An Evening With... Dave Stringer
by Larisa Stow
I was at a concert of one of the great kirtan icons years ago totally into the energy that was being created in the space when a woman sitting next to me said, “If you think this is great you should see Dave Stringer...he rocks.” It would be years before I would see Dave Stringer in concert but he definitely lived up to his reputation. His kirtan does rock. On February 4th 2006 Dave and his band made an appearance at “Shakti’s Elements” in Santa Monica. I was one of about 70 plus people in the audience.
Some kirtan wallahs prefer a sparse backdrop of instrumentation to showcase the names of God...preferring a more traditional sound. Others choose to use a bevy of sounds to create an ecstatic vortex. Dave Stringer falls into the latter category. Dave was center stage physically and vocally. He pumped the harmonium with abandon and was backed by an impressive line-up of musicians... CC White on vocals, Philippo Franchini on guitar, Miles Shrewsbery on Cajon, tablas and assorted percussion, Domonic Dean Breaux on flute and saxophone, Liz Burnette on vocals and hand cymbals, and Saul David Raye on response vocals and finger cymbals. The mix of musicians really worked to ramp up the energy in the room. The only musician that didn’t poke through the mix was CC White. I kept straining to hear her, but unfortunately her mic level wasn’t up enough. When you play yoga studios, a sound engineer isn’t usually a part of the package.
I was mesmerized by Miles Shrewsbery’s creative mix of Cajon and tablas. He used the tablas to invite our ears and hearts into the songs which characteristically started out slow and would then build into a frenzy. Miles seemed to have a sixth sense for anticipating Dave’s desire to build the energy in the room. He would switch from tablas to Cajon at the crucial moment the energy gave notice to build. The Cajon has a drum kit sound...sensitive ears perceive a low end kick and snare like slap which gives the songs a western groove sensibility and power. I noticed that every time Miles switched to Cajon, bodies would begin to dance. The driving beat and Dave’s revival vocals gave us all permission to let go.
Dave was both down to earth and the showman rolled into one. The makeshift stage that was created in the corner of the beautiful new yoga studio, “Shakti’s Elements” was set apart from the audience by these beautiful twinkle lights that were wrapped around mic stands and laid out in front of the band. It was a feast for the eyes. Dave used a conversational approach when relating to the audience. Before singing a song about Rama, he compared him to a guy who had just lost his girl and his home. This casual approach seemed to draw his audience closer to him.
Dave looks and speaks like the guy next door but when he opens his mouth to sing, tangible Shakti pours out. It is this Shakti that transports us...maybe to our childhood church and the faith we felt back then, or bringing us more into the present moment...building the devotion we are cultivating. He is an undeniable force in the kirtan world, helping to build the awareness of this beautiful genre as he builds the energy through his kirtan.
Archived Artist Interviews
A collection of Interviews with Sacred Music's Awesome Artists
An Evening With Dave Stringer
Interview with Snatam Kaur
Remembering Singh Kaur
Lights! Camera! Kirtan! David Newman