I’m pleased to bring news of upcoming events that the Basement Bhaktis and I will be singing at. The first comes this Saturday, May 7th, at Yogaville in Buckingham Va. We’re going to be leading a series of Ma chants at 7:30 in anticipation of Yogaville’s Mother’s Day celebration the following day. Jai Ma!

We are also grateful to return to Charlottesville’s Bay 1 Studios on Saturday, May 28th. As with the previous events Bay 1 has hosted, the event will begin at 7pm and the cost for entry is only $5. Here is a web-sized flyer if you’d care to post it on your personal blogs and social networking pages:

A full size, print quality flyer can be found here.

For those in the Staunton area, mark your calendar in pencil for Sunday, May the 22nd. We’ve been invited to take part in a benefit event. I will post details once they’ve been confirmed.

Om shanthi,
J

This past weekend was our first Kirtan in Charlottesville of the year, at a brand new (to us) venue called Bay 1 Studios. The evening and venue worked out so well that we’re going to have another in March, on Saturday the 26th.

Here’s a “Web” Quality flyer to share on your personal social networking pages and websites:

A “Print” Quality flyer appropriate for flyers can be found here.

Also- this Saturday, March 5th, Yogaville will observe the annual celebration of Mahashivaratri. There will be puja, stories, offerings, and of course lots of kirtan! We’re on the schedule for 11pm and 1am. If you’re in the area, this celebration is not to be missed!

Om shanthi,

Please feel free to link to this flyer on your personal social media profiles!

For more information on Bay 1 Studios and how to reach them, click the map:

Please bring your own pillow/blanket as needed. If this works out, you can count on kirtan to return to Charlottesville on a bimonthly basis. I can’t wait to see you all there!

I’m searching for a synthesizer player to join the Basement Bhaktis live show. Parts vary from defined melodies to simple washes of ambient sound, with plenty of room for improv and a “personal touch.” Your own synth(s) and transportation are a definite plus; the ability to follow a leader in an improv scenario is a must!

Contact me for more details!

I hope that this message finds you well! The holidays were kind to me, and I hope they were for you as well. I was able to spend a significant amount of the time unoccupied and relaxing, which is not something that I do very often. I think that, regardless of our personal practices and beliefs, any time that draws together friends and family in the name of good and cheerful tidings is a good one, and that’s certainly what happened to me.

It also is a time of reflection. 2010 was a great year for me, musically and personally. The high point, obviously, was going on tour over the summer, where I was welcomed into studios and homes with open arms, and was given the fantastic opportunity to meet and sing with bhaktis all over the east coast. I certainly intend to visit the north east again this year, and hopefully this year work my way south (and west!) as well.

Right at the end of last year, I officially started working on the follow up to Waves. Waves was an album that I never really intended to make. The idea at the time was to just write tracks and upload them to MySpace (remember MySpace?) as they were written. Before I knew it I had 6 songs, two of which broke the 10 minute mark. I can’t remember if someone suggested that I make a record or if the decisions just came naturally on it’s own… but the rest, as they say, is history, and the record was made.

This time around it’s going to be remarkably different. When I was writing and recording those songs, I had never sang Kirtan live before. I didn’t even own a harmonium until a few months before the record was finished; a student model that can be heard on the album version of “Govinda Jaya” that literally fell apart a few days after the recording was completed. Since then (and with the purchase of a much more sturdy model), I’ve made the harmonium one of my primary instruments. Needless to say, it’s going to be featured much more prominently on the next album.

The other big difference is that Waves was performed entirely by me. I had discussed collaboration with a few different people, but scheduling conflicts made the actual process difficult, and in the end it just “felt right” for me to do everything. I think it gave the record a very personal, intimate feeling- one that I am very proud of to this day. I believe that’s why so many people, especially people who were not kirtan or yoga enthusiasts responded so positively to the album. I can’t count the number of times I heard “it really sounds like the record you’ve always wanted to make,” or “you’ve really found yourself.”

So, going into the making of this as-yet-untitled album, I have a very good idea of what songs I’m going to record, and a decent grasp of how I want them to sound. I also intend to record actual call-and-response this time, with a group of people. The logistics of how to do that have not been finalized, but I’m looking forward to it. I also intend to tap the resources of all the basement bhaktis I’ve played with since the release of Waves. I’m particularly excited about getting Tom Lynch to play some accordian and piano, and also Matt Hunsinger, a tabla player I’ve recently connected with.

2011 is also going to mark a shift in the name I use. In May of 2010, I was given the name Jayadeva at a ceremony in Yogaville. I intend to begin using it, gradually shifting from “Jdavyd Williams” to “Jdavyd Jayadeva Williams” and finally to just “Jayadeva.” It’s going to be a slow process, and involves some technical things such as updating the artwork for Waves, both on digital and physical copies. You can expect to see some adjustments on this website as well.

The first kirtan for the new year is going to be on Saturday, January 29th, at my “home away from home,” Shanti Om Yoga in Staunton VA. The event will begin at 7pm.

I’ll close this update with an expression of gratitude. Thank you for making 2010 such a fabulous year. I can’t wait to share 2011 with you as well.