Customer Reviews

Kirtan! The Art and Practice of Ecstatic Chant

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kirtan is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. As more people embrace a yogic lifestyle, it is only natural that eventually they will find their way to kirtan. If you are unfamiliar with kirtan, it is based on the concept of 'bhakti yoga' - the yoga of devotion. Singing the names of gods or goddesses in a call and response style with hypnotic Indian music in the background, kirtan is believed to bring a deep connection with the divinity within all of us.

Jai Uttal's The Art and Practice of Ecstatic Chant delivers the whole mood of kirtan beautifully. A devotee of kirtan since the age of 19, this talented musician has put together a CD that is melodic, sensuous, intense and truly uplifting. You cannot help but feel moved when the first note hits your ears. There is over 2 hours of music in this CD - and never once will you feel bored. Uttal has a gorgeous voice - you can feel his love of kirtan in every syllable that he utters.

There is an introduction in the CD, where Uttal explains kirtan and the path that led him to it. This is a great piece - I feel that it gives an insight from a true devotee. The intro helps even those who are new to kirtan to understand the significance and beauty of this ancient and spiritual art. I recommend this highly to everyone - not just those on the yogic journey.

There are a few kirtan 'stars' out there in the US these days - Krishna Das and Ragani to name a few - who are helping a wide audience enjoy and appreciate kirtan. While they are wonderful in their own right, my personal favorite will always be Jai Uttal.

I would give this CD 10 stars if I could. I listen when I paint, cook, relax, drive, anything. It is inspiring and makes me feel actually "closer" to spirit. His voice and talent are
gifts from God. Highly recommended. My 5 and 11 year old even love it.

I first heard Jai Uttal recently on a track on one of yoga instructor Shiva Rea's CDs and was blown away by a sound and style of music totally new to me. This led me to buy Jai's new Kirtan CD shortly thereafter. There's an old saying that the right book, or the right teacher, comes to you when you are ready to listen to its/his/her message. The same is true for this Kirtan CD coming to me precisely when it did. It's opening and transporting me to new dimensions, new realms of emotion, devotion, movement, insight. Words fail me at this point: Jai's voice, devotion, sincerity, and artistry are beyond exquisite. Lush orchestration. And the superior technical quality I've come to expect from Sounds True productions. Highly recommended.

I bought this based on the snippets that they give you here on Amazon. The actual C.D. is much better than even the previews give you. It gives you energy, makes you want to get up and dance and twirl around with your hands over your head. It's also great to listen in the car, it makes any trip go by very quickly. My advice would be to buy it, it's one of the best Kirtan C.D.'s I've heard yet. The first C.D. is very fast paced and the second is more mellow, more open to interpretation.

This CD is beautiful. It's worth buying just to listen to Jai's voice. He's got something incredible in his voice. Though I don't care for the talking track and often just skip it, the quality of the kirtan and music is 5+ stars! Jai's voice comes from some incredible place and is really moving. This CD is one of the best solid kirtan albums I've ever seen-- reminds me of the quality of the kirtan CD by Ragani called Best of Both Worlds-- good instrumentation, great vocals, no hype. CD's like these are meant to be listened to over and over again. They'll fill you and leave you deeply inspired. I'm so glad he did this CD!

This music and chanting is the best Kirtan music I've heard for trance dancing.You can easily slip into a different level of consciousness with this one.The talking track is an explanation of Kirtan and he explains it with clarity and devotion.He has an incredible voice.If your looking for a quiet reflective kirtan this is not the one ,you wont be able to keep your body still with the rythm of his music.EXCELLENT

Jai Uttal is the real deal. He's an accomplished musician and singer who was one of the first Westerners to popularize Kirtan, which is (more often than not) Hindu chanting done in a call and response fashion. Some modern Kirtan players recreate Indian melodies and style. Jai Uttal sounds at once authentic and modern. His influences range from reggae to rock to bossa nova to everything else. His voice has range, power, and depth. He has found a genre he loves and has done it great honor. I gues the highest compliment I can give this one is that no matter how often I play it, I never get tired of it. Only about 5-10 CD's in my life have given me that experience.

I don't know anything about "chant" but I do know that I really enjoy this man's voice and musical sensibility. The first CD has several minutes of him describing what it is that he's doing, why, the meaning, etc., and it's relaxing and enjoyable just listening to him. He has a great voice, he's obviously very involved, interested, and knowledgable about the material, and you don't have to work hard at listening through an accent if you're American (truly hearing everything a person is saying when they have a thick accent is so exhausting... and I WANT to hear everything a person has to say!).

For those of you who don't know, this "chant" is basically songs that don't have a lot of lyrics; that is, it's pretty much the same thing over and over, except most of us don't know what he's saying! Ha! But that's okay, trust me on this. It's beautiful and it's not boring. He does this really really well.

And what I find striking, in addition, is this sheer joy that he obviously has which is really coming out in the music, which may sound hokey, but after a rough day in the corporate world, on the often not-so-enjoyable commute home, believe me, it feels really good to hear.

If you're looking for something different, done really well, I'd definitely give this a try.

Although a double CD set, both disks pose a problem to this reviewer's taste. Each contains a rather lengthy exposition by the artist on the nature of Bhakti (Devotional) Yoga sandwiched in the program. Jai Uttal has a very pleasant speaking voice & the material was helpful, even inspiring--but do you really want to hear it all over again everytime you play either discs? I know I don't. The musical material is engaging, but not particularly special. It is authentic mantra, but without the technical brilliance of many such CDs (see links below). I don't regret buying it--again, BUT it won't become a treasured favorite. I don't think it would turn-on people who weren't mantra fanatics like me or a real fan of the artist--or a devotee of Kirtan.

PS. The cover artwork is great!

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These cds were truly an unexpected blessing! Jai's sound runs deep & promotes inward dwelling in the purest sense. Jai's sound is all heart and awakens the soul gently through sensuous, rich, universal love. These cds are by far the best pieces of music I have ever heard..
Namaste, Caterina