(RNS) — The album “Triveni,” which translates to “the confluence of three rivers” in Sanskrit, has been awarded the 2025 Grammy Award for best new age, ambient or chant album. This CD, which is a blend of Vedic chants, melodic flute, and cello, is the collaborative work of Chandrika Tandon from India, Wouter Kellerman from South Africa, and Eru Matsumoto from Japan. Singer Chandrika Tandon explained the significance of the name, which refers to where the sacred Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers intersect, stating that the title came to her during her daily meditation practice.
“The timing was incredibly special since our album was recognized during Vasant Panchami, concurrent with the Maha Prayag, part of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India. This location is regarded as one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations,” Tandon shared, highlighting that this year’s Kumbh Mela is one of the largest gatherings ever, expecting approximately 400 million attendees. This festival takes place once every 12 years, but this particular Maha Kumbh Mela occurs only once every 144 years when celestial bodies align.
“It’s fascinating to think about, and one can only smile at such a remarkable coincidence,” she remarked.
Chandrika Tandon, who is also known for her influential business career, had previously spent over half her life establishing herself as a leading figure, even lending her name to the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University. She is the sibling of Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo. However, Tandon described a significant turning point in her life 25 years ago, labeling it a “crisis of spirit.”
“Even though I had achieved everything externally, I felt a lack of fulfillment. I asked myself what I truly wanted to accomplish—merely gaining more wealth and climbing higher professionally, or something that would enrich my happiness and make my days feel whole?”
That deeper fulfillment for Tandon was discovered in devotional music. Drawing inspiration from mantras she had heard in her childhood in Chennai, she began a journey of creating melodies infused with her meditation practice, describing it as a way of “praying into the notes.” Tandon has since released six albums, underscoring how music aided her quest for self-discovery.
She believes that their Grammy win represents a larger cultural awakening, encouraging young folks globally to connect with the “extraordinary gems” found in ancient Vedic traditions. “It’s like taking elements of traditional Indian artistry and placing them in a contemporary, accessible context. It allows the beauty of these traditions to resonate in a way that people find enjoyable and relatable, sparking a newfound curiosity,” Tandon explained.
Musicians like Tandon and other proponents of devotional music indicate that the melodic repetition of Vedic mantras has historically been effective in calming the mind, impacting spiritual seekers today as well. They observe that a growing interest among youth explorers, particularly those navigating this fast-paced digital culture, is leading to a resurgence of Hindu sacred music, with young kirtan artists taking the forefront.
In these complex times, devotional artist Gaura Vani highlights that younger generations are finding their voices through kirtans—devotional songs integral to the Hare Krishna faith. “In a world dominated by social media and distractions, it’s remarkable that kids from the Krishna community spontaneously come together for weekends filled with kirtans, sometimes lasting up to ten hours,” he noted, marveling at this dedication that seems counterintuitive to modern lifestyles.
Vani, raised in an American Hare Krishna family, recently performed a solo concert at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House. Formerly, he fronted a successful late ’90s rock band called As Kindred Spirits, where he experimented with a blend of various musical styles, including world music, mantra, and rock. “I think of my music as a convergence of spiritual stories and melodies from around the world,” he commented.
Music plays a crucial role in nearly all Hindu traditions, Vani noted, emphasizing that the bhakti—devotional—tradition observed by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) uniquely values music as a conduit to connect with the Divine, promoting peace within oneself and in the world. The Maha Mantra, consisting of the repeated invocations of “Hare,” “Krishna,” and “Rama,” set to melodies chosen by the singer, is a hallmark of ISKCON’s practice. Vani shared that engaging in this call-and-response format can bring participants into a heightened state of connection, where it feels as if “music is streaming down from the heavens.”
“Experiencing that can align you with an ecstatic state unlike any other,” Vani expressed. Unsurprisingly, this tradition is a significant part of Vani’s family life, as he and his wife guide their three teenage children through song and dance experiences. Through this, they teach that spiritual significance is universal. “If you pay attention, spiritual music exists everywhere, transcending cultures—be it gospel, Sufi Zikr, or South African praise music,” he elaborated, saying that artists like Nora Jones and George Harrison form part of their music repertoire at home, alongside personal favorites like the Talking Heads.
For 24-year-old Premanjali Dejager, described affectionately as a “Krishna kid,” living in the Bhakti Center ashram in New York means she embraces chanting the Maha Mantra daily. Since graduating from gurukul—spiritual high school—in 2018, she has performed worldwide with her guru Indradyumna Swami, known as the Traveling Monk. She describes kirtans as creating an energetic “spiritual dance party” atmosphere where youth can express their raw emotions in a welcoming environment.
“When someone sings from a genuinely heartfelt place, it ripples through the room, creating an atmosphere that’s truly contagious,” she remarked. Although she wasn’t initially gifted in singing, her journey changed after taking lessons in jazz and pop, leading her to create and share devotional singing videos on social media, now growing an audience of over 50,000 followers and a virtual kirtan school.
For Nikita Bhasin, a yoga instructor from California, her spiritual journey began through her upbringing at the Kali Mandir in Laguna Beach. Although she distanced herself from kirtan in her youth, her path led her back when yoga instructors introduced her to familiar chants in a more approachable format. Now, she integrates chanting into her yoga classes in New York, encouraging her students—who often have diverse beliefs—to explore spirituality through these practices. “These chants invite contemplation on something greater than ourselves, which can be interpreted in various ways, helping people reconnect with their essence,” she reflected.
Through these diverse experiences and perspectives, the connection to spiritual music remains a vibrant thread, weaving together various cultural practices while fostering personal growth and community bonds.
