Sean Johnson And The Wild Lotus Band: News

Sean and the band have been invited to play the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. They are the first kirtan band to ever be booked to play the iconic annual festival, a two weekend mecca of music that draws fans from across the globe. They will be playing on the Lagniappe Stage Thursday April 29th. Time TBA.  

This year's headliners include: Simon and Garfunkel, Pearl Jam, Van Morrison, Widespread Panic, BB King, Gipsy Kings, Elvis Costello,  Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, Allman Brothers Band, My Morning Jacket, Dr. John, The Black Crowes, Steel Pulse, Baaba Maal, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Blind Boys of Alabama, Wayne Shorter, The Neville Brothers and many more......

In addition to touring lots of yoga studios and many other alternative venues, Sean and the band's 2010 Appearances also include:

New Year's Eve Celebration at Kripalu Retreat Center, Lenox, MA

Feb- Texas Yoga Conference, Houston, TX

March- Bhakti Weekend Retreat for Yoga Teachers in Ojai, CA

April- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

May- German Yoga Conference, Cologne, Germany

July-Telluride Yoga Festival, Colorado

September- Bhakti Fest at Joshua Tree, CA

More event announcements coming soon!

Sean, Alvin, and Gwendolyn just finished two months of cd release concerts culminating in a mesmerizing costume Halloween kirtan party in downtown New Orleans.  They'll be playing again in New Orleans the weekend of November 20-21st at The Wild Lotus Chant Fest featuring Dasi Karnamrita, Kamaniya and Keshavacharya Das and at The New Orleans Festival of The Chariots.

The band will be headlining the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Massachusetts for their annual New Year's Eve Celebration on December 31st before embarking on an extensive tour through the northeast and southeast in January. Below is a preview of where the band will be for the first 6 months of 2010. See events link for cities and venues.

Early January: Northeast and Southeast

Late February: Texas and Northern California

Early March: Southern California and Pacific Northwest

May: European Tour

For bookings contact manager Jackie Dobrinska at SeanJohnsonAndTheWildLotusBand@Gmail.com

Nūtone Music has partnered with Whole Foods for the release of A Collection of Kirtan Chant --a collection of music for health and wellness which creates peace of mind through the ancient practice of Kirtan and Sanskrit mantras. Designed for those who desire to achieve wellness through meditation, health and yoga in today’s busy lifestyle, A Collection of Kirtan Chant exclusively features the best new musical offerings from an array of Nūtone Music recording artists: Krishna Das, Wah!, Jai Uttal, Donna De Lory, David Newman, Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band, Wade Imre Morissette, Bhagavan Das and Reema Datta. The compilation features the top musicians from the worlds of chant and yoga and is now available in Whole Foods stores nationwide.

“This is a well-balanced compilation from some of the top artists in the music genre most often heard in Yoga classes,” explains NŪTONE MUSIC founder and Nettwerk Music Group CEO Terry McBride. “It’s a blend of Eastern chants with Western melodies that is relaxing and conducive to the flow of Yoga. Whole Foods is an amazing Wellness retailer and that aligns really well with the theme of the music on this compilation. It simply makes sense for us to join forces.”

Visit Whole Foods Markets nationwide to purchase. More details will be available on the product page of their site later this month. www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

We are excited to share the news that our new cd Devaloka comes out today on Nettwerk/Nutone Records.

We've been waiting a long time to share this new music with you. We recorded the album in New Orleans from winter into spring. Hope you enjoy! You can listen to clips and purchase Devaloka  at I-Tunes, Amazon, and many other sites online including Borders and Barnes and Noble. If you enjoy it, we'd love to invite you to help us by writing a short review on I-Tunes and/or Amazon to help spread the word.  If you feel inspired, you can also include songs from the album on your published I-Mixes to enhance the rating of the album. And please let your friends know about the record. Thanks so much!

On our press page, read the first official review of Devaloka written by Lloyd Barde, music editor for San Francisco's Common Ground Magazine. 

 

Sean and the band's new cd titled Devaloka on Nettwerk/Nutone Records hits the streets on September 1st! The album can be pre-purchased online at Amazon.com. Downloads will also be available online as well. Sean and the band will be hosting a series of CD Release parties around the country in September and October including in Las Vegas, L.A. San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, New Orleans and many other cities. Visit the calender link to see the full list.

Bhakti Fest is a three day music festival celebrating devotion through chanting, yoga, meditation and community. Joining Sean and the band will be many wonderful kirtan artists including Jai Uttal, Wah!, Wade Imre Morrissette, Dave Stringer, Donna DeLory, MC Yogi, Girish, and many more. Yoga teachers and other presenters include Shiva Rea, Coleman Barks, Ram Dass (via satellite), Saul David Raye, Mark Whitwell, and more.

50% of profits go to charity.
Don't miss this incredible event!
www.bhaktifest.com

Sean, Alvin, and Gwendolyn finished a 6 month stint recording their new album "Devaloka". Devaloka means "world of radiant beings". The album will be released in September on NETTWERK/NUTONE Music. Over the last nine months, NUTONE has released great albums by Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das, Wah!, David Newman, Donna DeLory, Wade Morrisette, and Reema Datta. We encourage you to support these fellow chant artists by purchasing their latest albums. We'll be announcing cd release dates for DEVALOKA soon!

HERE'S AN UPDATE ON SEAN AND THE WILD LOTUS BAND'S 2009 TOUR SCHEDULE:

MARCH: Northeast MAY: Northern California and Pacific Northwest

JUNE/JULY: Southeast, Northeast, and New England

SEPTEMBER: Bhakti Fest at Joshua Tree, CD Release Concerts in Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, and Pacific Northwest

OCTOBER: CD Release Tour: Ojai Yoga Crib, Southern and Northern California

Sean and the band will be in the recording studio in January and February recording their new album on NUTONE Records. They'll be back on the road again for a northeast tour in March. See the calender for more details.

We are excited and proud to share the news that we have been signed to Nettwerk/Nutone Records. Music industry innovator Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk Music group (home of Sarah McLaughlin, and management for Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, and many more) and dedicated Yoga practitioner, is set to combine his two principle passions to create the "re-birth" of NUTONE MUSIC. Encompassing music from the realm of devotional chant, world beat and beyond, NUTONE is dedicated to the development of a new genre within today's musical landscape. Terry, creator of the Lilith Fair, is the visionary behind the label and is seeking to bring the inspiration of kirtan to a wider audience.

McBride explains, "Nutone's mission is to seek out what we feel is the best music that fits into the modern day Yoga studio, various wellness practices and everday enjoyment of music. With many descriptions from World music to Chant to New Age to Mantra music, Nutone will demystify and clarify for listeners a brand that will be consistent in delivering quality albums. "To fulfill this goal, Nutone has built the most impressive roster of spiritual musicians in the music industry today. The newest members of the Nutone family include Krishna Das, Wah!, David Newman, Wade Imre Morisette, and Reema Datta, Upcoming releases include Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das, Donna DeLory and Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band. 

McBride says, "I was drawn into Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band's music through the magical melodic flows of (2007 release) Calling The Spirits. Musically it's a fascinating journey that led to me inviting them to be a part of the Nutone family."Albums are available at all major outlets." For more on the label's artist, music samples and more, visit www.nutonemusic.com. Read a wonderful article in Yoga Plus Magazine about Terry and his vision for kirtan titled "Could Chant Top The Charts?" Visit the Nutone Music Store on Amazon.

Check out an interview with Sean about the joy of kirtan with Kasey, founder of YogaMates.com at:
http://www.yogamates.com/tv/?v=48BF0DD9A5F1C

National yoga magazine Yoga Plus Joyful Living featured a cover story called "Yoga Rock Stars" featuring Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Deva Prema and Mitten, and Wah!. Sean was featured at the top of a list of up and coming chant artists. Read the text version of the article at http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/yogaplus/Article.aspx?id=3095

A wonderful book on kirtan by Steven Rosen has just been published. "The Yoga Of Kirtan" explores the history, musical dimensions, and emotional content of sacred chant. Through a series of intimate conversations, this volume brings its readers into the company of present-day kirtan masters, such as Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Vaiyasaki, Ragani, David Newman, and many others. Their insights reveal the profundity and joy experienced in this ecstatic form of yoga. Includes 21 interviews, 504 pages. Also includes a full length audio CD with kirtan performances by various interviewees. Over 70 minutes of music.

Ordering information: US $29.95
Online orders at:
www.yogaofkirtan.com or e-mail info@yogaofkirtan.com

Or send check or money order payable to: FOLK Books, PO Box 108, Nyack, NY 10960, U.S.A.

Sean is the featured yoga teacher in this month's yoga playlist in Yoga Journal sharing world music tunes great for a vinyasa class as well as some local New Orleans favorites like The Meters and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. To see the article, visit
www.yogajournal.com/multimedia/playlists/

Sean and the band are the featured artist on Yogamates.com this month. Visit yogamates.com and click on the music link.

Sean and The Band's latest cd "Calling The Spirits has received rave reviews in Yoga Journal, Yoga Chicago, Aura Magazine, Music Design In Review, LA Yoga Magazine, and more. To see the reviews visit www.seanjohnsonkirtan.com/press.html

Sean was named one of 40 top acheivers under 40 making a significant contribution to New Orleans in Gambit Weekly's annual 40 Under 40 feature. To read the profile on Sean visit www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2007-11-06/cover_story.php

Sean was recently interviewed by the author of "Yoga and The Path of the Urban Mystic" and San Francisco-based yoga teacher Darren Main for an I-Pod audio-cast. The interview titled "Healing New Orleans With Yoga" consists of questions about the post-Katrina yoga scene in New Orleans, Sean's kirtan music projects, touring and more. To listen to the interview click on http://darrenmain.libsyn.com/