Music buffs usually leave concerts with their ears ringing and a headache. Those who attend the Sacred Chant Concert this Saturday at Liberty Station will perhaps leave in a better state. “The music really can take you into a place of deep peace one minute, and then ecstatic dancing in the aisles the very next,” said Santosh Ram, an apprentice with event organizers Deep Yoga. “It’s a blend of soothing, angelic voices that really speaks right to the heart.” New Age artist Snatam Kaur headlines the event, fresh off two months touring in Europe. Ram, who goes by Ralph Achenbach outside the studio, said Kaur’s music is mesmerizing. “It is a unique blend of traditional Indian instruments with Western beats that she skillfully weaves into a colorful tapestry of sound that is really quite extraordinary,” Ram said. Ram said those who attend yoga classes locally will recognize Kaur’s music. Most of the concert will be in kirtan style, the traditional Indian call-and-respond method of music. “It’ll be very interactive,” Ram said. “The musician will lead a chant and then the audience gets the opportunity to respond with their own voices.” Kaur will also offer a yoga adventure workshop for children. According to Ram, the workshop is the first of its kind in San Diego. “She uses imaginative storytelling and song and chanting as well as some more traditional yoga poses to guide children into a joyful experience of yoga,” Ram said. Bhava Ram, co-founder of Deep Yoga, and GuruGanesha Singh will also perform at the concert. Ram is a former television journalist who said he has used yoga treatment to overcome a broken back and cure throat cancer. Today he is reduced to a speech box but still performs devotional music. Saturday’s concert might also provide longtime Peninsula residents with a blast from the past. A Raja-Yoga school was part of Lomaland, the theosophical university and commune that operated in Point Loma from 1897 to the middle of the 20th century. “It used to be this utopian commune based on the principles of yoga right there on Point Loma,” Ram said. “The concert brings yoga and music that’s related to yoga back to the Peninsula.” Tickets are available for $30 in advance or $35 at the door, and children’s tickets are available for $10. For more information about the concert or to purchase tickets, visit www.snatamtickets.com or call (619) 338-9642.
