Violin, percussion and Carnatic influences merge in the music of Kabir Cafe — a band that hopes to make the 15th century poet's works accessible to all
Jyon Naino Mein Putli,
Tyon Maalik Ghat Mahin
Moorakh Log Na Janhin,
Baahar Dhudhan Jahin
(Like the pupil is in the eyes, Your God lives inside you, The ignorant don't know this, they search Him on the outside)
If you didn't get that couplet by Kabir, how about listening to it to the rhythm of guitar and drums? The five-member band - Kabir Cafe hopes to present the verses of Kabir through contemporary music. "It is not merely a band.
We want to have conversations with people on what they think of Kabir," says founder, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Neeraj Arya. Arya first encountered Kabir when he was 16, in Shabnam Virmani's documentary Had Anhad. "I had never heard anything like it before," says Arya. "I realised that no one speaks about equality and humanity in their songs. I was moved and decided to tell people what the great poet had said."
Arya did this by singing Kabir's verses. Having performed Kabir poetry for the last six years, he formed Kabir Cafe in 2013.
The 27-year-old remained its lone member for a few years until he was joined by Poubuanpou Britto KC, the bass guitarist, and three others — Raman Iyer, who plays Mandolin and is trained in Hindustani and Carnatic music; violinist Mukund Ramaswamy who is well versed in Carnatic music; and percussionist Viren Solanki who comes from a 'Kabir Panthi' family.
Their different training and background in music means Kabir Cafe's music is filled with pop, reggae, rock, folk fusion and Carnatic flavours, making Kabir's verses accessible to the uninitiated and re-introducing them to people who have for long been isolated from traditional Kabir folk.
Modern day messiahs
Influenced by Kabir folk singers Prahladji Tippaniya, Mukhtiyar Ali, Mooralala Marwada, Bhanwri Devi and Pakistani sufi singer Fareed Ayaz, the five members — All under the age of 30, are convinced about the wonders of Kabir's couplets. "We have all experienced changes in different areas of our life (since taking to Kabir). I used to be stubborn and dominating earlier, but with Kabir, I have improved," confesses Neeraj.
For this conviction, they are committed to taking Kabir's legacy forward, and have performed over 400 shows all over the world. At a performance earlier this week in Mumbai, the band sang the Kabir bhajaan 'Zara halke gaadi hako mere ram gaadi wal', which is about being stable in a world of rat race, and about finding happiness in small things. They also sang: "Tod diya, tod diya, Satguru sahiba ne mera bharam tod diya' and 'Charka' to explain that one is answerable to oneself, but the highlight of the performance was 'tuk ka tu (Wherever I see, I see you)'.
"We are making plain simple music but through the medium of Kabir. The energy is derived from him. It is a blessing," says Iyer, to which Britto and Ramaswamy add that: "There is an energy when we start performing, which we can't define."
The band recently released their debut album 'Panchrang–Musical Echoes of Kabir', which has 12 most colourful renditions of Kabir.
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