KIRTANIYAS: Los Angeles based Kirtaniyas are a global Kirtan collective from London (UK), Hilo (Hawaii), Hamburg (Germany) and Gainesville (Florida). These energetic, multitalented twenty-somethings grew up in a Vedic culture of song, dance, philosophy and devotion between ashrams and temples both in India and the western world. Lead vocalist Vijay first met electronic music producer and mridanga drummer Nitai in 2003 in the sacred village of Vrindavana, India while studying devotional Indian folk music known as “Kirtan”. This rare traditional art form is an ancient call-and-response devotional mantra chanting practice, that originated in the Indian subcontinent over 5000 years ago. Joined together with his musically gifted wife Sarasvati, soulful vocalist, Rasika, and drummer Nitai, Vijay formed “Kirtaniyas” in 2009. The four have since travelled the world to over 15 countries infusing new life to these ancient chants with youthful spirit and energy. Early 2012 saw the release of the long anticipated first album called “Heart & Soul” through Silenzio (Europe) and White Swan Records (USA). Funded largely by the groups growing fan base, the album debuted at #11 on the itunes World music chart and has sold 3000 hard copies to date. All the band members are multi-instrumentalists accomplished in traditional Indian style vocals, harmonium, classical violin, tabla and mrdanga drums, hand cymbals, bells, gub gubi and electronic music production. In their latest project "BassMantra EP" with the single "Nitai Gauranga" feat. MC Yogi, the Kirtaniyas fuse melodious electronic dance music and subsonic bass with call and response singing of 5000 year old Indian Sanskrit mantras creating a new sound that synthesizes electro, bass, world and chant. They have collaborated with artists such as Cheb i Sabbah, MC Yogi, Jai Uttal, Kula Shaker, DJ Drez, Hiatus, Audiopharmacy and others. MC Yogi: MC YOGI (aka Nicholas Giacomini) grew up in Northern California, painting graffiti & listening to hip hop music. He spent most of his high school years at a group home for at-risk boys where, inspired by artists like the Beastie Boys & Run DMC, he began writing and performing his own raps for friends at house parties. Hip hop culture provided both a soundtrack and a creative outlet during MC YOGI’s turbulent teenage years. At age 18, on a whim, he joined his father for a yoga and meditation intensive with a famous spiritual teacher from India. Deeply moved by this unexpectedly powerful experience, MC YOGI devoted most of his free time to learning everything he could about the ancient discipline. He spent the next two years studying the physical forms of yoga as well as meditation, philosophy, and devotional chanting. It was at a yoga teacher training program in San Francisco that he met and fell in love with his wife, Amanda. Together they traveled to India and, upon their return, opened Yoga Toes studio in Point Reyes, California. MC Yogi’s dedication to yoga did not diminish his lifelong love of hip hop. Now, by combining Indian music and mythology with infectious hip hop beats, MC Yogi creates an exciting new sound for a new generation of modern mystics, urban yogis, and conscious hip hoppers.