Their songs Sunta Nahi Dhun Ki Khabar, Tu Ka Tu and Mat Kar Maaya ko Ahankar are favourites. The five-piece band is comprised of Neeraj Arya (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Mukund Ramaswamy (violin), Raman Iyer (mandolin), Viren Solanki (percussion) and Poubuanpou Britto KC (bass guitar). The band devotes their music to the 15th century Indian mystic poet and saint Kabir. Their album Panchrang (2016) went on to win the Radio City Freedom Awards Critics’ Choice.
Weeks before they could take the stage at the Mahindra Kabira Festival in November 2019, VERUS FERREIRA met with the band to find out how they take Kabir’s poetry and turn them into songs, and what got them to leave regular jobs (Neeraj was employed full time with the NSPA, Mukund was a mechanical engineer, Raman was an advertising professional, Viren was pursuing a commerce degree, and Britto was a music teacher) to make music their full-time job.
Why the addition of ‘Café’ to your band name when you are dealing with Sant Kabir?
Neeraj Arya: That’s because we choose to connect with Kabir more as a friend than putting him on a pedestal. We don’t refer to him as a “sant”, which connotes to someone who simply needs to be revered and worshipped, but as a very much alive and thriving friend who is always open for dialogue. And that’s why ‘Café’, where the conversation is on an equal platform. So what we believe is we have a musical dialogue with Kabir, with each other, and of course with our audience. We don’t preach, we converse.
How did you decide to perform songs based on Kabir’s poetry?
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من The Teenager Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من The Teenager Today.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
STICKING OUT YOUR NECK!
Maybe it's having the twins, my grandsons from New York, back home again, that reminded me of a conversation I had with them a couple of monsoons ago: \"What's that?\" asked one of them pointing to a huge shell on the ground.
Hippos can get airborne while running fast
Hippos weigh up to two tonnes, but these bulky creatures can go airborne for a period of time.
Tree bark plays a vital role in removing methane from the atmosphere
Trees are known for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus benefiting the climate. New research shows that they offer one more benefit.
Lunar caves could shelter astronauts on the moon
Scientists have found an underground cave on the moon not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago.
Manasi Joshi
The Para-Badminton World Champion
International Day of Peace
In Search of Non-violence and Cease-fire
Non-Violent Communication
How to cope with conflict situations
FR ALOYSIUS G. REGO
A short-statured bearded figure glancing through a pair of spectacles, cane in hand, and head swinging with every step, was the most feared figure in the galleries of our school, St. Joseph's Collegiate, Allahabad.
The Architects of the Future
As we celebrate Teachers' Day on 5 September, students from St Charles School, Santacruz East, Mumbai, have come together to share their thoughts and perspectives on the challenges that teachers face in today's rapidly-changing educational landscape.
JUNG & KOOK
With music, stories and news of K-pop all over the place, on Instagram, Twitter, Thread and other social media platforms, and dozens of boy and girl bands emerging from South Korea, believe me when I say that K-pop is irresistible.
