Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Happy New Year! You’re invited to attend First Night—Northampton’s most beloved signature event. Since 1985, First Night Northampton has filled Paradise City with a 12-hour, family-friendly festival of the arts, culminating in a traditional ball-raising from the roof of the Hotel Northampton. Gather with friends, neighbors, and visitors at over 20 terrific downtown venues for an astounding array of entertainment presented by hundreds of talented performers.
Shubalananda is an American sadhu, traveling across the Northeast since 1995 and sharing his unique, bluesy style of kirtan, which is the meditative call and response gospel music of India. The first stage of inner discipline and yogic attainment is emptying the mind of thoughts, and as Shubal says, “You can’t think when you sing. Therefore, kirtan is the shortcut to no-thought.” Shubal is a Tantric devotee of Shree Maa of Kamakya. He has studied with many of the gurus of India, including Sathya Sai Baba, Baba Ram Dass, Karunamayi, Baba Hari Ji, and the greatest kirtan singer of them all, Ma Chetan Jyoti. These studies, along with his voice of deep bhava and experience, and his masterful musical skill, allow Shubal to offer his kirtan as a gift to his Guru, to his highest self, and to the community around him. When Shubal leads kirtan, the flow of his Gurus’ Shakti fills everyone in the room. Shubal’s kirtan is unique: his power, his love of God, his amazing experiences and wisdom, and the grace of his Guru, create an environment which can be experienced nowhere else. Come and feel the uplift with Shubalananda Kirtan.
