.jpg)
Regional
The Sacred Elements of Kirtan
A Conversation with Jai Uttal
by Catalina Andrade
Earth, water, air, and fire integrate to manifest the brilliant world in which we live. The elements combine, connect, and harmonize with each other, creating the symphony that is our Earth.
As a kirtan musician, Jai Uttal’s gift to the world is his music. He integrates the sounds of drums, guitar, banjo, bass, harmonica, keyboard and Sanskrit mantras to bring joy, peace and love to every listening ear. Uttal’s music is spiritual and dynamic, as expressed by his latest album, Thunder Love, his first endeavor to incorporate the street flavor of Brazil and English with traditional mantras.
Unifying the west with the east, Uttal brings kirtan to the core, transforming the music into a prayer. Thunder Love is a melodic album to enjoy in company or alone, while at play or at rest. The energy of the music will caress your spirit, inspiring you to take pleasure in experiencing the present moment for the blessing that it is.
Jai Uttal will be one of the amazing musicians to appear at the upcoming Bhakti Fest September 11-13. He will be joined by such performers as Dave Stringer, Wah!, MC Yogi, Donna De Lory, and Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe. In the spirit of seva, or selfless service, Bhakti Fest donates 50 percent of festival proceeds to charity. With three full days of kirtan, meditation and devotional workshops in beautiful Joshua Tree, CA, Bhakti Fest will also offer ongoing yoga classes every two hours with masters such as Shiva Rea and Sara Ivanhoe.
Recently I had the great opportunity to speak with Jai Uttal about his experience as a kirtan musician and the sacred sounds he brings to the world.
Vision Magazine: Can you explain what kirtan music is?
Jai Uttal: Kirtan is one of these things that is in some ways difficult to define. It is a way of invoking God, invoking Spirit, and invoking the Goddess through song and especially through repetition of Sanskrit mantras from India. Kirtan music combines a variety of melodies and the singing of mantras over and over again.
VM: What made you decide to explore ancient music and mantras?
JU: I started with kirtan in the 60s. I guess it’s not really a mental decision as much as an inner calling, but when I first tried kirtan, it resonated so deep in my heart, in my molecules, in my whole being, that I really had no choice but to follow it.
VM: What inspires you to create the music you do?
JU: I can say my guru, I can say my little boy, my wife; I can say the life force and my spirit.
VM: You mentioned your guru. Who is your guru and how has he influenced your music?
JU: My guru is Neem Karoli Baba. He died in 1973 but is still very much alive. I guess I can say that he is my music. He planted the seed of devotion in me which continues to grow. And my music guru is Ali Akbar Khan, who died three weeks ago. He was and is a continuing presence guiding me on the spiritual journey of music.
VM: What elements (water, air, fire and earth) would you say you feel when you perform your music?
JU: I feel the Earth within me. I usually feel really grounded when I’m singing. I also feel a tremendous amount of air, like I’m flying, and then I feel fire because when I start singing, I am very passionate. It’s like I’m burning up. And I feel water too because the melody and the improvisation are like pure fluid. I guess I feel all of them.
VM: Do you think that connecting to the elements helps with your performances?
JU: I don’t try to connect with the elements. We are the elements. The more that we get connected to our own essence, the more we connect to the elements. The more we as individuals get in touch with, embrace, and incorporate their essence, the more happily our lives will be, the more we have to give to others, and the more we ask it for ourselves—whether you call that the elements, or whether you call that the Lord or Spirit. I don’t know that it matters much. What does matter is for each one of us to trust our inner selves and act from that point.
VM: Talk about your latest album, Thunder Love.
JU: Thunder Love is definitely a combination of the main different parts of my being. Most of my albums musically, emotionally, and psychologically have been very deep in Indian tradition. However, this album brings in a great deal of Brazilian music, rhythm, and humming. It brings together psychedelic, rock and folk rhythms as well. The main part of it is Brazilian and in addition to that, I really experimented with a combination of English words and Sanskrit mantras.
VM: Why join Sanskrit and English?
JU: I integrated the two languages as a reflection of the integration within myself of “normal life” and “spiritual life,” which ultimately can’t be separated. I’m always singing, whispering, chanting Sanskrit mantras, but I’m also always talking, thinking and dreaming in English. Why not try to bring it all together? I don’t think it has been done before. It is an experiment. A possibility to succeed is experimenting and I think the experiment is successful.
VM: Does the Brazilian influence in Thunder Love come from your wife?
JU: My attraction to Brazilian music started bubbling up before I met my wife. Actually that’s how I met her. In North America, we hear a little bit of samba, but that’s about it. Brazilian music is so wide and various. My wife has turned me on to that just as the way Brazilians view it. I would say it comes from her and then there’s a lot of studying, learning and trying to understand more.
VM: You will be performing this September at Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, California. How do you feel being a part of this unique spiritual gathering?
JU: I’m excited! It’s going to be really fun. When people come together to open their hearts and invoke God, it’s a powerful thing in the universe. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a very joyful event.
VM: Is there anything else you would like to say about kirtan music?
JU: I would like to invite people to try kirtan—and I mean not just me, but all kirtan—and see what it does for you. This is a direct invitation for those people who have not tried it before because they think it might be too exotic. It is a beautiful way of healing the inner heart and connecting with spirit. It’s really an amazing experience. I would also like to invite people to look at our website and sign on to my e-mail list. This way I can tell people where I’m going to be.
Experience a live performance by Jai Uttal, along with over 40 kirtan performers, yoga, meditation, and workshops at Bhakti Fest September 11-13 in Joshua Tree, CA. Visit www.bhaktifest.com for more information. To learn more about Jai Uttal and kirtan, or to purchase his album Thunder Love, $14.98, visit www.jaiuttal.com.