SUNDAY 21 | MAY 2017

Kabir Café has tried to maintain the basic essence of the Kabir school of singing that their guru Prahladsingh Tipaniya propagated. However, using elements like drums, guitar and mandolin, they have created an acoustic sound which grabs the attention of younger generations while still retaining the authenticity of their roots. Having released their first album, Panchrang, the group is now on their first international tour and will be taking the words of Kabir to places like Israel, the UK and the US.

“We feel blessed to be able to be a part of such a universal movement. When we started out a few years ago, we never thought that we would be here. It is an incredible feeling to be able to share our message with people from such varied backgrounds,” says Neeraj Arya, lead singer of the band.

Raman Iyer, who plays the mandolin, adds that people abroad are probably more aware of Kabir than in India. “People study Kabir as a part of their literature, the same as they study Mirza Ghalib. So, we are looking forward to what kind of questions we are asked. There is a Sufi festival in Israel of which we are going to be a part and it is incredible how universal these traditions really are. I think that is because Kabir’s message is so universal that anyone who hears it can connect to it. I mean, America could use some of Kabir right now!” he says.