TLDR: Simrit presents a live 2025 performance of "It Is Shown," a kirtan track from her album "Become" (produced in collaboration with dub creative). The piece explores devotional chanting and contemporary sonic exploration, merging traditional mantra-based singing with modern production techniques. Kirtan—call-and-response devotional music rooted in Hindu and yogic traditions—serves as a vehicle for spiritual practice, and Simrit's interpretation reflects both the ancient roots of the form and its living evolution in contemporary global music and spiritual practice.
What is kirtan and why does it matter in contemporary practice?
Kirtan is a form of devotional chanting and call-and-response singing that originates in Hindu, Vedic, and yogic traditions. Rather than a performance art for entertainment alone, kirtan functions as a spiritual practice—a method of focusing the mind, invoking deeper states of consciousness, and creating collective ritual space through sound and repetition. The practice traditionally centers on the repetition of sacred names, mantras, and spiritual affirmations, often in Sanskrit or other classical languages, accompanied by instruments such as harmonium, drums, and cymbals.
In contemporary settings, kirtan has evolved beyond temple and ashram spaces into concert halls, yoga studios, music festivals, and online platforms. Artists like Simrit represent a new generation of kirtan practitioners who integrate the traditional form with modern production, genre-blending, and global audiences. This doesn't dilute the practice—rather, it creates new entry points for people seeking contemplative experiences through music, and it demonstrates that ancient forms remain vital and alive when engaged authentically.
How does "It Is Shown" reflect the evolution of kirtan music?
"It Is Shown," from Simrit's album "Become," exemplifies how contemporary kirtan artists are expanding the sonic palette of devotional music. By collaborating with dub creative—a production approach that emphasizes space, echo, reverberation, and rhythmic innovation—Simrit bridges the gap between traditional call-and-response chanting and contemporary electronic and reggae-influenced production. Dub, historically rooted in Jamaican music culture, emphasizes remix, layering, and sonic texture in ways that complement the meditative and hypnotic qualities of kirtan.
This fusion suggests that kirtan is not a static, museum artifact but a living tradition that can absorb new influences while maintaining its spiritual intention. The use of dub production doesn't replace the human voice or the power of sacred syllables; rather, it creates an immersive sonic environment that can deepen listeners' engagement and allow them to experience the music in new ways. A live performance, in particular, carries the energy of the moment—the musician's presence, the audience's collective attention, and the spontaneous variations that arise in real time.
What role does live performance play in kirtan practice?
Live kirtan differs from recorded versions in fundamental ways. A recorded track can be listened to repeatedly, studied, and incorporated into daily practice—valuable for consistency and accessibility. A live performance, by contrast, is unrepeatable. It depends on the specific moment, the specific audience, the energy of the room, and the artist's responsiveness to that energy. In many spiritual traditions, this aliveness is considered essential to practice; it keeps the form from becoming rote and instead maintains a quality of genuine invocation and presence.
When Simrit performs "It Is Shown" live in 2025, she is not simply reproducing a recording. She is responding to the people present, exploring variations within the form, and creating a shared experience of devotional music. For audience members, live kirtan offers the chance to participate in the sound, whether through singing along, being moved emotionally, or entering meditative states induced by rhythm and repetition. The performance becomes a collective practice, not a passive consumption.
How does "Become" as an album title inform the meaning of "It Is Shown"?
Simrit's album "Become" carries resonance with spiritual philosophies centered on transformation, awakening, and the unfolding of one's true nature. The title suggests a process—not a destination but a verb, a continuous action of becoming. In non-dual and advaita vedanta traditions, "becoming" can refer to the recognition that one's essential nature is already whole and free, and the journey is one of removing veils of ignorance or delusion that obscure that reality. Alternatively, it can reference the yogic and tantric understanding that human development involves integration, embodiment, and the manifestation of spiritual potential in the body and world.
"It Is Shown" as a track title from this album may reference the idea that what needs to be understood is already evident, already present—it only requires recognition. The phrase carries a sense of revelation or unveiling, consistent with the idea that liberation or awakening is not something that must be created but rather something revealed or acknowledged. In this context, kirtan becomes a practice of recognition, of singing what is already true.
What is the significance of Simrit's artistic approach?
Simrit represents a lineage of contemporary kirtan artists who are primarily women, who often incorporate elements of world music, electronic production, and social consciousness into their work, and who see kirtan not as a marginal "world music" genre but as a primary spiritual practice worthy of serious artistic and production investment. Her collaboration with dub creative signals respect for both traditional kirtan and for innovation in sound design—neither is compromised; instead, they enhance each other.
The availability of her music on Spotify and Apple Music reflects the democratization of access to kirtan. Historically, these practices were learned in person, within specific communities or lineages. Now, anyone with internet access can encounter Simrit's voice, her interpretations, and her musical vision. This raises important questions: What is gained? What is lost? How does context shape experience? These are not rhetorical questions—they are genuinely debated within contemporary kirtan communities. What seems clear is that the practice persists, evolves, and continues to offer people a form of engagement with sacred sound, whether they encounter it in a concert hall, a yoga studio, or on a streaming platform late at night in their own home.
Where to go from here
To deepen your engagement with this work, listen to the full album "Become" to understand how "It Is Shown" sits within Simrit's broader artistic vision. Seek out both live recordings and studio versions—notice what differs and what remains constant. Explore other contemporary kirtan artists to understand the range of approaches within the tradition. If you are drawn to the meditative and devotional qualities of the music, consider attending a live kirtan event in your area, or exploring kirtan as a daily practice (many kirtan artists and teachers offer guided practices online). Pay attention to what the repetition of sacred sound does to your own mind and body—this embodied knowledge is the foundation of why these practices have endured across centuries and cultures.
