Krishna Das & Friends Thanksgiving Sunday Maui Satsang Kirtan

Krishna Das & Friends Thanksgiving Sunday Maui Satsang Kirtan is an afternoon and evening of devotional chanting, meditation and movement at the Napili Kai Beach Resort in Napili Bay, Maui. It is a benefit kirtan, open to anyone drawn to call-and-response chanting, whether you have sat in many satsangs or are curious about your first. Krishna Das and friends return to Maui to honor and carry forward the Ram Dass Legacy Thanksgiving Sunday satsang gatherings.

The evening serves two purposes. It is a food drive for the Maui Food Bank, and a fundraising benefit for Hanuman Maui.

What to Expect

The gathering runs from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm, a two and a half hour span that moves from afternoon into evening. The organizer describes it as music, meditation, movement and good vibrations, with kirtan at the center: voices rising together in chant, led by Krishna Das and the musicians who join him.

This year's Hanuman Maui benefit invites those present to pledge proceeds during the event. The aim is a shared effort to help Hanuman Maui financially secure ownership of Ram Dass's house and the surrounding lands in Haiku. If you want to take part in the food drive, the Maui Food Bank is the beneficiary of that collection.

About Krishna Das

Krishna Das, born Jeffrey Kagel in 1947, is one of the best-known figures in devotional music and kirtan, recognized for a deep, soulful voice and a gift for drawing audiences into chant. His path began in New York City in the 1970s, where he was drawn to the teachings of the Indian guru Neem Karoli Baba. After a formative trip to India, where he immersed himself in the practice of bhakti yoga, he returned to the United States with a renewed sense of purpose.

He began sharing his experiences and his guru's teachings through music, leading kirtans that blend traditional Indian melodies with Western musical influences. That blend has brought the ancient practice of chanting to many people who might never have encountered it otherwise.

The Setting

The Napili Kai Beach Resort sits on Napili Bay on Maui. Satsang here connects to a wider Maui community: the proceeds support Hanuman Maui and its effort to secure Ram Dass's home and land in Haiku, a place tied to the legacy this gathering honors.

Before You Go

No prior experience with kirtan is needed to appreciate an evening like this, since the practice is built on listening and joining in as you feel moved. Because the event doubles as a food drive for the Maui Food Bank, consider bringing a donation in that spirit. Pledging during the evening is part of how the benefit for Hanuman Maui comes together.