Kaliji’s exquisite voice and harmonium accompaniment have brought chanting to the yoga world since the early days of yoga conferences in the USA. She is the founder of Chant Club and has performed in the USA, Canada, Europe, Russia, India, China, and South Korea. Kaliji was born into a musical family and began studying music at age 7. She has explored music throughout her life but her focus has remained on yoga. Kaliji met her voice teacher, Edward Sayegh of the Bel Canto vocal technique, many years ago and recently resumed her studies in Los Angeles. Having studied piano, Kaliji easily played harmonium when she began to lead Kirtana.
Kaliji is internationally renowned as a yogini and founder of TriYoga® which is taught in 40+ countries by more than 2000 certified teachers with 66 Centers.
Bernhard Beibl is a professional guitarist, session and recording artist, composer, and music producer from Vienna. As a rock guitarist he has toured with 7-time Grammy nominated band Tangerine Dream and performed with Brian May of Queen. He is a prolific songwriter with over 3,000 melodic compositions. He also produced music for the Austrian broadcasting corporation ORF. Berni is an active, in-demand guitar teacher and the co-founder of lessonz.com. He originally started on violin as a child and switched to guitar in his teens, graduating with distinction from the prestigious Joseph Haydn Conservatory where he studied jazz guitar with Gerald Gradwohl. Berni is also a dedicated student of TriYoga and is certified to teach through TriYoga Level 3.
Prasann Salkar, from Goa, India is recognized as a tabla genius. He has studied, practiced, and performed tabla for over 40 years. Born into a family with a long tradition of Indian classical music, Prasann was a child prodigy on tabla who at age 11 performed for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in New Delhi. His tabla training included study with a trio of tabla maestros, and he has earned three university degrees in tabla. Beginning at age 20, he won a prestigious tabla competition in Bombay for three consecutive years. Today Prasann is an acclaimed solo and accompaniment tabla artist and has been a regular performer on All India Radio and Television since 1990.
Kaliji was invited to teach TriYoga and offer Chant Club in Goa, India, and she requested the top tabla player. Kaliji and Prasann met prior to the performance. Prasann asked if any students would like to learn tabla, and he offered a lesson to Kaliji for the next morning. That evening Kaliji and Prasann played together and it was natural from the start…and the lesson the next day turned out to be the first of many to follow. Kaliji always loved the tabla sound and had found her teacher for the melodious rhythmic patterns. Kaliji has studied tabla for seven years with Prasann and is excited to play with this rhythm master.
Berni’s musical reputation preceded him, as Kaliji heard that a rock musician was taking TriYoga classes in Austria. By the time of their first meeting, when Berni attended Kaliji’s TriYoga program in Vienna, he was already a certified TriYoga teacher. Afterward, Berni commented that during kirtan Kaliji sounded like a rock singer. Kaliji is an avid rock singer and is often heard performing songs with a “yoga message” that bring excitement to the dance floor, and has always wished for a rock guitarist in the band. From the start, Kaliji and Berni have had a natural musical chemistry. Kaliji is thrilled to play with this master of melody.
In Europe, Chant Club emerged with Prasann on tabla and Berni on guitar, together with Kaliji on vocals and harmonium—representing the three Vedic celestial instruments of flute (prana), veena (melody), and mridangam (rhythm). They have played since then with great enthusiasm. They all feel that destiny brought them together.