Kabir finds new voice in jazz, rock music at Mahindra Kabira Festival

Varanasi, Dec 24 (PTI) Mystic poet Kabir's couplets, sakhis, and hymns have for centuries been part of Indian thought through a rich oral tradition and strains of classical and folk music. Now, a new generation of musicians are experimenting with the words of the 15th century poet and presenting them with western music such as rock and jazz.

Aditya Prakash, born and raised in Los Angeles, USA, is giving Kabir's hymns a new dimension internationally in an interesting mix of carnatic music with jazz, rock, folk, and classical music.

At the recently concluded "Mahindra Kabira Festival" on the ghats of Varanasi, Aditya sang Kabir's hymns "Moko Kahan Dhundhe Re Bande", "Meera Ke Prabhu Girdhar Nagar", and "Naino Ki Mat Manio Re".

"Kabir's poetry transcends the boundaries of time. Kabir truly questions those who seek to divide us along communal lines. Kabir is a force, a force that creates awareness in society,” Aditya told PTI Bhasha in an interview.

The lead of ‘Aditya Prakash Ensemble’ was accompanied by Chris Votek on the cello and Vishnu R on the Navtaar, a nine-string instrument somewhere between a sitar and guitar.

Talking about adapting Kabir’s poetry to fusion music, Aditya said that Kabir can be defined in any way and form.

“Kabir has always been contemporary. You can define him in any way, at any time, and in any form. He is not bound to any one time, any one caste, any one people, or any one culture. Anyone in the world can relate to his poetry and philosophy,” he said.

The 9th edition of Mahindra Kabira Festival, instituted by Mahindra Group and produced by Teamwork Arts, returned to the ghats of Varanasi from December 19 in a celebration of the enduring legacy of the 15th-century mystic poet through a collective of musicians, thinkers, and cultural voices.

"Varanasi is more than just a venue for the Mahindra Kabira Festival; it is an integral part of its spirit. The city's ghats, heritage sites and everyday rhythms provide a very original environment to connect with Kabir's poetry and philosophy,” Sanjoy K Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts, said Aditya was one of the many musicians who performed to the words of Kabir at the three-day festival.

The festival began with the singing of Kabir's couplets by ‘Rehmat-e-Nusrat’, a group from the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.

Led by singer Sarvjeet Tamta, the group sang Kabir couplets in the style of Qawwali.

Trained by legendary musicians like the Wadali Brothers and Anwar Khan Manganiyar, Sarvjeet and his group primarily sing the qawwalis of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but also perform Sufi kalam, ghazals, and Kabir bhajans.

The group created a unique spiritual atmosphere by singing "Chalti Chaki Dekh Kar Diya Kabira Roy” followed by the popular hymn "Bhala Hua Mori Gagri Phuti".

While musician Rahul Deshpande sang Kabir’s “Ud Jayega Hans Akela” in Hindustani classical, Indian carnatic progressive rock band ‘Agam’ experimented with Kabir’s bhajans and Sufi kalam.

Folk singer Mahesha Ram, known for rendering Kabir’s timeless verses into melodies that echo across dunes and villages, said that the poet’s words are eternally contemporary.

“Kabir is as relevant today as he was centuries ago. When we travel across the country, people in small towns and villages are still connected to his philosophy and way of life. Our Kabir ‘satsang’ runs through the night till early hours. Kabir’s words are in themselves a form of ‘satsang’,” he said.

Other performers at the festival included sitarist Hidayat Khan, vocalists Swati Tiwari and Tejaswini Vernekar, and sarod player Debasmita Bhattacharya The festival also saw discussions on Kabir's devotional literature, philosophy, and relevance by Purushottam Agrawal and Yatindra Mishra. PTI NK MAH MAH