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Tyler Ramsey + Carl Broemel: Celestun
Harmony Pavett Chandra Mantra
Chicago Kirtan Scene
On a cold Friday night, Tyler Ramsey and Carl Broemel played a concert at SPACE, a small concert hall in Evanston. They played mainly instrumentals on acoustic guitars using fingerpicking style and sang a handful of songs. It’s the beauty of the guitars, with their added voices that created the magic, plus the wise and witty banter between songs. The duo is touring in celebration of their new 2026 release, Celestun. The standing room-only crowd was 100% in for the show. With a reverence for the musicians, there was no talking and hardly a rustle, as no one wanted to miss a note!
Two of the highlights of the night for me were the cover of Neil Young’s “Sail Away” and Carl Broemel’s song “Carried Away” from his solo album, All Birds Say. That song holds a special place in my heart. “Last Tarot” and “Sylvie’s Guitar” left me feeling as if I was listening to bards play madrigals hundreds of years ago. Pure beauty. The effect of this attentive audience was creating a shared experience. We entered after the rush of a busy week and left transformed, uplifted and, speaking for myself, calmer and quieter. With a smile on my face.
Celestun is a balm to find your center in these darker days of the year. Mostly instrumental, there are nine songs that clock in just over 30 minutes. Tyler Ramsey, formerly of Band of Horses, and Carl Broemel, the guitarist for My Morning Jacket, make quite a talented pair. Their playing is sublime, two souls who have explored and found their way together, explaining their journeys with two acoustic guitars. You can tell they listen deeply to one another and respond to each other’s playing with grace and patience. The title track opener, “Celestun,” is gentle and rolling, with the two taking turns on their melodic leads. “Elizabeth Brown” has more of a bluegrass feel; it’s upbeat and feels old-timey. In concert at SPACE, Tyler shared that this was the first instrumental he had ever written as a kid. “Nevermind” has a repetitive refrain that is so darn pretty. The whole record is gorgeous. This would be a nice pick for Yoga class setlists, or self-practice.
Right now I’m listening to the latest release by Chicago’s own Harmony Pavett. “Chandra Mantra” is a downtempo, seven-minute plus track in which it is easy to lose yourself. With tribal drumming, synthy-touches, and a relentless hypnotic groove, it soothes your body and mind with its sacred mantra. It’s modern and ancient all at once. The Chandra Mantra is a sacred mantra dedicated to Chandra – the Moon God. It’s said to enhance mental peace and emotional balance and inspire deeper intuition. “Om Shraam Shreem Shraum Sah Chandraya Namah.” Try it out and see if this chant fosters inner peace – it has for me! Harmony’s production partner and collaborator, Hans Christian, is a Grammy-nominated producer and musician who creates exceptionally beautiful music. He is often considered a “musician’s musician – the best of the best.” What a great pairing!
Harmony resides in the Chicago area, and is a co-founder of the Harmonic Egg Center in Naperville. I haven’t had the pleasure to chant with her yet but she hosts events in Naperville, West Chicago, and beyond. I’m looking forward to sitting and chanting with Harmony. These kirtan and music-based sacred events – sound healings, etc. – are also shared experiences. We come as we are, and we leave transformed.
The Chicago Kirtan Scene is back! Check out the Chicago Kirtan group page on Facebook – it will keep you up to date! Thank you to Tulsiram Das for administrating and Sally Duros for founding this page nearly twenty years ago.
Amy Treciokas of Yoga Now Chicago / Amy and the Ananda Bliss Tribe is still hosting programs and chanting, bringing in local people as well as people from all over the globe to chant, teach and spread wisdom.
Tulsiram Das hosts monthly satsangs at his Highland Park abode with locals showing up, and everyone gets to sing! I’ve been in attendance and have heard and chanted with friends old and new including Raja Paul, Rafael Buitrón, TJ Davis, Subala, and the effervescent Shanti from Ananda Lila! Last time I attended, local artist Vivian Sakellariou started an impromptu chant inspired by Swami Sivananda’s teachings that everyone enjoyed.
Moksha Yoga has always held the “bhav,” or devotional inclinations. Now pairing with the Bhaktilife Network, Moksha holds regular programs. I will forever be grateful for the monthly run that Daren Friesen offered my group, Devi 2000, at Moksha back in the day!
The Bhaktilife Network includes Tulsiram, Subala and Yoganand. They just led an auspicious kirtan at the Hindu Temple of Lemont for Swami Vivikananda’s birthday (VIEW 2026), and an auspicious time was had by all. Thank you to Prasad Palacharie and Kali Om for bringing this festival to the greater Chicago area.
Wendy Warnimont, aka Shanti, and the Ananda Lila Kirtan continue to play regularly in the area, everywhere from Ahimsa in Evanston to the Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center in Woodstock. She knows how to raise the vibration!
Chicago’s beloved troubadour Jordan Loder has been on the road since fall! This spring, Jordan will be bringing his chants to the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Spreading mantra, sharing peace. Go Jordan! www.jordanlodeer.com
Joliet has a monthly kirtan scene on the last Friday of every month at Temple of Harmony in Joliet. For more info, message brahmachari.branson@kriya.org.
Advance notice alert! Girish will bring a soul-stirring night of Music Mantras and Joy to Unity in Naperville on Sunday, May 17. Tickets are available at unityinnaperville.org.
Radhika Das, a kirtan artist who has won the hearts of people worldwide, will be in Chicago at Park West on May 12.
All you have to do is show up, and we get to co-create a unique experience. This brings us together, and the time could not be more ripe. Let’s Chant!
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Devorah Winston Buzil learned Sanskrit chanting from her mother. Devi is the founder of Devi 2000 Collective, Chicago’s premier kirtan group. Their five albums, Planet Love Vol. 1 & 2, Devotional, Prepare Your Soul to Dance, and Kum Kum—are rooted in Bhakti yoga, the path of love. Devi’s songs have been featured on TV shows, The L Word and Saturday Night Live. Devi has studied music in the motherlands of Brazil, India, and the US. At present, she is the music editor at Yoga Chicago. She is blessed to have taught yoga to adults, kids, homeless teens, and the ladies in her neighborhood’s women’s shelter. A longtime devotee of Amma, the “hugging saint,” she laughs with her two children every day. They have proven to be her greatest teachers. Devi is a firm believer in love. She may be reached at debi@devi2000.com and at www.facebook.com/devi2000/.
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