Latest news with #RajasthanInternationalFolkFestival
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kaluram Bamaniya: 'Kabir invites us to go within'
You began your musical journey at the age of nine first as a manjira player with your uncle, father and grandfather. In 2024, you were awarded the Padma Shri. How do you look back at your journey? When I look back, I feel that all the hard work I have put in throughout my life has borne fruit. I have had the good fortune to meet many wonderful and kind people. I am grateful for the opportunity to spread the words of Kabir far and wide through my music. Since I received the Padma Shri, I have been even more deeply engaged in this work. I have hardly spent any time at home because I keep getting invited somewhere or the other to sing. People have been showering me with a lot of affection. During your concert at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur, you said that Kabir, whose verses you sing, spoke out against the caste system. Kabir's poetry is reaching audiences all over India via music concerts. Do you believe the act of listening to these bhajans weakens the caste system? Yes, of course! Listening to these bhajans makes a world of difference. Kabir's words touch people. In fact, he launches a direct attack that pierces people's hearts and makes them burst wide open. That is the power of a saint's voice! I wish more people had a chance to hear and really understand what Kabir has to say. We don't have enough platforms for them to encounter Kabir in a deep way. If we did, it would transform them completely. What is the difference between encountering Kabir through oral folk traditions passed down from generation to generation in villages, and through concerts by urban singers who have learnt from these traditions and tweaked songs to suit their own style? I believe that, when this tweaking happens, the earthiness that gives folk music a fragrance of its own is lost. The element of renunciation in those songs is compromised. But I do not oppose anyone singing Kabir in their own style. If that helps people awaken, why not? Most people who attend concerts prefer listening to bhajans that offer comfort or uplift them. Several Kabir bhajans that you sang at Jodhpur RIFF like Jaao Nugri Kaya and Hoshiyar Rehna Re Nagar Mein Chor Aavega were about death, a subject that unsettles and scares people. What made you choose them? Kabir tells us, 'Don't be scared!' If we live our life with complete awareness, our fear of death will vanish. In any case, it is only the physical body that dies. Life continues. Between bhajans, you spoke about Kabir's critique of organised religion and urged your audience to not cling so tightly to their identities that they hurt others in the name of religion. When you share such ideas, do you find that people are open to listening? Yes, they are receptive. They listen and contemplate. These thoughts churn inside them for a long time. Some of them even call me to have long phone conversations. Apart from Kabir, you also sing the verses of Mirabai, Gorakhnath, Bannanath and other saints. What are the major differences that you find between them? Frankly, I do not see much of a difference. They said similar things in different time periods. But, from a spiritual point of view, I find Kabir to be the forerunner among them. One of the sakhis (couplets) that you recited was 'Patthar pooje hari mile, toh main poojun pahaad/ Yaa se toh chaaki bhali, jo pees khaaye sansaar.' Here, Kabir appeals to his listeners to question rituals like idol worship instead of participating in them mechanically. While explaining this, you spoke about how people are abandoning inner enquiry and limiting themselves to being part of a herd. Why is this happening? Kabir's message is very simple and direct. He asks us to stop wandering and searching outside. He invites us to go within. That's where all the answers are to be found. But people are led astray because there are so many people waiting to misguide them. How do you feel about conversations around copyright in the world of folk music? I do not have much to say on this subject. If someone copies me, I do not mind. Let them do that. As long as they are spreading the words of Kabir, why should I have a problem? Let those words travel freely so that they can reach more people and transform their hearts. Everything that I have learnt is from the oral traditions. I do not own the words or the tunes. Drawing inspiration from Kabir, have you thought of writing poems of your own? I have written a bit but I do not know if I will write any further. Kabir has left behind so much – like the countless grains of sand that you will find in the Ganga River. Have you considered experimenting with any new instruments? I am happy singing Kabir vaani with the accompaniment of just a tambura and a khartal. I had introduced the violin in my mandali (group) for a while but it did not work for me. It is a Western instrument. It does not go well with the sound and spirit of our folk music. Many folk artists, who are not as well-known as you, suffer tremendous financial insecurities due to lack of regular income. As a Padma Shri awardee, what advice would you offer the government with respect to what they can do to support folk singers? The government can and should do more to support folk singers. They will not be able to pursue and preserve these traditional art forms for long without financial support. The Ministry of Culture should think seriously about various ways to make this happen. Artists can be given fellowships, performance opportunities, and monthly retainers to help them. What message would you like to give your fans? Today, a lot of young people are struggling with addictions. I appeal to everyone to stop consuming tobacco, beedi, cigarette, ganja. Kabir was strongly against the consumption of these harmful substances. He said that they cause physical and mental harm, and ruin a person's life, so it is best to stay faraway from them. Do you plan to run a nashamukti (de-addiction) campaign using Kabir's poetry? I raise awareness against addiction, the caste system and communal violence whenever I sing Kabir's verses. But my impact is quite limited as compared to big film actors who endorse these harmful addictive substances. Anyway, I will continue to do my best. Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, educator and cultural commentator. He is @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Barnali Chattopadhyay: 'When I sing Sufiana kalaam, I forget my gender'
From your vast repertoire, why did you choose to sing the poems of Amir Khusrau during your concert at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF) in Jodhpur? I am in love with Mehrangarh Fort, especially the Zenana Courtyard where the evening programmes of Jodhpur RIFF are hosted. The last time when I performed on this stage, I focused on thumri — a part of my musical repertoire that is really special to me because I learnt from Girija Deviji and Shobha Gurtuji, who were the queens of thumri. The ambience of this performance space helps me connect with God, so I thought that there could be nothing better than to present the Sufi poetry of Amir Khusrau, who is much loved and respected for the greatness of his devotion to his master Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. What drew you to the poetry of Amir Khusrau? When I read his poetry, the first thing that struck me was his tremendous love for his guru. He went to such great lengths to serve his teacher. He left no stone unturned. I was deeply moved by that. In the poems that he addressed to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, I can feel not only the passion of Amir Khusrau's bhakti (devotion) but also a heightened sense of shringaar (adornment and beauty) and the pain of viraha (separation and longing). All these qualities, which are present in abundance in his writing, attracted me to his poetry. I am a very spiritual person myself, so I can connect with his words from the depth of my soul. I feel blessed to be able to sing his verses, and share their richness with people who come to listen. How did you prepare yourself? I like to research before I sing because every song has a profound meaning and significance. I need to immerse myself so that I can present it with the right mood and flavour. Without this kind of preparation, the song does not become part of you. You have to feel it, live it, embody it, and then share it. This does not happen overnight. It takes effort. Lovers of Khusrau's poetry often pay their respects at the dargah in Delhi where he lies buried close to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Is this something you like to do as well? Yes, of course! It is a special place that cannot be described in words. You have to just go there, and feel the presence and the vibrations. Apart from visiting the dargah, I have also been going to Delhi to sing at the Jahan-e-Khusrau World Sufi Music Festival, which is organized by Muzaffar Ali who has done a lot of work to promote Sufi music in our country. Growing up in a Bengali family, how did you learn to appreciate Khusrau whose poetry is a blend of Farsi, Hindavi, Urdu, Brajbhasha, Awadhi, and other languages? You are right. I was raised in a family that mainly spoke Bengali. But my maternal grandfather was a zamindar. He was very interested in music, so he used to invite and host a lot of musicians from Lucknow quite regularly. The respect that he, as a patron, gave these artists influenced me right from the time that I was a child. I started learning very early, at the age of three, and I grew interested in the sounds of Awadhi, Farsi, Urdu and other languages. Which Bengali poets address themes similar to what one finds in Khusrau's poetry? I would say Rabindranath Tagore and Lalon Fakir. Their poetry is deeply spiritual. Shemeem Burney Abbas, who has written a book called The Female Voice in Sufi Ritual: Devotional Practices of Pakistan and India, talks about how 'male singers assume the female voice' when they sing Sufiana kalaam. What are your thoughts on this? All I can say is that, when I sing Sufiana kalaam, I forget my gender. I sing from my soul, from a space where labels and classifications cease to matter. The power of this poetry lies in pushing us to think about the question 'Who am I?' in a much more meaningful way. Do you feel concerned about the dilution of Sufi music, thanks to Bollywood? Yes, singing in a loud and powerful voice does not make a song Sufi. There is something sacred about Sufiana kalam. You have to internalize it. You cannot pretend. Let us talk about Abida Parveen for a moment. She is so intense but there is not even the slightest hint of showing off. You have to quieten down and listen first, then sing. That's how it works. Would it be accurate to say that you see music as your sadhana (spiritual practice)? Absolutely! My musical training has been a tapasya. I have learnt not only from Girija Deviji and Shobha Gurtuji but also from Haider Bakshji, Purnima Chaudhariji and Kumar Prasadji. My music is what it is because of my gurus, their grace and their kindness. Could you share anecdotes from the time you spent with Girija Deviji in Banaras? When you learn in the guru-shishya parampara (tradition), your learning is not restricted to music. You learn lihaaz (deference) and tehzeeb (etiquette). You learn how to sit, stand, walk, eat and speak. She taught us to have a bath using a single bucket of water. To avoid any waste was an important lesson that I learnt from her. We ate what was given to us by the guru. We did not ask for more. We learnt to control our greed. This kind of discipline prepares you to understand what Khusrau Sahab means when he sings about his guru. And what was it like to be Shobha Gurtuji's student? She was very strict and very affectionate. She knew how to strike a balance. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Netflix show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024) received mixed reviews but your playback singing for Aditi Rao Hydari was appreciated by everyone. How was the experience of singing Phool gendwa na maaro and O Saiyan hato jaao for an OTT platform, as compared to performing for a live audience? Working with Sanjayji was a brilliant experience. I am grateful that my work has been appreciated by people of all age groups. I will not deny that there is a difference between recording in a studio and performing in front of a live audience. On the stage, you can sing more freely. You can explore a raag for a longer duration. That is not possible when you are singing for a show. You are bound by time constraints. The medium is different. I am open to both kinds of opportunities, and to all the love that my listeners shower on me. Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based journalist who writes about books, art and culture. He can be reached @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.
