Every song seemed to find its own shape in its own way. David Nichtern, who produced, is a total bluegrass freak. I love singing it because the harmonies are really beautiful. And my interest in that kind of music grew from there. My little Jewish grandfather was an insane Hank Williams fan, which is inexplicable, but he had all Hank Williams' records and used to play them all the time. What led you in the country/folk/Americana direction you took on Kirtan Wallah? In an exclusive interview with, Krishna Das discusses his new album and discovering the spiritual healing power of mantras and yoga. Kirtan is very much the yoga scene's folk music: a heartfelt and homespun style that unites people in song. It's a new flavor for the eclectic artist, but one that makes a lot of sense. Released April 15, Krishna Das' latest album, Kirtan Wallah, brings refreshing echoes of country and folk music to the kirtan tradition. He also has his own SiriusXM satellite radio station, Krishna Das Yoga Radio. In addition, he co-founded the world music label Karuna/Triloka Records published a collection of stories, teachings and insights in Chants Of A Lifetime: Searching For A Heart Of Gold (2011) and was the subject of the 2012 feature documentary film, One Track Heart: The Story Of Krishna Das. He earned his first career GRAMMY nomination in 2012 for Best New Age Album for Live Ananda. In amassing his deep catalog of classic chant albums, Krishna Das has worked with musical heavyweights such as GRAMMY winners Rick Rubin, Sting and Steely Dan's Walter Becker. In so doing, he found a musical vocation that would come to fruition at the dawn of the 21st century. After a stint as the frontman for Soft White Underbelly (who would later change their name to Blue Öyster Cult) in the late '60s, Krishna Das traveled to India in 1970 where he became a follower of the spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba (Mahara-ji). His resonant baritone voice and energizing East-meets-West take on traditional Indian devotional chanting has become the soundtrack for the growing worldwide yoga movement throughout the past two decades.īorn Jeffrey Kagel, a baby boomer from suburban Long Island, N.Y., few artists in the kirtan (call-and-response chanting) genre have impacted the musical mainstream in quite the same way as Krishna Das. Hailed as yoga's "rock star," Krishna Das put sacred Sanskrit mantras on the music map.