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Mike Cohen & The Shakti Groove 

Formed in 2016, this high-energy Kirtan band features three outstanding chant leaders (Mike Cohen, Dawnia Dresser, and Michele Heaphy), who lead original chants, and have collectively released four albums and two EP's of original, accessible sacred chant music. A collection of accomplished Boulder, Colorado-based musicians, the Shakti Groove blends masculine and feminine energies with devotion and prayer to lift the spirit and awaken the soul. Their effervescent style brings brightness and warmth to energize and nourish the body.

The Shakti Groove features high-level professional musicians including cellist James Hoskins, bassist Bill McCrossen, vocalist Robyn Broyden, percussionists Ken Matarazzo and David Hinojosa and many amazing guest musicians! 

This group has played at numerous Kirtan & Yoga Festivals (Bhakti Fest, Telluride Yoga Festival, Hanuman Festival, and more), regularly tours Colorado, and teaches hundreds of students annually through the Kirtan Leader Institute which Mike Cohen founded in 2010. They delight mantra enthusiasts at their regularly scheduled Boulder & Denver area Kirtan events.

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

 

Listen on Spotify

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.

Mike Cohen

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

Dawnia Dresser’s sweet and soulful style has been turning heads in the Kirtan world since the 2019 release of her From the Soul EP. She is beloved for sharing her heart so fully. 

 

Dawnia's Music

Michele Heaphy

Michele Heaphy’s deeply moving and inspiring original chants have been delighting chant audiences since the release of a series of singles beginning in 2022.

Michele's Music

Kirtan Leader Institute

Mike Cohen is also the founder of the Kirtan Leader Institute where he has trained and apprenticed thousands of aspiring Kirtan Leaders since 2010. Both Dawnia Dresser and Michele Heaphy are senior teachers within Kirtan Leader Institute.

Mike and the KLI teachers provide Kirtan education for all levels of students from total beginners to the highly advanced. They have guided students to share with others, build thriving chant communities, and write/record compelling original chants. KLI is a full-service school providing online group classes, self-guided (on demand) classes, and sacred chant mentorships throughout the year that lead up to KLI’s master classes and in-person intensives (in Boulder, Colorado) during the warmer months.

We are so proud of our twenty Kirtan Leader Institute students and alumni who have gone on to release professional recordings of their original chants - LISTEN HERE!

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