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Special Labor Day Session
Course 4401-733EX
This special Labor Day Ecstatic Chant is open to Ecstatic Chant participants as well as others. The session includes Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Carioca, and Deva Premal and Miten, and takes place from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Tuition for this one-day program alone is $60 for those who participated in the weekend Ecstatic Chant, and $85 for others (plus any housing/facility charges). Call for details.
Join us for our fifth annual Ecstatic Chant retreat, one of the most popular events at Omega. A rare and exhilarating opportunity to join some of the Western world’s leading devotional singers, the weekend nourishes our soul with a rich tradition of musical prayer and meditation.
Known in Sanskrit as kirtan, devotional chanting awakens a longing in the heart for the experience of inner silence, boundless love, and union with the divine. Emerging from Hindu traditions in India, kirtan is practiced by millions of people. In recent years, pioneering musicians and seekers have brought this magical tradition to the West. Omega’s gathering is one of the nation’s largest and most renowned.
Throughout the weekend—including an extraordinary all-night Saturday session—we explore a variety of chants and chanting styles, interspersed with meditation sessions, yoga asana sessions, and the sharing of stories.
Faculty Krishna Das is one of the foremost devotional singers in the world. He has released numerous CDs, including Pilgrim Heart and his most recent, Heart Full of Soul.
krishnadas.com
Deva Premal and Miten employ ancient mantras, rich harmonies, and sensual rhythms in their music, exploring the essence of love, devotion, and consciousness. They have released a series of acclaimed CDs, including The Essence and Songs for the Inner Lover.
mitendevapremal.com
Snatam Kaur is a renowned devotional singer in English and Gurumukhi, the ancient language of the Sikhs. A disciple of the late Sikh master Yogi Bhajan and also Bhai Hari Singh, she grew up playing kirtan with her mother in Sikh temples. Her most recent album is Grace.
snatamkaur.com
Shyamdas has written and translated more than 20 books on Bhakti Yoga and the path of grace. He specializes in classical Dhrupada music and the mystic poets of North India. He combines ecstatic kirtan with stories and teachings from India.
shyamdas.com
Jai Uttal is a pioneer in the world music community. A student of India’s Ali Akbar Khan and master teacher Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Uttal’s blend of Eastern and Western sound has put his music at the forefront of the world fusion movement. His many albums include Beggars and Saints, Shiva Station, and the Grammy-nominated Mondo Rama.
jaiuttal.com
Vishal Vaid has trained in ghazal (a song form that means "to hold conversation with the divine") and first performed when he was only 3 years old. In 1994, Vaid formed Jai Ambe, and has worked with such renowned musicians as Bill Laswell and Karsh Kale.
David Newman (Durga Das), travels extensively sharing kirtan and Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love. His music embodies a devotional mysticism and deep respect for India’s ancient chant tradition while exploring a variety of modern production methods. He performs with Mira, a celebrated devotional singer, recording artist, and percussionist. He has numerous CDs, including Love, Peace, Chant; is author of Merging With Grace; and is founder of Yoga On Main in Philadelphia.
davidnewmanmusic.com
Manose, a collaborator with artists as diverse as kirtan singer Jai Uttal, bluegrass musician Peter Rowan, the Chicago Children’s Choir, and John Densmore of The Doors, maintains an active presence in the music scene in Nepal, his home country where he has repopularized the classical bansuri, or bamboo flute. His latest CD, called Bansuri, is a collection of ancient ragas.
manosemusic.com
Omega is grateful to the additional artists who support this event, including Steve Gorn, John McDowell, Daniel Paul, and Annette Knopp (yoga teacher).
Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Inc. is qualified as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible, as allowed by the law.
