Prahlad Singh Tipaniya                      Folk Singer, Madhya pradesh 

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I started singing about Kabir as per the lokparampara (folk tradition) and to make the people of my little village happy through music and being able to change their lives through the medium of words. Art comes in many forms and is deep-rooted in the Indian custom.

I believe that Kabirdas was for humanity and wanted to bring people together, rather than tear them apart. It is through music that people come together. It is a medium that pays no heed to class, race and religion and it is also through music that  a real change can be felt in our lives.

Kabir wrote primarily about life and love. In my personal experience, I remember singing to the kanjar community, and saw their lives change before my eyes. They began to send their children to school and seemed to have changed the way they live.

History is testament to the fact that people’s lives have changed completely by means of rhetoric, but at the same time staying deeply rooted in one’s culture. And when people change for the better, so does society as a whole by exposing themselves to more positive rhetoric by saints from our past.

Our country is going through some troubled times right now, and it is important that we all have a common language that unites us. The function of rhetoric is to present a mirror that reflects our current condition to us in the best way possible. The clearer the mirror, the better we understand ourselves.

I like to sing everywhere and for as many people as I possibly can. My favourite audiences are those which have a mix of people, from all stratas of society. Kabir sings about emotion and experiences that we can all relate to by virtue of being part of the human race.

 Like pain, it’s felt across races, religions and genders. The rhetoric of our saints are about anubhav or experiences which don’t discriminate.

I sing in Hindi and even when some of my audience does not understand it, they tell me that they feel like something has changed. To me, this is the beauty of music and a testament to how powerful it can be. All I want is for people to live together happily, which is possible when they put their egos aside. 

We are so transient on this earth, and after all the war and destruction what remains is the earth and seas and mountains. We must make the most of the time that is given to us and understand that we are all borne out of the same soil. Words are powerful, and when used for selfish ends can cause disharmony, when everyone deserves respect and understanding. When I face an audience, I try to understand what they need the most and try to fill them up with songs that will satisfy them. I enjoy dohas written about jaati and dharam and the intricate relationship between the two and how we can mitigate this through music. And this, till date, remains one of my biggest challenges. Dharam Dhanda nahi hain (religion is not business) and should not be treated as such. Just like air, it is the same for all. Air can be used for a number of functions — but yet we all need it to breathe. 

Unless an individual opens up and comes forth as their most authentic self, we can’t be unified as one human race.

The author has been awarded the Padma Shri for his interpretations of Kabirdas.