Album Notes

"Uma's beautiful voice and bhakti spirit connect our hearts to the profound and ancient devotional practice of kirtan." - Ram Dass Uma Reed (Vocals, harmonium) Uma has traveled the spiritual path for thirty years, studying with various teachers. She has sung and led kirtan since the 1970s in numerous ashrams and yoga studios, and leads kirtan on retreats with Ram Dass and others in the U.S. and abroad. With "Uma and Friends," she currently leads regular chanting groups in northern California. Uma is also the creator of the Magic Mirrors oracle cards and the author of Developing Your Intuition With Magic Mirrors, published by Hay House. Gangadhar (Tabla, keyboards) Gangadhar (aka Mark Gerhard) studied tabla with Ali Akbar Khan, Shankar Ghosh, Jnan Prakash Ghosh, and Swapan Chaudhuri. He also studied baul sangeet with the bauls (ecstatic street singers) in Bengal, and has recorded and performed with Jai Uttal, Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das, and others. Matt Packard (Guitar, flute) Matt has played music all his life, beginning with the Suzuki violin method at age 4, and switching to guitar at 14. He has studied and played in many musical styles, and enchantingly imparts the spirit of bhakti through his music. Shivaya (Khartals, chimtas, storytelling) Shivaya spent many years in India, and lived some of those years as a sadhu (wandering spiritual seeker). Evenings often found him sitting by a dhuni (fire) with other sadhus, shaking his chimta bells and singing the names of God. The stories of his experiences and encounters during that time are profound and magical, and are a highlight of each kirtan event.