chakrini 灵魂之歌

Narayana Gopinath Radhe Govinda Radha Girivaradhari Sita Rama Sri Nandanastakam Radha Raman Invocation About Chakrini Born into a family of Bhakti Yogis and growing up in ashrams around the world and in India, Chakrini has Kirtan flowing through her veins. A childhood and a lifetime spent immersed in sacred chants and music, has given her devotional singing a depth that goes straight to the heart and the soul. As a child she lived in the holy land of Vrindavan and studied the art and practice of Kirtan. She learned to sing and to play the harmonium, fully absorbing herself in the culture and music of Bhakti. Upon her return to the West she was encouraged at the age of 14 to record her first Kirtan album aptly entitled Nava Yauvanam, a description of the Divine, meaning fountain of youth. After finishing college where she studied European languages and Fine Art, the pull of music beckoned and with that in mind, Chakrini began to explore western music, instruments and song writing. She focused her energy on writing and performing acoustic roots and folk music, and working as a session vocalist for well know bands and DJs, while still spending regular time in India. As her professional career began to take shape, she was recognised in her own right for her singer/songwriter abilities, playing at international music festivals such as WOMAD, sharing the bill with music legends like Jimi Cliff and Talvin Singh. In 2005 she released her Back to Basics EP, to critical acclaim, and continued to perform live with her band. Yet the allure of Kirtan was always there, quietly beating in the depths of her heart. In 2006, needing a well deserved break from her career and seeking inspiration for her next musical project, she moved back to India to re-absorb herself in the culture Kirtan. Over the next two years, she travelled from the sun soaked plains of south India to the snowy peaks of the Himalayas in the north, taking part almost daily in some devotional music event, meeting inspirational musicians, sadhus, bhaktas and yogis along the way. Slowly something began to take shape and she began pre-production for Songs of the Soul in London in the summer of 2008. A project spanning Europe, India and Australia, this album is a true expression of what it means to be a modern day Kirtaniya; a meeting of the East and West, of the modern and traditional, all the while maintaining the genuine essence of Kirtan.