Kirtan, is the singing of sacred mantras, accompanied by classical Indian instruments and some Western instruments (such as the guitar, flute, violin, saxophone). It is a call-and-response style of singing which involves the audience in the performance. The leader sings one line or verse and the guests chant in response. It  is an ancient  and well-known art to calm the mind, open the heart and connect with the Divine Consciousness. It is a culture where everybody can take place and make their own spiritual experience.

Here are some excerpts on the definition of kirtan from various sources:

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“Kirtan and yoga are spiritual practices that originated in the mystic East. In fact, Kirtan - singing for the Divine - is a form of yoga that engages the heart, evoking emotion and joy.“

The Yoga of Kirtan

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„Satsang / kirtan is where people gather together to remember, to turn within and find their own inner path to the One. When we gather together to sing like this we are helping each other find our own paths. We all must travel this path by ourselves because each of us is our own path. All these paths wander on in their own way, but in truth we are all travelling together and until the last of us arrives we will all keep travelling. So let's sing!“
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Krishna Das

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„Kirtan is the music of the soul.  It offers us the genuine opportunity to enter into the presence of the Divine. This happens by the power of spiritual sound vibration.
Kirtan takes our soul like a refreshing, crystal-clear river and carries it into the spiritual dimension. One just needs to sing and stay connected.“
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Sacinandana Swami

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Kirtan is like a magnet, inviting and begging grace to enter our hearts and our lives. It is a most precious thing, something to be cherished and practiced with total gratitude, and those who learn how to enter into it will feel God’s grace and presence as the closest of the close, the dearest of the dear—our true beloved.”  

Jai Uttal

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„Kirtan is a sacred soundscape that resonates deeply within creating  a blissful state of consciousness. The chanting is accompanied by exotic traditional Indian instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, caratals, tamboura and sitar together with western instruments such as the guitar and flute.  By meditating on the mantras we reach a state far beyond the stress and worries of this mundane world.“

Govinda's Kirtan Yoga Chants (Australia)