Kirtan Music

Digital download available through links above

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Ken Bernstein; Guitar, vocals
Gayan Gregory Long; percussion
Robert Rand; bass

 

Passage is an album of mostly Sanskrit devotional music with a little English added.
It has been a long process through many life challenges and changes. We left our home of 28 years and moved to start a new life in Santa Fe, NM. This dream was short lived as my dear wife Ria passed away shortly after arriving in NM. So this album is dedicated to her. Without her love and support this album would not have been possible. 

 

There is another person pivotal to the making of the album and without her support it would not have been conceived. This is my dear friend and soul sister Laurie (Griya) Lazar. Her desire and support to have a recording of my version of the Gayatri set the course for the album. Thank you Griya for believing in me!

 

A special thanks to Kalyani Karen Demarco for bringing Sanskrit devotional chanting to life for me through years of singing together and to Sreedevi Bringi for illuminating the Sanskrit language in beautifully poetic ways and allowing me to use her English translation of Ya Devi.

 

My music brothers Robert (Robaji) Rand and Gayan Gregory Long played on Ya Devi and Rama Bolo adding depth and meaning to those pieces. A deep bow to both of you!

 

I recorded all the tracks in my home studio but I could not get the mix to sound like I wanted. I handed my recordings over to my friend and recording genius Mark Oblinger and in collaboration with James Tuttle took my rough mixes and added that certain something, that secret sauce that allowed these chants to shine within their simplicity. Mark also added some programing and brilliant editing suggestions that made a subtle but profound difference to the album. Much gratitude to both of you!

 

All of the music was composed by Ken Bernstein. The Sanskrit chants are ancient and have been chanted for thousands of years in a continuous song stream with both vedic and local melodies sung. The English on Jai Ganesha and Shivohum was written by Ken Bernstein and Ria Moran. © Ken Bernstein 2019

 

Cover art by Ria Moran and Ken Bernstein. Back cover sculptures “Passage” by Ken Bernstein and Ria Moran installed at the CSU campus in Pueblo, CO. Photo by Hyla Viorst (a new light in my life). Inside mandala by Ken Bernstein               

Om Tat Sat

Gayatri
Jai Ganesha
Shivohum
Rama Bolo
Ya Devi
Maha Lakshmiyae