Wild Moon Bhaktas | Beat Lively Kirtans and Heart Chants

The Sacred Chants of Yogananda, January 2019

By davidschmit | Published: November 14, 2019

We performed our second annual Sacred Chants of Yogananda event, with the Wild Moon Bhaktas and Rev. Alan Pritz at Weyerhauser Chapel at the Macalester Campus in St. Paul. It is a beautiful room and we filled it with the music of the great Paramahansa Yogananda! Many Americans have been touched by his teachings, and a number of them came out to sing his deeply devotional chants.

“Night and day, night and day, I look for Thee night and day. Door of my heart, open wide I keep for Thee.” – Yogananda

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Rumi Celebration, 2018

By davidschmit | Published: November 14, 2019

Our 20th annual night of music, chanting, poetry and sacred dance in honor of Sufism’s greatest poet, Jelaluddin Rumi. With the Wild Moon Bhaktas, Hakim Bushnell of Light Upon Light Sufi Center and Rev. Ted Tollefson. Over a hundred people came to Tula Yoga in St. Paul for the event, which features an open mic. People come up and recite their favorite Rumi poem while the Wild Moon Bhaktas’ provide background music. Pictured is the band, and Ted Tollefson providing an introduction to the evening.

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Andrea Sullivan performs with the Wild Moon Bhaktas

By davidschmit | Published: March 5, 2019

Andrea Sullivan will by performing with the group periodically. Andrea brings years of experience as a performing musician and kirtan and chanting lover. She sings, plays the harp and violin. Join us in welcoming Andrea to the group!

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Why Not Wake Up? Our Second CD Release

By davidschmit | Published: March 5, 2019

We are happy to announce the release of our second CD! Lovingly created over four years! Includes some of our favorite chants, Om Mani Padme Hum, La Illaha, Durgayai, Rama Bolo, and Why Not Wake Up? We recorded with expert world beat engineer Greg Shutte at Bathtub Shrine Studio. Guests artists included Barbara Meyer and Kitty Newton on vocals, Greg Shutte on percussion, Peter Schimke on keyboards and Blair Krivanek on guitar. And of course, the Wild Moon Bhaktas, Gary Waryan, tablas, David Ballman, vocals, tambura and percussion, Christine Larson, vocals and violin and David Schmit, vocals, guitars and accordion.

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Communal Chanting with the Wild Moon Bhaktas

By davidschmit | Published: March 5, 2019

We keep on keepin’ on! The Wild Moon Bhaktas have played well over 100 chanting, kirtan & spiritual music events in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Here is a portion of a poem by Kabir, the 15th century Indian luminary of the Bhakti-Yoga movement:

Throw away all thoughts of imaginary things, and stand firm in who, you, are. If you don’t break your ropes, while you are still alive, do you think ghosts will do it for you after? If you make love with the Divine now, in the next life, you will have the face of satified desire.

The Wild Moon Bhaktas with special guest Will Kemperman, playing at Tula Yoga in 2018

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Our 9th Year!

By davidschmit | Published: August 24, 2018

October 2018 will mark our 9th year leading chanting and kirtan events in Minnesota. We look forward to another year of communal chanting, sacred music, joy, spiritual awareness and deepening consciousness. Join us for one of our events. Here is the flyer for our next event, Saturday, September 8th at Big River Yoga in Minneapolis.

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2018 Great Mother Chant

By davidschmit | Published: August 24, 2018

Our 4th Annual Great Mother Chant – three hours of chanting in honor of the Divine Feminine – was held May 12, 2018 at Tula Yoga in St. Paul, Minnesota. Chanting leaders Colleen Buckman – Kalyani and Temple of Light joined the Wild Moon Bhaktas for this special evening of communal chanting and music. We chanted nothing but chants to the Great Mother Power! Thanks to Tula Yoga for hosting the event! As part of the event, a donation to Friends of the Mississippi was made to support their environmental work. Here are some pictures from the evening.

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Door of My Heart; The Chants of Paramahansa Yogananda

By davidschmit | Published: February 14, 2018

On January 13, 2018, The Wild Moon Bhaktas joined with Rev. Alan Pritz for a night of Paramahansa Yogananda’s chants and songs. The program was held in the beautiful Weyerhauser Auditorium at Macalester College and was attended by over seventy people. Some attendess came from as far away as Rochester, MN. Yogananda was born in January 1893, so our event was held within days of his 125th birthday.

Yogananda, who was one of the first Indians to bring yoga and meditation to the West, was also a fine musician and composed many sacred chants. The Wild Moon Bhaktas have been performing his music since the band began in 2009. It was a delight to spend an evening playing nothing but his music!

Plans are underway to offer the program again next year. We are grateful to Rev. Alan who worked hard to bring the program into manifestation.

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Nineteenth Annual Rumi Celebration

By davidschmit | Published: January 3, 2018

On Sunday, December 17, 2017, the Wild Moon Bhaktas, Hakim Bushnell of Light Upon Light Sufi Center and Rev. Ted Tollefson and friends (Dianne Gamm and Kristen Eide-Tollefson) put on the 19th Annual Rumi Celebration at Tula Yoga and Wellness, in St. Paul, MN. Over 120 people attended this unique night featuring music, chanting, Rumi’s ecstatic poetry and sacred dance in honor of Sufism’s greatest poet. The Wild Moon Bhaktas lead chanting and then create a musical groove and people come up to an open mic to recite their favorite Rumi poems. A truly magical night of mysticism and musical beauty. Look for the 20th Annual Rumi Celebration, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. Below are scenes from the evening.