With contributions by Karan Khalsa

Can you imagine a Turban at the Grammy's? Can you picture a Sikh Artist being selected from thousands, and being acknowledged and awarded on the public stage for their contribution to music?

Dare to imagine, for this could become a reality. Snatam Kaur Khalsa's solo album 'Shanti' is now in the semi-finalists for being awarded a Grammy in the New Age category. Selected from over a thousand albums by highly acclaimed artists, Shanti finds itself among a genre of music gaining widespread popularity with mentions in Time Magazine, Martha Stewart's Living, Newsweek, and many more.

The Grammy Foundation is an American organization founded in 1989 which cultivates the advancement of the art of Music. Within the music industry, they are the most prestigious of awards.

On Shanti, her second solo release, Snatam sings beautiful prayers from the Sikh tradition. Her graceful chants reveal the magic and beauty of each prayer. "I didn't make a conscious choice to make the pieces," explains Snatam. "But I would sit down and be inspired."

Shanti, as with all of Snatam's recordings, reflects a universal sensibility that embraces many faiths. According to Snatam, these songs "go beyond all boundaries to break through to pure awareness."

Snatam has also released three major albums and numerous mantra albums with a music group called Peace Family. These albums have focused on spiritually uplifting themes.

Snatam's soothing vocals on the album are tastefully enhanced by Eastern and Western instrumentation, but the power of her devotion is the force that inspires and moves.

Snatam Kaur was born and raised with yoga and meditation as a daily practice as taught by Yogi Bhajan. She received musical training all throughout school in violin, voice, and percussion. Upon graduating high school she lived in India and studied with masters of the Sikh traditional style of music called Gurbani Kirtan. With her meditative practice and musical training she combined these two streams of disciplines into creating devotional music.

She has shared her music throughout the world on Gurbani Kirtan tours throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and India. Her ability to transport people into the realm of the heart and spirit through music is her gift.

States Snatam: "The experience of creating an album or preparing to perform is for me to tune into the living and breathing consciousness of sound, which I call my Guru."

To read more about Snatam, hear music clips from Shanti, or purchase this CD, visit SikhNet's Music Club