DAVE STRINGER SELLS OUT YOGA BARN, CALLS BALI A PLACE FOR YOGA TO SPREAD IN ASIA

BALI, INDONESIA– October 25, 2011: “Divinity is already in your hearts, and the work of yoga is to find it,” said internationally renowned Kirtan artist, Dave Stringer, at a sold out Yoga Barn performance on Sunday Oct. 23. Stringer delivered his uniquely modern and eclectic style of music entertainment in front of about 150 guests reminding his audience of Kirtan’s essential role as a celebration of community and spirituality.

Stringer also praised Bali as a point of singularity for yoga to spread into the rest of Asia, as other locales have done in the US and Europe in the last 15 years, “Bali has become the center of yoga,” Stringer said, “Everything in Asia is growing out of Bali; that’s just how it’s going.”

Performing for the third time at the Yoga Barn, Ubud’s oldest and most popular yoga space, Stringer’s spirited music moved the packed crowd to sing, smile, reflect, clap and dance in union, as he lowered and raised tempos, intensity and fervor throughout the recital.

Stringer distinguishes his music from that of other more orthodox Kirtan artists by weaving hints of Blues, Gospel, and Rock & Roll into his performances. “I connect to American Gospel and other ecstatic music traditions,” Stringer affirmed, describing his show as “a little bit more like a rock concert.”

An experienced world musician and recording artist, Stringer still relies heavily on common Kirtan elements such as Sanskrit mantras, call and response chanting, and the use of traditional Indian instruments and rhythms.

“We’re creating a world cultural language. It’s easier to use the Sanskrit; it feels like you’re saying a beautiful nonsense. The intention of the music is to stop the mind from thinking; to come from a place of wonder, pure experience, pure awareness.”

Stringer considers his contemporary style of Kirtan to have a wider range of appeal than more conservative varieties, “There’s usually an incredibly diverse crowd; meaning that you have scientists rubbing shoulders with surfers, who’re sitting next to 68 year old grandmothers. Satsang translates to community of truth, and I try to create a sense of inviting people to come in and have a good time; I really want to connect.”

Noting his experience singing in Farsi, Hindi, Marathi, and Sanskrit, as well as a number of European languages, Stringer also expressed an interest in performing for more Asian and Indonesian audiences, and singing in their native languages. “My preference would be to play for more Indonesians. Indonesia is the first place in Asia that I have played extensively. It’s the Asian language I’ve heard the most, so that’s where I would start.”

Stringer will perform again at the Yoga Barn this Sunday, October 30, and is confirmed as a headliner for the 2012 BaliSpirit Festival, the region’s most popular yoga, dance and live music festival. “I look forward to being back here at the end of March next year,” said Stringer at the conclusion of his performance.