Kirtan with Shantala
This magical kirtan event will be held at theLemuriaBooks.com Building (next door to Banner Hall) at 4506 Office Park Dr. Jackson, MS 39206.
Benjy and Heather Wertheimer lead kirtan (sacred chanting) worldwide as the duo Shantala, with soul-stirring vocals, sacred lyrics and exotic instrumentation. Together they create music with beauty, passion, and reverence.
Shantala has performed and recorded internationally with such sacred music luminaries as Krishna Das, Deva Premal & Miten, and Jai Uttal. In summer 2008, they were named as one of the top “Wallahs to Watch” by Yoga + Joyful Living. Kirtan is a celebration of spirit through the chanting of sacred names, carrying the audience into a state of heightened awareness, bliss, and devotion. The audience is invited to participate fully through call-and-response chanting, dance, and meditation.
Benjy Wertheimer is an award-winning musician, composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist equally accomplished on tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar, and keyboards, Benjy Wertheimer has also toured and recorded with such artists as Walter Becker (Steely Dan), virtuoso guitarist Michael Mandrell, and renowned bamboo flute master G. S. Sachdev. He has also opened for such well-known artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter, and Narada Michael Walden.
He has studied Indian classical music for over 25 years with some of the greatest masters of that tradition including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z. M. Dagar, and was, along with the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, a contributing composer and member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience.
For over five years, Benjy scored music for the internationally syndicated NBC series, Santa Barbara. He has also recorded music for several international clients including Master Card and The Nature Company.
Heather Wertheimer is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who combines her special love of both music and yoga to lead devotional chanting for yoga workshops and spiritual gatherings internationally. Heather has toured in the U.S. and abroad with her husband Benjy, Steve Gorn, Manose, and Deva Premal & Miten. In April 2003, she and Benjy released “The Love Window,” a beautiful and well-loved collection of sacred chants. In 2007, they released “Sri,” their second popular kirtan CD, and their first live CD “LIVE in love” was released in 2008.
