in the hospital on December 10th. Turns out I had an ovarian cyst that was very large and it, along with my ovary, had to be removed. I then had complications from the surgery, the "highlight" of which was having …a tube in for 2 days.
The morning after the tube was removed I set out on the unit to do my daily walk. When I came back I sat in my hospital bed and I switched on your album Grace on my iPod. I purposely left my door cracked to my room, hoping that my chanting might uplift another patient. Anyway, I chanted Ong Namo, then Ra Ma Da Sa, concluding with the Long Time Sun.
I was flooded with emotion while chanting. Ong Namo took on a whole new meaning for me: not just that the divine teacher is within, but also the divine healer. I could feel it inside of me. I remembered the mudra for Ra Ma Da Sa, and I knew it was a healing mantra. I chanted it, invoking the divine healer.
I have been home for 2 1/2 weeks, but I hadn't chanted since the hospital, until this evening. I am listening to your Live in Concert CD and I once again have been flooded with emotion. Just hearing the words, "I bowed my head to God, and God took all of me" reminds me of the spiritual surrender an illness requires. This is a lesson I thought I had learned when I went through birthing 2 children naturally, but I know now there are more subtle levels upon which to grasp this concept.
So, again, I want to express my deep gratitude to you for your beautiful voice and your music, the vibration of which is uplifting, soothing, healing and enlightening. As I'm sure is true of many of your fans, you are always with me--on the house stereo, in the car CD player, and on the iPod--(my 5 year old likes to chant along as well). Your musical "ministry" is truly a balm for my soul.
Namaste! and Sat Nam.
Stacy Hoffer
Written January 4, 2008 |
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Text by Jennifer Beeson
Photo by Ravitej Singh
 Snatam to Give Her 200th Concert Celebrating Peace
March 22nd will mark a momentous occasion for Snatam Kaur, as she delivers her 200th concert performance since 2005 at the 700 Voices Sacred Music Festival in Danbury, Connecticut. Snatam will be joined by sacred music luminaries Krishna Das and Wah for this daylong kirtan celebration. Be one of 700 Voices banding together in the spirit of hope and healing, both on a personal and global level. Tickets available exclusively through Western Connecticut State University.
On the Road
2008 has already gotten off to a busy start for Snatam and her band! On February 20th Snatam will be returning to the Bahamas to participate in the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. In their workshop, Absolute Joy Through Kundalini Yoga, Chanting and Meditation, Snatam and GuruGanesha will share and teach the art of meditation, and demonstrate how to be present in life, and how to feel and exude authentic happiness.
Upon her return from the Bahamas Snatam will be embarking on a tour of the East Coast, with stops in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, among others. Please visit www.spiritvoyage.com for a complete concert schedule and to purchase tickets.
Snatam & GuruGanesha to Offer Three-Day Workshop at Kripalu Center
Snatam and GuruGanesha will be bringing their much-loved workshop Absolute Joy Through Kundalini Yoga, Chanting, and Meditation to the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Massachusetts on April 18th -20th. They will teach the art of meditation, deep inner peace, and sacred chant. Their simple tools and techniques come from the ancient art and science of Kundalini Yoga and include conscious breathing, health-promoting yoga postures and movements, chanting, and meditation. Snatam and GuruGanesha will also be delivering an evening concert, Celebrating Peace: An Intimate Kirtan with Snatam Kaur and GuruGanesha Singh. on Saturday, April 19 to inspire infinite peace and inner joy. Visit www.kripalu.org to register.
Snatam Kaur's Music Featured in Movie Premiere
Snatam Kaur recently sang on the original soundtrack for the movie Ocean of Pearls, which is having it's world premiere at the Miami Film Festival. The film tells the story of a Sikh surgeon who feels he has to change himself in order to be successful in his career. Through this experience, he realizes that his strength lies in his spiritual tradition and way of life. If you're in the Miami area, the film plays on March 2nd, 4th and 7th. Please visit www.miamifilmfestival.com and www.oceanofpearls.com.
Peace Has Begun
Snatam has formed an exciting new partnership with the Peace Has Begun Campaign, a pre-promotional series of events leading up to the Project-Peace on Earth worldwide music concert in September of 2009. The Peace Has Begun tour, which will kick off on February 23rd in Fort Lauderdale, is not a typical musical tour; it’s more of a movement designed to create awareness and provide learning tools on a myriad of social topics taught by high-profile speakers. According to Executive Producer Steve Robertson, the campaign “defines an ambitious and unique branding campaign designed to captivate a global audience and to inspire everyone to make a tangible one-small-step towards making the world we all live in a better and more peaceful planet.” See www.project-peaceonearth.org for more information on this innovative initiative to create lasting peace.
My Story, Our World
Snatam Kaur and her band will be featured in the thought provoking interview and documentary series "My Story, Our World" that will be broadcast through the internet and emerging multi-media channels. Documenting the extraordinary life experiences of ordinary people, from Ethiopia to Nicaragua to Miami and beyond, the series will transcend both religious and national boundaries—a movement that is uniting one human being to another, with the intention of being a luminous beacon to guide our hearts to open and to connect with each other, one story at a time. Please visit www.gaiafield.net and www.snatamkaur.com to watch the series in late February and early March.
Feeling Good Today!
Snatam is currently in the studio recording her next album, a collection of songs celebrating her youngest fans. The new children’s album, Feeling Good Today (working title), will be available this June. The album will feature many of the much-loved songs Snatam and her band have played at Children’s Programs across the country. Like her live performances, this album promises to be an uplifting and joyful experience for children and adults alike!
More From GuruGanesha and His Guitar!
Finishing touches are being made to GuruGanesha’s upcoming new studio album, ‘Joy Is Now’, a cutting-edge fusion of East and West , slated for release this March. The album showcases some of GuruGanesha’s best vocals and guitar work to-date and contains the boundless energy and musical innovation that we have come to expect from him. Produced by Thomas Barquee, the album features heart opening vocal improvisations by Snatam Kaur, spellbinding tabla rhythms by Manish Vyas, delightful clarinet by Ram Dass, and tasteful keyboard, bass, and vocal harmonies by Barquee himself. We have no doubt that this album will become an important part of everyone’s sacred music collection! |
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By Snatam Kaur
 Yogi Bhajan’s Affirmation for the Soul
The sun was beautiful, shining warmly on the Los Angeles neighborhood nestled between the two busy streets of Fairfax and Beverly. I was using some free time between recording sessions on my upcoming children’s album to take a walk. One of my favorite things to do is look at houses and lawns. It’s a fascination for me, really. I love to see beautiful homes and gardens, and in LA there are so many that it is just pure entertainment. As I walked, I was enraptured by the beautiful white roses climbing up white picket fences, the perfectly manicured lawns, the fancy gates with pathway lighting, the exotic orange flowers that look like flamingo heads, and the beautiful windows and stone-laden driveways. I wove in and out of the quiet streets for quite some time, feeling serene and meditative, and then I took a turn and suddenly found myself right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in LA. What a shock.
There was traffic whizzing by, people dashing in and out of shops, cars honking, and garbage pails overflowing. Everything seemed sped up. I decided to enjoy the city vibe for awhile and went into a few shops, a shoe store, an Italian gourmet shop, and an incense shop. It was all quite fun, noisy and loud.
Then I turned the corner again and returned to the quiet neighborhood, which was just a block away. A man helping his daughter ride her tricycle passed me, and the birds were chirping. It was fascinating how the neighborhoods could change so quickly from one space to the next. I began to think about this and realized that we as human beings have the power to project our energy as we wish and to create the space around us. The chaos of a busy street just a block away can be completely forgotten in a quiet peaceful neighborhood because that was the intention and projection of the residents.
In our own lives, we have the power to create our environments through our intentions and projections. The power of mantra is just that: through these sacred vibrations we are able to project the inner essence of our beings into our lives and in this way change the space around us.
Yogi Bhajan gave us a beautiful mantra in English. We are putting it on the children’s album I am recording, so I’ve been singing it quite a bit lately. The words are: “I am the Light of my soul, I am beautiful, I am bountiful, I am bliss, I am, I am.”
These words are so simple, and yet so powerful. Many of us believe that there is a Divine energy guiding us, but to believe that this Divine energy is actually inside of us is a profound realization. My meditation lately has been to reflect on the beauty of my own soul, to sit in relation to it and be with it. I began to realize that my soul has come through for me many times, and has led me to do great things. Yet somehow I wasn’t relating to it as much as I could. I found that meditating in relationship to my soul and honoring its presence within me is very refreshing. It gives me a deeper awareness and appreciation for my soul. I believe that the soul is inside each of us, vibrating and, in essence, waiting for us to relate to it. We tend to think of so many things outside ourselves, and to define our lives by looking to the outside. I am finding that the true beauty of living this life is to be in the presence of your soul, to recognize its divinity, and to live in its grace.
This positive affirmation of Yogi Bhajan’s is incredibly empowering. “I am beautiful, I am bountiful, I am bliss” are such positive affirmations. Some people find it hard to say such positive things about themselves. If you are anything like me, you are your own worst critic. In concerts we sing this affirmation, and sometimes GuruGanesha playfully challenges the audience, “Even if you don’t believe these words, just this once, pretend that you do, and see what happens!” While meditating on these words, I began to be aware of what I was saying, and the more I stopped focusing on my thoughts, and just went into the feeling of the words and allowed my mind to be still, the more the words had an impact. For me, the vibration causes a shift inside me on a very subtle level. So I’ll keep meditating, and let’s see what happens! Every day is different. I feel that the most powerful way to heal ourselves is through the words that we say to ourselves. I believe that there is no one else on the planet who has a more powerful effect on you, than you.
So I invite you to chant this mantra, this beautiful English mantra given to us by Yogi Bhajan. He knew the power of words and masterfully put these words together. The effect is very deep. Enjoy.
I am the Light of my soul, I am beautiful, I am bountiful, I am bliss, I am, I am |
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By GuruGanesha Singh
 It’s Never Too Late To Listen To The Master!!!
One of the most delightful things about touring and working with the Spirit Voyage team for both Snatam and me is that it has become such a family thing. Snatam’s talented husband, Sopurkh Singh, has recently joined us full time as Road Manager and Director of Community Development in addition to all the graphic design work that he continues to do for us (album covers, posters, banners, Snatam’s website, this newsletter etc.). My 29 year old son, Akal Sahai Singh, for the past two years has been skillfully handling the challenge of being our overall Tour Manager. He books the concerts and works closely with the local producers to help make them successful. Our concert schedule just keeps growing, and he is doing a fantastic job. And it’s been a real treat to have Akal Sahai’s wife, Jennifer, my brilliant and beautiful daughter-in-law, superbly handle all our bookkeeping duties. Not to mention, she managed to do this while giving birth to two gorgeous daughters, Ella Grace who is 2 yrs old, and Lily who is 4 months old. I can whole-heartedly affirm that there is no greater joy than to serve the planet side by side with the people that you love.
This brings to mind the story about how Yogi Bhajan’s words brought my son, Akal Sahai into our business. It was August 11, 2005, and my wife Mata Mandir Kaur and I were sitting on the sofa in the living room of Akal Sahai and Jennifer’s home in Richmond, CA. I was holding in my arms my two day old grand daughter, Ella Grace, having just met her for the first time. The feeling of joy in my heart was indescribable! Akal Sahai sat down next to me and thoughtfully acknowledged, “I should have listened to the Old Man.” This was Akal Sahai’s affectionate term for Yogi Bhajan, who by this time had already passed away. I responded, “What did he say to you?” Akal Sahai replied, “Don’t you remember when I was 18, I had a private meeting with Yogiji at Winter Solstice in Florida, and I asked him for advice on how to proceed with my life. He strongly urged me to go to college and then to learn business from you.”
I did indeed remember that moment, and I remembered that Akal Sahai had chosen not to follow Yogiji’s guidance, and pursued a different course. And now it was eight years later, and although Akal Sahai had a wonderful wife and a beautiful new daughter, his job, unfortunately, clearly could not support his expanding family. He was regretting not having listened to Yogiji.
Akal Sahai Singh and I looked at each other knowingly. In the clarity of the moment, we both realized that It was never too late to listen to the Master!!! It had become clear to me that it was time to find a new tour manager because it was becoming too much for me to be a full time touring musician and manage the tour as well. And it had become clear to him that he would actually like to do what Yogiji had suggested. So I said to him, “I’ve been waiting 8 years for you to say this. How would you like to be our tour manager and I will teach you the business.” We laughed together heartily knowing that destiny was manifesting.
And so it was that Akal Sahai began working for Spirit Voyage. We’re both deeply grateful to share our lives together in this way, and especially to have had a spiritual guide who planted the seeds that would blossom years later!! |
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Dear GuruGanesha,
Thank you, the gratitude is flowing from all corners here and from my being to Snatam and you and your whole team and especially to Yogi Bhajan who brought the light of God into your lives. I realize now that he sent you to us as a gift to lift our hearts at this time. You will all come to Fairfield again and there will be other great nights, but everyone will always remember this last May night because of the timing and the intention of love you brought to us at this time. [ed. note: Maharishi Vedic City Community in Fairfiled Iowa. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi left his physical body on February 5th, 2008]
As I mentioned it's been my great joy to have people express to me their gratitude for the concert in the last weeks. Almost everyone started by saying "Thank you for bringing them" (well God brought you and it was nice that he allowed me to lend a helping hand :-). Further expressions included:
"The best concert I have ever been to!"
"The best event ever in Fairfield!"
"One of the best nights of my life!"
"It was incredible, just so incredible!"
"I began to cry as soon as Snatam sang." Many said they cried including the guys.
"We thought we were just going to a concert, but it was so much more. It was so healing for the whole community to come together, chant and unite for peace."
"Thanks for bringing Snatam Kaur and her group here – what a spectacular event!! I saw them in 2003 in California and was blown away then as now. Very beautiful experience – I look forward to having them come back."
"They seem like incredible people, wonderful musicians. I was truly inspired."
I felt all these things too. It was truly one of the best nights of my life and I felt privileged to be part of it. You know when I first heard Snatam's voice I realized that this was something very powerful but it was only when I first heard her sing in rehearsal that I had that experience of God consciousness that all of us experienced during the concert. And if ever the road gets weary, remember the transformation you are creating in people's lives and the planet.
Well to sum it all up, you all have a lot of fans here now!
Peace and blessings to you, Snatam, Sopurkh, the band, and Akal Sahai and Gurujot.
– Guy
P.S. word travels fast and many of our TM friends in different cities will be showing up at your concerts including a group of 6 in Calgary.
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