Be it dohas like “Chalti chakki dekh kar, diya kabira roye” which converse of the impermanence of life, or “Maati kahe kumhar se”, during which Kabir focuses on the necessity to mood our satisfaction and brings within the circularity of life sans faith, religion or geography.
It’s due to this very characteristic that one finds Kabir in not simply classical music, however in different kinds comparable to people, semi classical, chants and congregational music. It comes with no guidelines connected on the way it should be carried out, making it adaptable to any form of music. A outstanding a part of the oral custom, the social contexts during which Kabir’s poems have been composed and acquired stay related even right now.
In an more and more polarised world, Kabir’s teachings remind us of the futility of division, distinction, exclusion, and the necessity for unification. And as practitioners of Indian classical music, it has given us a voice to specific this to listeners the world over.
The sixth version of the Mahindra Kabira Competition held from 18-20 November and organised by Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company—Mahindra & Mahindra Group, on the ghats of Ganga, was a terrific platform to have fun the concepts of equality and variety of us as folks and the way by totally different musical kinds, Kabir’s teachings ring true for all of us as residents of the world.
(Aruna Sairam is an Indian classical vocalist and Carnatic music singer. She is a recipient of the Padma Shri award from the Authorities of India and and has been elected as Vice Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Academy by GOI. She is famously considered the Music Ambassador of India)