“GROOVEANANDA KIRTAN” WITH WYNNE PARIS

Washington D.C. Based Worldbeat Artist and Producer Returns Sings Indian Devotional Chants in Second Portland Appearance

On Friday, January 25 at 7:00 pm Prasada Yoga and Yoga Shala of Portland welcomes back Kirtan singer, worldbeat artist and producer Wynne Paris for his second area appearance, following his exciting Portland October debut. Paris’ “Grooveananda Kirtan” is at 3808 North Williams. Tickets for the concert are $15 per person in advance, $20 day of show. Advanced tickets are on sale online at www.prasadayoga.com and at Yoga Shala of Portland’s two locations, 3249 SE Division and 3808 North Williams. Ticket holders are invited to arrive early for a complimentary 6:00 pm Kirtan Kula reception at the studio.

Washington D.C. based worldbeat artist and producer Wynne Paris, a former rock and roll, blues and jazz musician, discovered kirtan in 1997 while performing with the popular Indian spiritual leader Ammachi. Kirtan is an Indian call and response form of devotional singing that followed yoga from India to the west and is gaining popularity through yoga’s continuing western expansion. Despite its Indian roots, kirtan is a non-denominational, participatory musical experience that requires no prior knowledge of Sanskrit or adherence to any particular religious doctrine.

Paris grew up surrounded by yoga and music. His grandmother, a devotee of Paramahamsa Yogananda for forty-five years, introduced Paris to the Indian devotional tradition of bhakti-yoga which includes singing kirtan. Through his grandfather, a deejay who produced records for jazz legend Sydney Bechet, Paris discovered New Orleans jazz. Wynne Paris’ high spirited concerts integrate his various musical influences in a modern mix of ecstatic sacred and profane expression. Following his 1997 meeting with Ammachi, Wynne Paris moved to California’s Marin County from Washington D.C. to deepen his studies of Indian music, yoga, and mysticism. Throughout his ten-year immersion in ecstatic music Wynne Paris has recorded, performed, and toured extensively with internationally renowned chant maestro Krishna Das. Paris has also worked with most of kirtan’s best-known artists, including Bhagavan Das, who recently relocated to Portland, Dave Stringer, Wah and David Newman, A.K.A. Durga Das. Wynne Paris’ first two albums, Ghandarva Café, Emptiness and Ecstasy, and his latest single, “On Tara” featuring a duet with Krishna Das, are available on iTunes and CD Baby. His third release is due out this year. Says Krishna Das, “Wynne Paris blends an eastern heart and a western head for a great mix.”