About

Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove

Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove, Colorado’s premiere Ecstatic Chant band, has captivated audiences since 2016 with their dynamic fusion of ancient mantras, catchy melodies and funky grooves. This high-energy band offers up an accessible and potent musical journey that uplifts and inspires. From the delicate and introspective to the joyously rocking, their emotionally rich original songs encourage you to participate - to chant, harmonize, clap and dance. Their events are “spiritual sing alongs,” and you are the choir.

Ecstatic chant events with Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove attract both music enthusiasts who love improvisational music and chant fans who seek a moving experience. These soul stirring experiences possess the power to inspire and heal our fractured world. Join us for monthly community events where you come for the music and stay for the joy, healing, community, connection, energy, and inspiration.

Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove is comprised of Mike Cohen (vocals & harmonium), former professional saxophonist with over 25 years of chanting experience and founder of the Kirtan Leader Institute; Dawnia Dresser (vocals), a favorite local folk-rock artist; Michele Heaphy (vocals & harmonium), a lifelong musician and music educator; James Hoskins (cello), professional musician and member of Boulder’s “Sherefe” who performs his eclectic style of improvisatory music around the world; Bill McCrossen (bass), veteran of the NYC jazz scene with expertise in jazz, world music, and R&B and Ken Matarazzo (frame drums, cajon, riq), master percussionist who has studied and performed with groundbreaking American percussionist Glen Velez.

The group has collectively released four full length Kirtan albums and two EP’s of acclaimed music - all created with Grammy Award-nominated producer Ben Leinbach or Grammy winning producer Jeff Ciampa. Mike’s Shakti Gayatri won the Pop/Electronic category in Art Prize 2012; and his eternally delightful Om Shanti Om has been streamed over 800,000 times on the Insight Timer app, ranked in the top 5 of the “Chanting Mantras” category for years. Listen to Mike’s music here, Dawnia’s music here and Michele’s music here.

Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove has appeared at many of the top conscious music festivals in North America including Arise (CO), Bhakti Fest (2010-19 in CA, 2012-15 in the Midwest), Festival of Colors (UT), Hanuman Festival (CO), Sedona Yoga Festival (2018 + 2019 in AZ), Telluride Yoga Festival (CO), Toronto Yoga Conference (2010 and 2011 in Toronto) and more. In 2014 Mike and his band opened for the legendary Krishna Das at Bhakti Fest Midwest.

Mike Cohen has trained thousands of aspiring Kirtan leaders since 2010 through his Kirtan Leader Institute (“KLI”). From total beginners to highly advanced students, Mike has guided students to tour, play festivals, write original chants, and create their own Kirtan albums.Twenty of KLI's students & alumni have released professional recordings of their original chants. Band members Dawnia Dresser, Michele Heaphy and Ken Matarazzo are senior teachers within Kirtan Leader Institute. Learn more at www.KirtanLeader.com.

**Listen to the "Greatest Hits" of the Shakti Groove!**

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Mike Cohen

Vocals & Harmonium

Mike Cohen has released four critically acclaimed Kirtan albums Om Dattatreya (2009), Soul Contact (2012), Illumination (2016) and Chants for Challenging Times (2020), the last two albums with Grammy nominated producer Ben Leinbach. For close to two decades Mike has shared his brand of accessible & potent sacred chant across North America. Mike was honored to lead Kirtan immediately before the legendary Krishna Das at 2015 Bhakti Fest Midwest.

Mike's Music

Dawnia Dresser

Vocals & Harmonium

Since 2017 Dawnia Dresser has taught at KLI (vocals, harmonium and guitar) and served as lead singer with Mike Cohen & the Shakti Groove. Based in Boulder, CO, Dawnia is an Anusara inspired yoga teacher and lifelong vocalist/musician who released her debut Kirtan album (From the Soul) in 2019. During her 19 years in Los Angeles, CA Dawnia co-created three albums of original folk-rock music and contributed extensively on albums and movies as a vocalist and voiceover artist. She is beloved for sharing her heart so fully.

Dawnia's Music

Michele Heaphy

Vocals & Harmonium

Michele Heaphy’s deeply moving and inspiring original chants have been delighting chant audiences in person since 2015 and globally since the release of a series of singles beginning in 2022. She is a heart centered musician who loves to share diverse original sacred chant music with western grooves and powerful mantras. She has been a member of Mike Cohen & the Shakti Groove since 2021. Prior to moving to Boulder, she had careers as a music educator and business owner.

Michele's Music

James Hoskins

Cellist & Percussionist

Since 2017, James Hoskins has been a core member of Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove. James is a multi-instrumentalist primarily known for his use of the cello in a wide variety of genres. In addition to singing in Greek, Arabic, Japanese, and Turkish, James has been a modern-dance accompanist for 24 years, utilizing piano, cello, all manner of drums, and percussion as available.

James's Music

Ken Matarazzo

Lead Drummer

Since 2017, Ken Matarazzo has taught at Kirtan Leader Institute, and been a core member of Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove. Ken is a Boulder, CO based percussionist and teacher who has studied and performed on frame drums and afro cuban percussion since the mid 90’s. Some of his teachers include master drummers Glen Velez, Layne Redmond, John Amira and Jamey Haddad.

David Hinojosa

Lead Drummer

David Hinojosa, a world hand percussionist specializing in Middle Eastern drums and rhythms. His passion for teaching shines through in his engagement with music students, where he not only shares his expertise in hand percussion through residency programs and masterclasses at universities across the United States but also fosters a nurturing environment for aspiring musicians to explore and grow. David's approach to music and teaching underscores the unifying power of rhythm and sound, making him a dedicated figure in the landscape of music education and cross-cultural collaboration.

Bill McCrossen

Bassist

Bill McCrossen is a native New Yorker who studied with elite bassists Dave Holland, Michael Moore, George Mraz, and Eddie Gomez. Since his arrival in Colorado four years ago he has quickly become a top call bassist, playing with Art Lande, Marguerite Juenemann, Mark Diamond, Mike Cohne & The Shakti Groove and many others. In addition to upright and electric bass Bill plays world music instruments including a Kora (a 21 string instrument from Mali); a kamale ngoni, an 11-string gourd instrument from Burkina Faso, also in Africa; and a Mbiri, a giant version of a thumb piano.