ChantLanta Makes Record Donation to Nonprofit
May 01, 2025 06:00AM ● By Staff
David Ault and Jai Ram Lentine of Kaleidoscope
The ChantLanta Sacred Music Festival concluded its run of 13 festivals in March and raised a record amount of money for its charity partner, Kaleidoscope Child Foundation. The festival delivered $18,000 to Kaleidoscope on April 12; that comprises 33 percent more than its previous highest donation.
The festival was held at Unity North in Marietta and featured eight bands and 11 workshops. Friday and Saturday headliners were Sol Dance, Kennedy Oneself, Shonali and the Goddess Choir, Flying Mystics, and The Spirit Messengers, which featured festival co-founder Ian Boccio.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing this was the last ChantLanta, but we are so proud of all we accomplished over the past 15 years and grateful for all the folks who contributed their time and talents,” says Boccio. “The organizing committee, the musicians and workshop presenters, the sponsors and vendors and all of the volunteers combined as vital parts in making this project such a success.”
Along with co-founder Karen Dorfman, Boccio started and maintained the festival as a completely volunteer effort so as to maximize donations to their chosen nonprofits. This year’s recipient, Kaleidoscope Child Foundation, is “focused on increasing access to education, clean water, medical and hygiene assistance and agricultural and technology training for children in emergent countries.” The foundation currently serves communities in Cambodia, India, Guatemala and the United States.
“We’re overjoyed with the generosity of the kirtan community, particularly ChantLanta and its longstanding dedication to causes,” says David Ault, founder of Kaleidoscope. “We love to tell people just how far a U.S. dollar goes in developing countries.”
The festival was held at Unity North in Marietta and featured eight bands and 11 workshops. Friday and Saturday headliners were Sol Dance, Kennedy Oneself, Shonali and the Goddess Choir, Flying Mystics, and The Spirit Messengers, which featured festival co-founder Ian Boccio.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing this was the last ChantLanta, but we are so proud of all we accomplished over the past 15 years and grateful for all the folks who contributed their time and talents,” says Boccio. “The organizing committee, the musicians and workshop presenters, the sponsors and vendors and all of the volunteers combined as vital parts in making this project such a success.”
Along with co-founder Karen Dorfman, Boccio started and maintained the festival as a completely volunteer effort so as to maximize donations to their chosen nonprofits. This year’s recipient, Kaleidoscope Child Foundation, is “focused on increasing access to education, clean water, medical and hygiene assistance and agricultural and technology training for children in emergent countries.” The foundation currently serves communities in Cambodia, India, Guatemala and the United States.
“We’re overjoyed with the generosity of the kirtan community, particularly ChantLanta and its longstanding dedication to causes,” says David Ault, founder of Kaleidoscope. “We love to tell people just how far a U.S. dollar goes in developing countries.”
