We really wish we had had this song for our road trip to Bhakti Fest Midwest. The 1,000 miles would have gone by so much faster…
Just released by Count Shakti and the Shakettes, the “Shakti Shindig” hits the airwaves just in time — okay, not quite in time — for the summer bhakti festival season. Channeling Elvis and the Beach Boys — and maybe every rock guru in between — Count Shakti’s debut track will get your asana moving, mantra-rock style. If this doesn’t make your chakras chuckle, enlighten up!
What? Never heard of Count Shakti and the Shakettes? Well, we confess, we hadn’t either. So we asked, who is this mysterious band? Here’s the response we got:
The Count was born on the seventh hour of the seventh day of the seventh month of the Tibetan year of the Hyena to an Albanian aristocrat and a Nepalese sorceress. At the age of three he demonstrated a miraculous ability to make it rain Milk Duds and could recite the entire Bhagavad Gita in both Cockney rhyming slang and Murray the K “Me-a-Surrey” language. The Shakettes are his tantric consorts and possess all the major and minor siddhis, plus the psychic power to communicate with ants. The Count would like to make a video of “Shakti Shindig,” but like most aristocrats, he’s a bit strapped for cash.
Well, okay then…mystery solved. NOT.
Turns out Count Shakti is also known as Alan di Perna, music writer extraordinaire and sometime P.R. flack for the likes of the GuruGanesha Band — and, apparently, a lyrical genius with his tongue in his cheek. And the Shakettes? That would be DiPerna’s wife and “multi-tracked muse” Robin di Perna.
The brainstorm (brain cramp??) for this little gem came when GuruGanesha’s marketing team was trying to come up with a name for the band’s upcoming mega-tour with Deva Premal and Miten. Shakti Shindig was di Perna’s suggestion…but it didn’t fly. “Too ‘out there,’ I guess,” di Perna told The Bhakti Beat.
GuruGanesha, gettin' down at Bhakti Fest Midwest
Too “out there” for GuruGanesha?? Have you seen that long-beard hippie-Sikh on stage?
Never mind. By the time his moniker was axed, di Perna said he had already written the lyrics. For that we thank Krishna, Buddha, Allah and Jesus too. Not to mention dakinis in bikinis, swamis hidin’ salamis and tantrikas chasin’ chicas.
“Get your rocks off, bhakti-style.” Om my.
Here are the full lyrics, because you don’t want to miss a bhakti beat…
Shakti Shindig (© 2013 Alan di Perna) Grab your mala and your yoga mat We’re goin’ on down to where it’s at. Throw some tablas in the back of the van We’re goin’ to a Shakti Shindig, man! Shakti Shindig! Yeah, yeah yeah, Shakti Shindig! Where all the yogis and yoginis will be makin’ the scene. Shakti Shindig! Do the Pranayama till your face turns blue Do the Downward Dog and the Happy Baby too. Get your mind liberated, get your body tight This Shakti Shindig is really out of sight! Shakti Shindig! Yeah, yeah yeah, Shakti Shindig! etc. Gonna get blissed, gonna do the Tantric Twist Won’t never get pissed, ’cause we’ll give the booze a miss. Gonna nix the meat, gonna dance in bare feet. This Shakti Shindig is really sweet! Well, uh, if you’re feeling tired and sick of it all Come on down and have a ball. Get your rocks off, Bhakti style This Shakti Shindig is really really wild! Shakti Shindig! Yeah, yeah yeah, Shakti Shindig! Where all the yogis and yoginis will be makin’ the scene All the kirtan wallahs gonna start to holler All the meditators gonna do the Alligator All the big Babas gonna do the Bama-lama All the Dakinis will be dancin’ in bikinis All the Tantrikas will be checkin’ out the chicas All the Sikhs will be dancin’ with the freaks All the Buddhists will be dancin’ with the nudists All the Hindus gonna shout the blues All the gurus and swamis will be hidin’ the salami All the yogis and yoginis will be makin the scene…. Shakti Shindig, yeah yeah yeah Shakti Shindig (3X) Aw, Shakti baby….
Can you please please please find out and explain WHY Krishna Das needs Kickstarter to make a new CD but moreso why 54k already raised is only HALF of what is needed!?! 100K to make a CD???? I have lost all respect for him.