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The Positive Power of Chant with Jim Gelcer (Siva)
Please share what you do in 10-15 words: Kirtan wallah, recording and touring artist, composer, producer, and Bhakti yogi.
Why do you do what you do? It is my path and I'm doing what I love.
What are you currently fascinated by in your work? The positive power of chant and its ability to heal and transform.
How did you come to your path? Any aha moments or key teachers? A gentle nudge from someone at the perfect moment. I am always learning, and everyone is my teacher.
What book(s) are you currently reading? Reading and re-reading the Bhagavad Gita, Bliss Divine, and The Radiance Sutras.
What surprises you about teaching here? How at home I feel.
Jim Gelcer is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, now based in Toronto, Canada, Jim has recorded and performed around the world with artists as diverse as Lee Aaron, The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, Reg Schwager, and Dave Young. His style has been called “welcoming, inviting, and contagious,” and blends together traditional Sanskrit chants with R&B, jazz, and rock. One of the few Canadian artists invited to perform at Kripalu and Bhakti Fest, Jim’s recording of Sivananda chants, “Bhagavan,” was hailed as one of the year’s best by American radio shows In The Spirit and Full Lotus Kirtan. Other notable recordings include Bhakti Groove Machine, Going OM, and his latest, Cape Town to Kolkata.
