I have been to enough kirtan events to know what to expect: beautiful, ecstatic Indian chants that propel me into joyful meditative states and celebrate Hanuman, Kali, and Ganesh. But there is something about David Newman's music that feels just a bit different. Though David, who is also known by his spiritual name Durga Das, has a deep sense of tradition in his music, there is also something thoughtful, poetic, personal, and almost romantic about his songs. The music feels like a combination of prayer and soft, percussive modern rock.
David is young, but his spirit feels older, and he comes from the same lineage as Ram Das, Bhagavan Das, and Krishna Das, all of whom followed the great Indian guru, Neem Karoli Baba. During his kirtan here in San Francisco this past weekend, he gave out chant sheets (which was great because it prevented me from making up words to songs I didn't know!) and, along with his two amazing co-musicians, led the group in chants like Gung Ganapataye Namo Namah and Hare Krishna. He also talked a little bit about the universality of yoga and chanting. "There's a transmission that happens through kirtan that doesn't belong to Hindus or Indians," he said. "It belongs to the human heart."
The real icing on the cake was David's amazing rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa, which is just a masterful piece of music. To hear more of David's music, check out his website. You won't be able to get it out of your head.