A native of West Africa, Koffi has been drumming and dancing since a young age. In 2007 Koffi founded Afi, a West African dance ensemble at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD); he is artistic director, choreographer, and musical director of the 16-member ensemble. In 2009 Koffi founded 2G Vibe, a multicultural band that performs African fusion music. Koffi currently teaches West African drumming and dance classes at CPRD. He is involved in several activities at CPRD, including the International Summer Dance Institute, the Aye youth development program, the annual Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum show, and other performances by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. He also drums for African dance classes at CU Boulder and private studios.

In his hometown of Kpalime, Koffi was active with the Zota Cultural Group, a non-profit organization that promotes the richness and music of West African culture through performances, workshops and immersion programs. Koffi was dancer, lead drummer and vice president of Zota through 2002. More info at www.koffi.us

Nabin Shrestha bio:

Throughout my early childhood, music has always been an essential part of my life and “Tabla” is the medium by which I was introduced to the world of music and rhythm. In combination with the guidance of my guru Shree Rabin Lal Shrestha and truly inspired by my brother Rajendra Shrestha , I began learning tabla at the age of (9) nine years old. To this day, I still view myself as a continuing student in an ever expanding exploration of the beauty in musically interpreting dynamic rhythmic sounds while performing the Tabla. More info at http://www.rhythmoftabla.com/

Dj Sundragon bio and pic coming soon!

Gil Gonzalez, Lisa Wimberger and Tierro make up Lil Sum’n Sum’n, a trio born out of the collective projects of Kan’nal and Lunar Fire. It is an improvisational psy-trance experience featuring a world beat made up of middle eastern, afro-cuban, african, and american influences. Haung drums, tablas, doumbeks, dounouns, congas, shakers, udus, guitars, drones, ballaphones, and tap dancing drive rythyms that range from primal dance to meditational journeying. More info at www.facebook.com/lilsumnsumn

Avi is a Denver-based chant artist and leads kirtan regularly at yoga studios, churches, parks, and at home gatherings.  Several years ago Avi was drawn to the practice of bhakti yoga, a path that led him to India and to becoming a chant leader and organizer.   He is currently working on a recording project called “Yeshu Mandala” to be released in the summer of 2011.

Avi discovered his path of yoga in 2001 when he experienced healing and recovery from a lower back injury.  He is graduate of Axis Yoga Teacher Trainings and is the founder of the Yeshu Mandala Center for Yoga & Meditation in Denver, CO.  Avi has an extensive academic background in Comparative Religions and he holds degrees in Theology, Journalism, and Special Education.  He is also a certified massage therapist specializing in pain management and body centered therapy.

Gary Fishman became interested in Zen and Tibetan Buddhism 40 years ago. He received a degree in philosophy at the University of Colorado. He has been practicing Ashtanga and Power Yoga for nine years and Kundalini Yoga for five years. He has become certified in Crystal Healing with Luna and Karen Kuk-Nagle. He is also certified in Reiki, Kundalini Reiki, and Himalayan Vibrational Healing under the teachings of Richard Rudis. Gary has been playing the didgeridoo for many years with the help of many excellent teachers. He also studies tabla with Harsh Agrawal and is a member of a kirtan group. More info at www.songsofthemilkyway.com

Irene Soléa is a Boston-based chant artist blending traditional and non-traditional kirtan with soulfully dynamic vocals, urban and world rhythms in a band that is quickly rooting itself within the kirtan/chant world. Initially trained as a jazz vocalist, she was introduced to the heart-opening potential of kirtan in 2000 and has been hooked ever since, offering concerts and workshops across the country in places as varied as Kripalu (MA), Integral Yoga (NYC), Yoga Tree (SF), Boston Yoga and Chant Fest and her homebase, South Boston Yoga. Visit her website to hear tracks from her sold-out EP and for information on the spring/summer 2011 release of her latest CD: www.irenesolea.com

http://www.irenesolea.com/press.html

Jim Beckwith, a.k.a. Hanuman Das, plays live music for yoga across the nation, has played at several Yoga Journal Conferences and accompanied kirtan artists such as Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das and David Newman. Interpreting yoga classes and events with an array of exotic instruments including sitar, flutes, and various exotic percussion and striking vocals orchestrated in the moment…

Never distracting, a sonic tapestry is created with the help of modern technology to support the movement of yoga, from quiet sitar to rockin’ percussion – composing for the class to fit each moment and each instructor’s style,  resulting in a bonus of inspiration and joy for all!

Learn more here.

Ian Hyman (DJ Hyfi) is a Philly based DJ who has taken his art into the yoga studio to create a deep fusion of sound and movement. He spends most of his time on the road spinning for workshops, festivals and conferences around the nation, striving to create a fresh experience for people who love yoga. Finding inspiration from life on the road and the interesting collection of characters along the way, he shares his perspective on yoga through his turntables. Ian’s DJ mixes are infused with a wide range of soulful electronic music, from deep ambient tunes to ecstatic rhythms of Jungle/DnB.

“Ian’s got his finger on the pulse of what will move the energy of the group in an authentic way to an ecstatic experience!” -Wah!

Learn more here.

having started his musical journey way back in 1989, tres Johnson has been producing and djing for over 20 years. his talents have taken him to cities such as st. Louis, denver, san francisco and most importantely los angeles. It was here at a club where tres met local house heros blair and marcus of the higher ground parties. after their chance meeting, tres began a successful period of event promoting until he made his big move to omaha. It was here that tres began his weekly lowercasesounds broadcasting show in 2004, playing an eclectic array of sounds that include deep house, ambient, downtempo,and jazz. since then, lowercasesounds has grown to include over 25 djs that are located all around the world. in 2009, with close friend and spiritual advisor dirwood, tres created the lowercasesounds digital label which has seen eight successful releases, including one by dj raw sugar which has made the top five on juno records deep house chart. you can catch tres playing his own blend of music every Sunday at 6pm cst on www.lowercasesounds.com. for downloadable sets you can get them at http://lowercasesounds.podomatic.com

Damon, The Zen Drummer infuses rhythm saturated with mantra to produce peaceful, harmonious and funky sounds using live looping. This has been used to great effect in Yoga classes (e.g. Core Power Stapleton, Om Time Denver). The Zen Drummer’s main instrument is the African djembe and other African percussion. He has studied extensively at the Dagbe Institute in Ghana Africa. He also available for private parties of all ages and for kirtan. He can be reached at damon@zendrummer.com or 310-466-3418.

More info at www.zendrummer.com

Singing Kirtan has been a lifelong journey. I first chanted Kirtan at an ashram on Long Island, New York, in 1972. Sixteen years old, I followed along with no written words, picking up the chants by ear. It was completely weird. Yet, after a while, merging with the flow of the songs and the one flow of the group, I suddenly felt home—doing the right thing, something familiar and completely satisfying. I began to sink into a peace I had never felt before. More info atwww.vamadevakirtan.com

Dakini began singing and dancing when she was six and became a professional modern/ballet dancer at the age of 17. As a young child, some of her fondest memories were music night with her mother, the woman who taught her to sing. Through these artistic expressions Dakini found her own meaning to life: art. To Dakini, music and yoga bring love, peace, inner light, and hope. Dakini now lives, plays and practices in Colorado. Not only is she a musician but you can also find her guiding yoga classes for her studio, CorePower yoga in Stapleton. She had the amazing opportunity to work for CorePower for five years and within that time dreamt of owning her own studio. This dream was realized with the opening of the Stapleton studio, which is known for both the spiritual yogic path as well as having live music in classes. It is her intention to create an environment in which each practitioner feels supported in his/her yogic journey with not only movement but sound. Currently she is working on her first Kirtan CD as well as being the lead singer for a rock band. In the end, her music and her yoga are about the Bhakti path of love. She honors this path by singing to the Divine and recognizing her teacher Jai Uttal whom she studying from at Kirtan College in 2009. The amazing beauty in people inspires her especially when she sees the tremendous courage it takes to walk on this path of self-discovery. Hari Om.

DJ Mada – 9/11

MADA is an acclaimed national DJ. While he travels and performs all over the U.S., he holds his primary residence in the Mile High City of Denver, CO. Some of his clients include Ciroc Vodka, Red Bull, Metro Park, Vail Resorts, Qwest Communications, Vans Triple Crown, and Kevin Larson Presents (KLP). He competed in the worldwide Red Bull Thre3style Battle and shared the stage with Steve Aoki, Z-Trip, DJ Scene, Lloyd Banks… more here.

One of Denver’s premier down-tempo DJs, DJ Eyeam is an expert at feeling the flow of a yoga class and spinning just the right music to inspire practioner’s asana groove. It’s not uncommon for his listeners to break into dance right in the middle of their yoga practice…

Benjy and Heather Wertheimer lead kirtan (sacred chanting) worldwide as the duo Shantala, with soul-stirring vocals, sacred lyrics and exotic instrumentation. The weaving of Benjy’s Indian classical singing and instrumentation with Heather’s soaring vocals is freshly original and profoundly moving. 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.

http://www.shantalamusic.com/about