Nina Rao is an Indian-American kirtan artist and singer whose work centers on chanting, sacred sound, and the call-and-response practice at the heart of Bhakti yoga. She grew up in a household filled with devotional music, and her catalog reflects both traditional and contemporary approaches to bhajan. If you're new to her, the good news is that her catalog is compact. You can get a real sense of her in a single afternoon.
Start with the album Bhakti, released August 30, 2025. It has seven tracks, which makes it easy to take in whole, and its title states plainly what her work is about. Listen start to finish, in order, without skipping. Kirtan is built on repetition and gradual build, and a full album gives you the arc that a single track can't.
Don't treat it as background music on the first pass. Give it one sit-down listening, with headphones or decent speakers, and let the repetition do what it's designed to do.
Mantra Mala, Vol. 1 (2025). Released the day before Bhakti, this seven-track album is the natural companion. The title points to the mala, the string of beads used to count repetitions of a mantra. Expect a focus on mantra repetition as a practice, so it works well for sitting, walking, or quiet work.
Sarasvati Hanuman Chalisa (Live) (2022). This single is the best way to hear her in a live setting. Kirtan is participatory by nature, and the live recording is the closest you'll get in this catalog to the communal feel of a gathering. The Hanuman Chalisa is a long devotional hymn, so it also shows her sustaining a piece over time.
Soul Land Music Series, Vol. 2 (2022). At ten tracks, it's her longest album here and the best place to hear her range before the 2025 releases. Go to it once you know your own taste.
If you want something lighter afterward, Hare Krishna Remix (March 2025) and Jyoti's Rama Bolo (December 2025) are singles. The first is a contemporary take on a traditional chant. They're good for seeing how she bridges old and new, but they aren't where to begin.
Expect devotional music, not a pop record with spiritual themes. Songs are built around repeated phrases, often names of the divine, and they tend to develop slowly. Tempo and intensity may rise gradually. The pleasure is in the accumulation, not in verses and choruses.
Expect, too, that the lyrics will often be in Sanskrit or Hindi. You don't need to understand every word to feel the music, though looking up the meaning of a chant afterward can deepen the experience. Her style draws on her Indian-American background, so you'll hear a blend of traditional devotional forms and contemporary sensibility.
"It's relaxation music." It can be calming, but kirtan is devotional practice. Treating it only as a playlist for stress relief misses its purpose, which is participation and devotion.
"I have to be religious or Hindu to listen." You don't. Her work invites community and connection, and many listeners come to kirtan out of curiosity about sound, meditation, or yoga. Respect for the tradition matters more than belief.
"It's repetitive, so it's boring." Repetition is the mechanism. If you give it ten or fifteen minutes, your attention usually shifts from analyzing to absorbing.
"I should just listen." Kirtan is call-and-response. Singing along, even quietly and imperfectly, is part of it.
Her music tends to land hardest during transitions and quiet stretches: a stressful season, grief, a move, a career change, or the sense that something spiritual is missing from an otherwise full life. It also resonates with people already exploring yoga or meditation who want to try the devotional path of Bhakti. For Indian-American listeners, or anyone navigating a blend of cultures, her own story of bridging Western and Eastern influences may add another layer of recognition.
Early mornings and evenings suit it best, when the day isn't pulling at you.
Day 1: Listen to Bhakti all the way through, with no other tasks.
Day 2: Replay your favorite track from Bhakti and sing along, even softly. Look up the meaning of the chant.
Day 3: Listen to Mantra Mala, Vol. 1 in full, ideally while sitting quietly or walking.
Day 4: Play the Sarasvati Hanuman Chalisa (Live). Follow along if you can find the text.
Day 5: Listen to Soul Land Music Series, Vol. 2, and note which tracks stand out.
Day 6: Try the two singles, Hare Krishna Remix and Jyoti's Rama Bolo, and notice how they differ from the albums.
Day 7: Return to Bhakti for a second full listen. Notice what has changed since Day 1, whether in the music or in how you hear it. If something has shifted, consider seeking out a live kirtan gathering near you.
