Guest
Two hundred people seated on the grass comprised the audience, clapping away in response to kirtaneer virtuoso Vijay Krishna Das of the bhajan band Kirtaniyas. We’re at Mantra Fest in France, end of June 2016. The session starting with a mellow Jaya Radha Ramana Haribol standard chant, it swiftly morphs into shorter “Jai Jai Radha“ calls, themselves leading in growing tempo to stop-and-go Hare Krishna call-response phrases. Judging by their radiant smiles, on both sides of a stage where both musicians and their audience participate, their hearts can almost be seen as doing the singing. Eight-and-a-half minutes of rare fusional mantra chanting.
