BhaktiFest with Marti Walker

Rasa Lila / Marti Walker – “The voice of sacred global soul”

Growing up in a musical household, and having started piano at age five, Marti was always instilled with a connection to the mysteries of life. After majoring in jazz studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and flute performance at Berklee College of Music, she began exploring both traditional and non-traditional paths, in her search to discover the power of music and sound to heal, uplift, unite and expand consciousness. She studied sound and energy-based healing modalities, as well as hatha and nada yoga, as a means of accessing deeper levels of consciousness and transformation. Her journey eventually led her to discover kirtan and sacred world music – at the same time she found a great love, propensity and natural gift for singing and playing percussion.

A skilled vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, her diverse musical and spiritual influences have amalgamated into what she calls “sacred global soul,” with songs in English, Spanish and Sanskrit. From haunting, otherworldly vocals to jazz, blues, Latin and pop influences, Marti’s musically diverse approach to sacred music weaves a colorful tapestry. Yet, tradition and heart remain core aspects of her devotional music offering. The name she has given to her kirtan and sacred music project is “Rasa Lila,” loosely translated as “dance of Divine love.” Rasa Lila represents Marti’s karmic devotion to Lord Krishna, and the sacred union that occurs upon chanting the Divine names. “When I am humble as a blade of grass and focused on pure shakti while chanting the holy names, I find myself swept up in an ecstatically sweet embrace. To me, this feels like ‘Rasa Lila,’ Krishna’s sacred Gopi dance.”

Her first chant CD, “Revolution,” brings sacred chant and kirtan to a bold new place. From deeply introspective and inspirational moments to infectious worldbeat dance grooves, "Revolution" is a musical/spiritual journey like no other.  Marti's mesmerizing, timeless voice is the silken thread that weaves jazz, soul, pop, Latin and Sanskrit mantra in an eclectic yet interconnected tapestry of delight!  

Marti has studied the practical application of Sanskrit mantra with the late Thomas Ashley-Farrand (Namadeva Acharya), of the Sadguru Sant Keshavadas and Satguru Rama Mata lineage. She studied Indian ragas with Hindu Brahman Sri Hanuman, and has been chanting kirtan since 2002. She has performed with world music artists such as Girish, Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe, Ganga Giri, Yeshe, Ben Leinbach, Prajna Viera, Geoffrey Gordon, Tina Malia, Tony Khalife, X-Tribe, and Shantala.

Listen to and download her music at: www.martiwalkermusic.com or www.rasalilamusic.com