New Age Retailer (p.159) - "KIRTAN! Succeeds both as an introduction to the fundamentals of devotional chanting and as a melodious example of its sincere practice?.explores the heart and soul of kirtan, making spiritual transformation sound like the most amiable process in the world."
KIRTAN! brings the ecstatic call-and-response chants of devotional bhakti yoga to home listeners. This eclectic mix of eastern harmonies played with western instruments will provoke spontaneous dancing and the desire to sing along. Jai Uttal leads a large group of participants through two discs of sensual, moving music. Traditional instruments are featured, such as the dotar, the tabla, and the African bells, among others. A kirtan is an active meditation during which a choir leader chants sound syllables that are then repeated by the group, a practice that can be found in the sacred music of many cultures and faiths. Uttal has assembled dozens of voices and performers that make this recording sizzle with energy and excitement. Serious worshippers like Uttal believe that to take part in a kirtan is to reach across the universe and connect with the presence of the divine. On KIRTAN! listeners will learn the power of chanting Sanskrit syllables, how to find and love their natural voice, and how to speak to the divine. This music is a nice accompaniment for yoga, ecstatic dancing, and any of the more active yoga disciplines.