Temple Bhajan Band
I saw the Temple Bhajan Band last night at the Sivananda Yoga Center. I enjoy chanting and singing, but I wouldn’t call myself a “fan” of kirtan specifically. The band was actually much better than I expected (well, to be honest, I don’t know what I expected). The singing was terrific, the drumbeat quite hypnotic, and the energy positive.
The lead guy (Sura, I guess he’s called) has a terrific sense of humor and told little anecdotes in between songs. As he explained, in these chants, you are basically singing the different names of God. He said it’s all the same God, and everyone from every religion can participate. I liked his philosophy and his vibe.
Towards the end, we all got up and danced like crazy. My calves actually hurt today…I must have been jumping around a lot! Following the concert was FOOD. Well, who can beat that for a $10 donation?
The only gripe I have is that people get a little crazy on the tambourines sometimes. I had to move because I had some women sitting behind me, rattling the tambourine so loud and fast and off the beat that it hurt my ear. What is it with Hindu philosophy and tambourines? I could personally do without them myself. Oh well.
Otherwise, it was a ton of fun and I would recommend you see them when you get a chance. If you don’t normally do the sanskrit chanting thing, try to set aside your reservations and just enjoy the music and the beautiful voices.