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Joy is Now Tour
GuruGanesha Singh LIVE
with Nirinjan Kaur and Friends
10/24/2008 Toronto, Ontario
10/25/2008 Ottawa, Ontario
10/26/2008 Montreal, Quebec
10/28/2008 Shelburne, VT
10/29/2008 Endicott, NY
10/30/2008 Auburn, NY
11/01/2008 Washington Depot, CT
11/02/2008 Montague, MA
11/05/2008 Millis, MA
11/07/2008 New York, NY
11/08/2008 Vienna, VA
11/09/2008 Virginia Beach, VA
11/11/2008 Winston-Salem, NC
11/12/2008 Charleston, NC
11/14/2008 Altamonte Springs, FL
11/16/2008 Atlanta, GA
11/18/2008 Asheville, NC
11/21/2008 Baltimore, MD
11/22/2008 Philadelphia, PA
... view all events |
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Notes from the Road |
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Here’s a good combination. Pregnant, and making a children’s yoga DVD. And yes, that was me a few weeks ago. Every time I wanted to complain I just had to look at the Director of the film, Alessandra, who is about two days more pregnant then I! We weren’t quite at the waddling stage… but close enough. I still can’t believe there is a point when you can’t see your feet when you are walking. Anyway, back to the DVD…
To give you a little background, this DVD is a combination of a yoga class, a story, and songs set to celestial communication. For those of you who haven’t heard of celestial communication, this is a kind of dance to bring emphasis to the words of a song, and incorporate the energy into the body, and in this way “communicate” with God, the angels, and divine energy. In a way, this combination of story, yoga, and movement is how I grew up doing yoga. My spiritual teacher once said that children’s yoga should be first and foremost fun. As you’ll see in the DVD we have some pretty ridiculous moments.
As we toured around the country these past seven years, children kept coming to our concerts. We would invite them up on stage to sing with us at times, because they just were so cute and beautiful. I admit it, I couldn’t resist. Pretty soon, I began to realize how much the kids were connecting with the spirit in the music, so we developed a whole children’s yoga program to give them a more direct experience of that spirit. We delivered this program all over the world, and so we decided to make a DVD out of it for kids that couldn’t make it to our programs.
We looked around our home town of Espanola and neighboring Santa Fe to find children to be in our DVD. Fortunately, the kids who came to do the video were in top form on the day of filming. A few days before the filming, we had a set of rehearsals with the kids. Mind you, I believe (in my haven’t really experienced being a mom sort of way) that we had very good children. But, it was the combination of probably our adult nerves, and the sheer fun of being kids, that created a slightly unruly rehearsal situation. We quickly realized that the sheepskins for the yoga class would become airborne on the day of the filming if we didn’t tape them down. Already, one boy had a dirt mark on his nice white yoga pants after only wearing them for 5 minutes for our fitting. My niece Siri Atma was doing the Def Leppard hand symbol (we think it came from her father) during the celestial communication for the song “I am Happy, I am Good”. At one point I told myself “At least the kids were bonding and having a good time”… as all of the children were on the floor in a massive wrestling pile completely ignoring my adult implorations to have them come sitting up to do more yoga.
The night before the filming, I earnestly looked at my husband over dinner and said, “We should probably reschedule everything, give a few more weeks to practice with the children.” I know, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this… you probably would just like to see the finished DVD and just see it as a yoga class. But, hey, I thought I’d take you behind the scenes… get a little personal with it.
Anyway, my husband looked at me with his big blue eyes, and said with all of the confidence that I wish I had, “the kids will be fine, you’ll see.”
On the day of the filming, the crew showed up, and set up the lights and cameras. The kids arrived at 8:30 in the morning, and let me just say it was a new day. They walked in with all of the confidence and calm that I had imagined that they would have all of these months in preparation, and we began filming. We went through each posture, and celestial communication movement, sometimes more then once, and the children were beautiful. I couldn’t believe it… that’s why in the video I’m smiling so much… it really was because of the children… and maybe because I’m pregnant. Alessandra, in her very cheerful yet authoritative voice led us through the whole day. We finally let the children go that evening, after awarding them with special crystals.
Currently, our music producer, Krishan, is working in LA to create the final music mixes. We have some very talented children singers that came into his studio to sing. We also have an illustrator working on some amazing illustrations for the story. I can’t really tell you any more then this… top secret stuff. No just kidding. But, look out for our new DVD which plan to release this October.
Sat Nam! |
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Welcome to the Celebrate Peace Tour Newsletter!
This Summer edition of our newsletter shares some wonderful news from Snatam and her husband Sopurkh Singh. And GuruGanesha is joyfully preparing for his upcoming tour of the Northeast. We have some very heart-felt letters from listeners and a new column “What Can I Do?” to live consciously on this Earth. Read, relax and rejoice!
Peace and Blessings,
Gurujot Kaur
Editor |
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Now Playing: Joy is Now by GuruGanesha
from the album Joy is Now |
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Text by Sopurkh Singh Khalsa
 Joy is Now Tour - GuruGanesha Singh with Nirinjan Kaur and friends
GuruGanesha Singh will be touring the Northeast in October and November, sharing his devotional and high-spirited energy, and enchanting audiences with his guitar wizardry. Accompanied by an all-star line-up featuring the angelic and heart-opening voice of Nirinjan Kaur, this ecstatic chanting experience is supported by a fusion of Indian classical raag / jazz / rock instrumentals led by GuruGanesha’s signature guitar. The concert will feature music from his highly acclaimed albums Pure Ganesh and Joy is Now! Tickets for the fall concerts are now available online at the Spirit Voyage. Please see the Joy is Now Tour schedule to the left. ... read more
 Deva Premal and Miten in San Francisco
Our beloved friends Deva Premal and Miten will be returning to the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Their concert will be on September 19th at 7:30PM. Their USA tour this fall will finish with an ecstatic evening of sacred song and chant at this beautiful cathedral. Please tell all your friends! It will be a special night, I know!
Sacred Chant Retreat
Join Snatam Kaur and GuruGanesha Singh in the remote beach village of Yelapa, Mexico from March 2-8, 2009 for an in-depth experience of opening your voice to the essence of your soul’s song. In a lush tropical environment with the sound of the ocean nearby, return to your natural rhythm through a daily practice of yoga, meditation, and healthy diet. Through ancient singing techniques with sacred mantras, you can develop your own daily practice from this experience, and let the flow of your voice change your life forever. For more info, visit spiritvoyage.com or call (888) 735-4800.
Snatam and Sopurkh's 120th Day Celebration
Snatam and Sopurkh celebrated the 120th day of their pregnancy! In the Sikh tradition, the mother is honored on the 120th day of her pregnancy which is the time when the soul enters the mother's womb. Snatam and Sopurkh gathered with 750 people during Summer Solstice at Ram Das Puri in New Mexico on the morning of June 22. During morning sadhana Gurdwara, they received the Guru's blessings with shabads from Snatam's mom Prabhu Nam Kaur (listen), and a special song by Livtar Singh (listen). Afterwards, muffins from their dear friends Dharm and Gurukirn at the Chocolate Maven were enjoyed by all!
Snatam’s New Children’s Album and DVD
Snatam is putting the finshing touches on her newest album, Feeling Good Today, which features many of the much-loved children's songs she and her band have played at children’s programs throughout the world. Slated for release this October, this album will be an uplifting and joyful experience for children and adults alike! Snatam is also creating a new children’s DVD, as companion to the CD, titled Shanti the Yogi: Mountain Adventure!, featuring yoga, meditation and celestial communication for children. This will be released in October as well.
On the Road
Just home from their late-spring West Coast tour, Snatam , GuruGanesha and their bandmates are taking some time off this summer. The West Coast tour was a huge success from Encinitas, CA to Vancouver, BC. Deepest thanks to Girish, Ramesh, and Arjun for joining the band. Special thanks also to Mirabai Ceiba who joined the tour and who are planning their own tour for next year. We'll keep you posted!
Snatam in the Studio Again
Snatam will go into the studio again with Thomas Barquee and GuruGanesha to start work on her next full-length solo album in September. The album will be released to coincide with her next East Coast USA tour in May 2009.
Snatam European 2009 Fall Tour
We are in the final stages of planning our 20 concert European 2009 Fall Tour. There's a few dates still open, please contact Akal Sahai Singh to book a concert.
 Snatam featured in new book on Kirtan
Snatam along with almost every other contemporary kirtan devotee is featured in the new book The Yoga of Kirtan: Conversations on the Sacred Art of Chanting by Steven Rosen. 483 pages of interviews that reveal the personal spiritual practices and history of this blissful yogic tradition that we all love. Includes an ecstatic 11 track CD.
Become a Celebrate Peace Tour eNewsletter Sponsor
eNewsletter sponsors will receive acknowledgement for their support via Ads in this eNewsletter. Sponsorship packages and commitment levels vary, and they can be customized. Contact Sopurkh Singh. |
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By Snatam Kaur
The Arrival of the Soul
On June 22, 2008, my husband and I celebrated the 120th day of my pregnancy. Sure enough, on that morning, I felt our growing baby move for the first time. Together with my husband, it became more real, that this was the day that the soul entered into the womb. It felt very sacred, because we were camping in the mountains at the Summer Solstice celebration. This is a gathering, where people come to meditate, cleanse, and pray together on the sacred land of Ram Das Puri. This year, 1800 people had come together. Knowing that words cannot properly describe what these gatherings are like, or what the land is like, I will do my best to share a little with you. It's as if an opening from the heavens lets in healing energy, enough to allow miracles to happen, and enough for one to come in touch with the essence of ones soul. For more information on this gathering please visit www.3HO.org
Under the morning sky, after a beautiful morning sadhana with live music from our dear friends Mirabai Ceiba, we sat in Gurdwara, with the blessing of the Sangat (sacred community). Gurdwara means Gate to the Guru, and it is something that we partake of every morning, where we listen to sacred music from poetry of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the scipture of the Sikhs, which is our living Guru.
It was such a beautiful entry for the soul of our baby to come into. Yogi Bhajan teaches that it is on the 120th day that the soul enters the womb. Although there can be a subtle connection leading up to the 120th day between the actual physical body forming and the soul, it is really a time of preparation and prayer, when the mother opens herself up to the universe to receive a new soul. So, it is on this day, that the soul meets the physical body, and enters into its new temporary home, the womb.
That morning my mother, along with Sat Kirtan Kaur, Jaspreet Singh, and my brother Rishi Parbhaat Singh, prepared a special Shabad for this occasion. I had asked my mother to prepare this particular Shabad, which Yogi Bhajan taught us about. He said that by reciting this Shabad before your 120th day, you can attract the soul of a saint and a lover of the Guru. I had been reciting this Shabad and meditating on it for months. So, my mother and family lovingly put it to music and sang it that morning. I could feel the absolute love in each note that they played. The Shabad is called “Jamia Poot Bhagat Govindka”. The repeating line means, “A child is born, a devotee of God.” As you recite these words over and over, its sets the vibration for a soul who has the energy of the devotee to God, to come into your space.
We were also blessed to have Livtar Singh, accompanied by GuruGanesha Singh, sing a song called “Welcome” for the soul arriving. The words of this song are so pure, and uplifting that it taught me in that moment how to uplift my prayers for this new child coming.
As I sat and listened to the Shabad, and the song “Welcome”, tears streamed down my face. I’m usually pretty shy about crying in public, but that morning, I didn’t care. The tears were of joy, and I let the tears fall, as the lady sitting next to me passed me a tissue. I even heard my husband sniffle a little bit. We both knew how blessed we were. There was so much love from my family and friends, it was unbelievable. One of the most powerful ways to transmit love is through divine music, I can tell you that from the experience of this special morning. Afterwards we stood up as a community to do Ardas, which is a sacred prayer, and then we listened to a beautiful Hukham (a passage) from our Siri Guru Granth Sahib. And then, we passed out an enormous amount of muffins, blessings from our friends at Chocolate Maven.
Please enjoy the recordings from this special morning. We have received so much love from all of you, through emails, phone calls, and prayers. Thank you. Sat Nam. |
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By GuruGanesha Singh
 My Fall 'Joy is Now' Concert Tour with Nirinjan Kaur
As you all know by now, my beloved musical colleague Snatam Kaur is taking a break from touring this fall to have a baby with her great husband Sopurkh Singh. The entire Celebrate Peace/Spirit Voyage family is ecstatic as we know that this child will be a wonderful blessing to the planet. Snatam and I felt that this was the perfect opportunity to introduce you all to Nirinjan Kaur from Vancouver BC, a young Sikh devotional singer of exceptional caliber and spiritual depth. I feel very blessed that she has agreed to join me on my fall Joy is Now concert tour. If any of you have had the opportunity to listen to her sublime sadhana album, ‘Aquarian’, then you know exactly what we mean. In fact, during our recent concert in Ashland, Oregon, Nirinjan Kaur joined Snatam and I onstage to sing Snatam’s etheric song, Azure Salver. It was breathtaking hearing the two of them sing together. Though I will miss Snatam greatly on stage this fall, it’s exciting to know that Nirinjan, the band and I will be chanting with audiences all over the Eastern US and Canada while Snatam is in the ninth month of her pregnancy. Our intention for the concert itself is that it be an experience of absolute joy. We are selecting pieces that will truly uplift the spirit and encourage everybody to sing (and perhaps dance) along. What a joyful and special time this will be for all of us!! I hope that you can come and join us for one of the concerts!! If you do, please come up before or after the concert and say hi!! Tickets for the fall concerts are now available online at the Spirit Voyage.
GuruGanesha |
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Dear Snatam:
 My name is Fiona. I think I am one of your youngest fans. I was 2 in March. My Nana is writing for me because I can't write yet but I talk all day long. And I love to sing and you are my favorite singer. "Ong Namo" was my favorite song, but now we have your DVD and I love to sing "I am Happy".
I have listened to your music for a long time, starting when I was still inside my Mom. I have done yoga for that long too. Your music makes me feel peaceful. I really like to listen to it when I go to sleep. I like to look at the photos on your web site, especially the ones when you were a little girl.
I can't wait for your children's CD and my Nana just read that you are also making a children's DVD - thank you!
Namaste,
Fiona Archer
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Dear Snatam:
Trying to express my gratitude to you in an email will never do justice to the truth, but I will try. I am a school teacher (3rd grade) in an inner city school. This years students were more closed off and aggressive than I have ever experienced in my career. I have always used your music to become present in my "life situation." You have a way of bringing true peace to me, in which I am able to access the truth of myself. Anyway, half way through my school year I became so frustrated and upset with the violence and negativity in my classroom that I prayed for help. What came was your music. I began to play your music every morning when the students entered into the classroom and as they were doing individual work. At first, they were irritated, laughed, and played as a "yogi". After about a month, my students began to transform. They opened up. When they walked into the classroom, they were more peaceful, more helpful and much kinder. We would be sitting in the middle of a lesson and they would ask me if I would play By Thy Grace. So, we would stop everything we were doing and 24 of us would sing with you. I wanted to let you know how much you have touched my life and now 23 eight/nine year olds. Many of my students now go to the library and get on your website to listen to your music.
Thank you. You are truly a beautiful soul. I hope to one day grace your presence.
Andrea Tucker
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 Dear Snatam:
I just watched the Path of Peace DVD from your Live in Concert CD with Julie and Tahlia - great great great. Here is a picture of Tahlia, 2 years old!!, watching the Peace Tour DVD. Also, we are going to have some tofu! Of course you should have a Tofu Company sponsor! May the longtime sun continue to shine upon you as you spread the word, energy and love. We feel it when we hear the music you all make.
Keep spreading the love
Peace
Sandy |
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