Keshavacharya Das

For Keshavacharya Das, kirtan is not merely a musical style – it is a way of life.Born on a farm in the beautiful mountains of Switzerland ,he enjoyed a simple, natural childhood. His first formal contact with music came while playing saxophone in a brass band at the age of 14. Later he became influenced by the experimental music of the 1970s.“Music became my life at that time,” he remembers, “but more in terms of hearing, rather than playing instruments or singing. It was not clear to me then, that performing would one day become my path and service to the Divine.”When he was twenty-five, an encounter with India 's Bhakti Yoga tradition had a profound effect on the young European's life. Attracted by the wisdom, beauty, and depth of this way of life, he decided to live in an ashram as an apprentice monk.“I had only planned to stay for one year and then move on,” he says, “but after the year had passed, I was so inspired by thedevotional life of service and meditation I learned there, that I never turned back.”For the next decade, Keshavacharya immersed himself in deeply studying the Vedic sacred texts, rendering humble service, and cultivating his inner life through mantra meditation and singing kirtan. The dimly lit temple room was his stage, and the sacred images upon the altar were his audience. Through his daily practice, he refined his natural talent for singing more and more and began to fall in love with kirtan. Desiring to go deeper in his chanting, he journeyed to several sacred places in India , staying in ashrams there and learning at the feet of masters in the birthplace of kirtan.After ten years as a student on the path of devotion, Keshavacharya met his Guru, Radhanath Swami, who inspired him to move to the Bhakitvedanta Ashram – a Bhakti Yoga monastery in the heart of New York City ! Uncertain but trusting in his mentor's words, Keshavacharya arrived here and was overjoyed to discover the vibrant and dynamic kirtan practice lovingly permeating the yoga sub-culture. Embraced by this culture, Keshavacharya truly felt at home.A life-long learner, Keshavacharya studied under renowned world music singer Jai Uttal and others. With their loving encouragement, Keshavacharya embarked on his own kirtan project. After regular concerts in the New York City area, including Jivamukti Yoga Studio, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and the Ananda Ashram Yoga Society, he recorded his first live studio recording of traditional Indian kirtan. Released in April of 2007, “Crying of the Soul” continues to be warmly received and praised.Jai Uttal writes: “The haunting melodies and deep soulful emotions of Keshavacharya Das's kirtan brings me immediately to the ancient temple inside of my heart where the moods of longing and ecstasy dance together eternally at the feet of the Lord. I love his singing.”Keshavacharya's musical and spiritual journey led him from the pristine mountains of Switzerland , to the ancient temples and simple monasteries of India , and now to the yoga studios and ashrams tucked within America 's bustling cities. Throughout it all, he remains a simple monk and lover of devotional chanting. He sees kirtan as a way to connect the performer and the listeners on a spiritual and artistic level, and an opportunity to create sacred space and invite others to enter into that space through the medium of sound.
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