FREE MUSIC GIFT FOR NEWSLETTER SIGNUP!
AKARI TAMURA
Originally from Japan, Akari Tamura is a dedicated Kirtan leader, multi-instrumentalist and yoga teacher with a passion for blending music and spirituality. Her heartfelt and uplifting kirtan offerings are rooted in Bhakti Yoga and inspired by years of sincere spiritual practice. With a warm and welcoming presence, Akari holds space for people to awaken their voices, open their hearts, and reconnect with the Divine through the power of sound. Her offerings blend music, movement, and inner reflection — all grounded in love, healing, and spiritual empowerment.
Known for her soulful voice, classical music background, and sincere devotion, Akari shares kirtan as a living prayer — blending traditional mantras with original melodies, harmonium, guitar, and other instruments. Her music invites participants into a space of inner stillness, joyful expression, and unity beyond words.
Akari’s journey into sacred music and spiritual practice began through the study of yoga and Eastern philosophy. Since 2006, she has immersed herself in traditional and modern forms of Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga, along with deep studies in Vedanta, Jnana Yoga, and Buddhism. These teachings laid a strong foundation — then the path led her deep into Bhakti Yoga and the transformative power of mantra and sacred sound. This path of devotion awakened something profound in her heart, and over time, kirtan became the central thread of her spiritual and creative expression.
Since 2013, Akari has been leading Kirtan gatherings worldwide, creating sacred spaces where people can connect, heal, and uplift their spirits through the power of music and community. As a yoga teacher, she has also trained hundreds of yoga teachers through numbers of trainings and workshops. Living a nomadic life, she spends much of her time in Thailand, Japan, India, and Bali, traveling through Europe each summer to share the joy of devotional music and yoga practice.
In addition to her kirtan and yoga roots, Akari brings a rich background in humanitarian work in Africa and SE Asia, permaculture, and various holistic healing modalities. These experiences continue to inform her grounded, heart-centered approach.
Akari walks the path of devotion with humility and joy. Her soul’s purpose is to help others awaken to the love and light within, embracing both shadow and radiance as sacred. She believes our true home is in the heart – in deep, loving connection with the Divine.
Her Story
Born in the south of Japan and raised in the quiet countryside of the north, Akari Tamura’s spiritual journey began in her early teens. A defining moment came at age 19, during humanitarian work in Kenya. She visited a widowed woman living with HIV/AIDS, raising three children alone. Faced with a situation she couldn’t fix, Akari simply listened — sharing tears, conversation, and sacred silence. When they parted, the woman smiled and said she felt hopeful for the first time in a long while. Akari was stunned. She hadn’t changed the outer circumstances… yet something within had shifted. That encounter opened a lifelong inquiry: What creates real happiness? What is peace? What truly heals and transforms us?
These questions carried her across the world. Her curiosity drew her deeper into the unseen and the mystical, leading her to explore energy healing, community-based off-grid living, and a life more aligned with nature and simplicity. In India, she immersed herself in yoga, meditation, and the wisdom traditions of the East. At the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2010 — the world’s largest spiritual gathering — she encountered the living essence of Bhakti and the heart-opening power of devotion.
On the following year, Akari was called to the study of esoteric Tantra, Vedanta, and the Upanishads. Suddenly, the inner truths she had sensed for years found language and form. Ancient teachings reflected her own lived experiences, illuminating what she had always intuited. From that moment, the path was clear. She committed fully to walking a path of truth — guided by the heart. Years of dedicated practice followed: asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, and deep contemplation of “who am I?” became her daily rhythm. This devotion naturally blossomed into teaching and sharing her experience with others.
Today, Akari offers kirtan, sacred music, and spiritual teachings around the world. Whether through intimate sessions, immersive workshops, or heartfelt concerts, her work is rooted in love, presence, and authenticity. She is committed to honoring yoga as a sacred path — one that leads far beyond the physical body, toward inner wholeness, awakened truth, and a living relationship with the Divine.
Testimonials
Akari has this presence, this voice, that immediately connects you to the source, to pure love and the divine. “The heart is shining” she says with a smile, and you really feel that. She has a unique style of teaching that is inclusive, authentic and inspirational. She weaves Hindu stories of gods, traditional philosophy, energetic understanding, mantra and physical practice together in a way that really makes you understand and feel the real meaning of yoga. She also brought depth to my understanding of Bhakti Yoga and listening to her sing during Kirtan brought a tear to my eye with pure joy.
