Wynne Paris


Wynne Paris was a new-age and world beat musician/producer with a special focus on yoga music and kirtan, the call-and-response singing of Bhakti yoga. His live performance combines Kirtan chanting, American music, world beat rhythms and raga scales. He sings in both English and Sanskrit. Paris plays a variety of musical instruments which include the guitar, sarod, harmonium, saz and percussion. Wynne Paris died suddenly of a heart attack on March 22, 2021.

Career

Paris began his career as a musician in the 1980s as a rock & roll and rhythm & blues guitar artist, performing with artists like Rusted Root's Jim Donovan, and Mark Karan of the rock band RatDog. In 1994, Wynne took up Indian music and yoga, changing the direction of his music. In 1996, one of the songs he co-wrote with Maura Moynihan, "Prayer for the Pure Land", won first place in the Songwriters' Association of Washington National Songwriting Contest. Also in that year, he met the Indian "hugging saint" Mata Amritanandamayi, known to her devotees as Ammachi or Amma, which inspired him to move to Marin County to study Indian music, shamanism, and yoga.
Since 1998, Paris has primarily performed and recorded New Age and World Beat music with an Indian influence, performing kirtan chanting and playing both Western and traditional Indian musical instruments. He appeared on the first album of Krishna Das, Pilgrim Heart, who is known for popularising kirtan music in the West. This album also featured Sting.
Paris released his debut album, Ghandarva Café in 2004, which was followed by Emptiness and Ecstasy and Omspun, featuring Groovananda, in.
Over the years, Paris has recorded with many notable musicians in these genres including Krishna Das, Badal Roy, Shahin and Sepehr, Sharon Gannon, Bhagavan Das, David Newman, Wade Morissette, Rick Allen, Guru Ganesha Singh Khalsa, Mark Karan, Perry Robinson, Hans Christian, Dave Stringer, and Girish.
Paris played for a "Yoga Ball" celebrating President Barack Obama's second inauguration at St. Francis Hall in Northeast Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2013.

Groovananda

Paris is the creative director of Groovananda, a collective of musicians formed in 2005 the core consisting of Paris, Rick Allen and John "JT" Thomas, who play rock-and-jazz-influenced kirtan. On May 14, 2010, he and Groovananda were part of a benefit in Washington, D.C., for the Bonobo Conservation Initiative. They have produced a single, Tara Om, with Krishna Das, and one CD, Omspun, released in 2011, both by Auspician Records. Besides the core band members, it featured Badal Roy, Perry Robinson, Mark Karan, Hans Christian, John Wubbenhorst and several others, and vocalists including Krishna Das and Dave Stringer.

Lovelight Yoga & Arts Festival

For the first time in 2016, Lovelight Yoga & Arts Festival brought together multiple communities for a celebration of yoga, kirtan, flow arts, meditation, learning, and healing.
Woodstock Music & Art Fair producer Michael Lang, musician Wynne Paris, and Kimberley Maddox co-produced the event, which brought dozens of musicians and accomplished yoga instructors from across the country to share their practice and knowledge with attendees of all ages.
The festival was held at Camp Ramblewood, located in proximity to Darlington, Maryland.
A second installment of this annual event was scheduled to take place on August 18–21, 2017.

Performance venues

With Krishna Das

Discography

Inner and Outer Space – Caroline Casey Sounds TruePlayful Yoga: Movement & Meditation for All Ages – Various Artists White Swan RecordsPilgrim Heart – Krishna Das Triloka/Mercury RecordsDrum Prayer – Steve Gordon Sequoia RecordsPlanet Yoga – Krishna Das KarunaJapa – Dave Stringer Ajna MusicNostalgia – Shahin and Sepehr Higher OctaveChakra Healing Chants – Sophia Songhealer Sequoia RecordsGhandarva Café – Wynne Paris Jai Ma: White Swan Yoga Masters, Vol. 2 CD – Various Artists White Swan RecordsEmptiness and Ecstasy – Wynne Paris Auspician CDYoga Salon – Various Artists Sequoia RecordsAll One – Krishna Das TrilokaOshun Gaia – Amikaeyla Proudfoot Gaston & Ariana Lightningstorm Amikaeyla and ArianaArcana – Lisa Reagan Stillpoint RecordsPure Ganesh – Guru Ganesha Singh Spirit VoyageThe Journey Home – Gurunam Singh Spirit VoyageBhagavan Kripa: A Kirtan of Grace – Jojo and Yati Priya Devotional Music FoundationTara Om – Wynne Paris & Groovananda with Krishna Das AuspicianInfinita – Lawson Rollins, InfinitaMaha Moha: The Great Delusion – Wade Imre Morissette NotoneLove, Peace, Chant – David Newman Nettwerk RecordsGet Free – True NatureKundalini Meditation Music – Various Artists Sounds TrueHead Over Heels – Mahbood Len Seligman Let Your Heart Be Known – Steve Gold Steve Gold MusicOmspun – Wynne Paris & Groovananda Auspician Records CDGhandarva Café: Ecstatic Songs of Love & Devotion – Wynne Paris EMI Change – Gurunam Singh Spirit Voyage MusicHeaven is Dancing – SuperTrine Auspician Records