Jai Uttal is a Grammy®-nominated pioneer in the world music community. His eclectic East-meets-West sound has put his music at the forefront of the world fusion movement. Jai's musical roots embrace a rich variety of cultures and traditions that span the globe and the centuries. From the hillbilly music of the Appalachian Mountains to the passionate strains of Bengali street singers, from the haunting rhythms and melodies of ancient India to contemporary electric rock sounds, Jai's music distills the essence of diverse musical forms.

Kimba Arem is an international recording artist whose eight CDs include Peace Journey and Creation's Overtone. Classically trained in piano and flute, she holds a BS in molecular and cellular biology, and has developed a unique form of sound therapy that incorporates Reiki, Taoist Chinese medicine, light and sound technology, herbology, and aromatherapy.

Maneesh de Moor lives and works in Amsterdam. An accomplished keyboardist, composer, and producer, de Moor has collaborated with Deva Premal, Praful, and Prem Joshua, and specializes in the crossover between ethnic and popular music—between natural and electronic sounds.For more information about Maneesh de Moor, visit www.mdmsound.com.

Nawang Khechog was a monk for 11 years, including four years as a hermit meditator in the Himalayan foothills personally sponsored by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has studied Buddhist philosophy and meditation with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as many other Tibetan masters, and now fills a truly unique spot in Buddhist culture as a teacher, performer, practitioner, and Tibetan freedom fighter, as well as being a Grammy®-nominated musician whose latest solo CD, Tibetan Meditation Music, hit number nine on the Billboard charts. He has sold several million of his CDs worldwide.

Riley Lee is the recipient of two of the most venerated lineages of traditional shakuhachi, traceable back to the Zen komusô, or “priests of nothingness.” He is the first non-Japanese to attain the rank of dai shihan (Grand Master), and has recorded dozens of albums, including Music for Zen Meditation..He resides in Australia.

River Guerguerian is a multi-percussionist, composer, and educator who has been inspiring audiences with his ecstatic and versatile percussion for over 25 years. Whether playing with world-class symphonies or studio musicians, partnering with Grammy-award winning composers, or creating dynamic plays of rhythm for his own projects, River’s passion and attention to the vibrant life of the drum reverberates throughout the crowd. The New York Times wrote of River, “Guerguerian’s composition, sensationally performed, devoted itself even more religiously to the possibilities of pure sound."

Snatam Kaur is an American artist raised in the kundalini yoga tradition. Schooled in kirtan, meditation, and Gurmukhi (the Sanskrit-based language of Sikh scriptures from northern India), she met her first music teacher at the age of six. She has released eight records, including the most recent Liberation's Door (Spirit Voyage, 2009), and is the lead singer for the Celebrate Peace tours. A resident of Santa Cruz, California, she teaches kundalini yoga and kirtan workshops across the U.S.

Author photo © Fran Gealer