Portland (OR) The Kirtan Love Experience with Jai Uttal & Friends

Step into a sacred space where ancient devotional singing meets the beating heart of community. On Saturday, October 24, 2026, Grammy®-nominated kirtan master Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach invite you to The Old Church in Portland for an evening of transformative call-and-response chanting rooted in bhakti tradition and boundless love.

Kirtan is more than a concert—it's a participatory journey. You don't need to know Sanskrit, carry a perfect voice, or have any prior spiritual experience. What you bring is your willingness to open your heart and join a collective song of devotion. Over nearly five decades, Jai Uttal has pioneered this radical accessibility in kirtan, weaving Indian classical music, jazz, and folk traditions into compositions that dissolve the distance between performer and participant. This evening promises to crack open your chest, quiet your mind, and reconnect you with the breath of life itself.

Whether you're a seasoned chant practitioner or a spiritual seeker exploring new pathways, this kirtan experience offers exactly what Portland's conscious community needs: a chance to sing together, to be witnessed, and to remember that we are not alone.

What to Expect

Expect an evening of call-and-response devotional singing led by master musicians. The experience unfolds as a conversation between the stage and the audience—Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach guide the mantras and melodies, and you echo back, your voice braiding with hundreds of others into a unified field of sound and intention.

The atmosphere is one of relaxed reverence: there's joy, laughter, and permission to be exactly as you are. Participants often report feeling deeply held, emotionally released, and reconnected to something larger than themselves. You leave carrying the resonance of the mantras in your body and the warmth of singing in communion.

About the Artists / Teachers

Jai Uttal is a pioneering kirtan artist and spiritual music teacher who has spent nearly five decades blending Indian classical music, jazz, and folk traditions to create transformative communal singing experiences rooted in devotion and heart-opening practice. His Grammy® Award nomination reflects the depth and sophistication of his musicianship, while his true legacy lies in making kirtan accessible and alive for thousands of seekers worldwide.

Ben Leinbach is a breathwork facilitator and co-creator with Jai Uttal, bringing embodied awareness to the practice of conscious respiration and evocative composition. Together, they celebrate the breath of life and the infinite capacity of the human heart to sing.

Venue & Logistics

The Old Church, Portland, OR
Saturday, October 24, 2026

Wear comfortable clothing you can move and breathe in. Arrive early to settle into the space. Bring water and an open heart. The Old Church welcomes all bodies and levels of experience.