Kirtan: Chanting the Names

The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Smaranam, Kirtan offers a provocative contemporary rendering of chants from India's Bhakti tradition in the lively call-and-response style. Focusing on songs penned by West Bengali saints Narottam Das Thakur and Bhaktivinode Thakur, Agni Deva's sixth release couples traditional chants with the tasteful accompaniment of sarangi, tablas, mrdanga, kartals, harmonium, cello and sitara. Guest instrumentalist Hans Christian of Rasa adds breathtaking musical refinement that lends new spirit to these timeless classics. Kirtan tells the story of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who inaugurated the congregational chanting movement, or sankirtan, as a means for attaining love of God in the present age. Chaitanya brought about a renaissance in the bhakti yoga tradition, the effects of which still resound today in modern yoga schools and spiritual communities.