Roots Music Report

Liner Notes:

About the Album

Since her earliest years, Vandana was awestruck by the lyrical prowess of Meera Bai’s poems and their mesmerizing musical interpretations by legendary Indian divas Lata Mangeshkar and Kishori Amonkar. So, it came as no surprise when Vandana chose to compose and sing Meera Bai’s poetry in her debut album ‘Meera – The Lover..’ (2009). Having explored experimentations with diverse genres in her second album ‘Monologues’ (2013) and ‘Parallels’ (2016), after a hiatus of seven long years, Vandana returns to her penchant for composing and singing historical Indian poetry, this time celebrating another great historical Indian poet Kabeer Das, in her fourth album ‘Kabeera – The Thinker…’, released on 11 October 2023. Kabeer Das, a predecessor of Meera Bai, was a famous historical Indian thinker and poet known for criticizing the contradictory narratives and dogmas of his times. His teachings focused on direct spiritual experience. Kabeer unapologetically expressed his ideas through simple and relatable poetry critiquing hollow beliefs, ostentatious lifestyles, and dogmatic practices of his times. He was not only a spiritual leader but also a social reformer, advocating for love, compassion, and equality.

Kabeer’s poetry and philosophy have had a profound impact on Indian culture and spirituality. Like Meera Bai, his verses too are still widely read and sung in various forms of Indian music and he remains a beloved figure in Indian spirituality, inspiring people to seek a deeper connection with the divine and promoting a life of compassion and love.

Music celebrating Kabeer Das’ poetry has gradually evolved into a distinct genre of its own within the Indian subcontinent so much so that as soon as Kabeer Das’ poetry is mentioned, a particular brand of music and rendering comes to mind.

In the face of numerous similar sounding musical albums following this conventional style, merely adding another one would have been a redundant exercise. Hence, Vandana diverts from the norm and composes Kabeer’s powerful poetry infusing contemporary musical arrangements into her distinctive and captivating melodies, delivering the verses gently with a refined rendering, This transformation is a deliberate departure from norm, as a homage, as a testament to the timelessness of Kabeer’s wisdom and his ability to inspire fresh artistic expression, emphasizing Kabeer’s prowess as a thinker, and hence the title.

Vandana had originally intended to make the album earlier, but owing to the outbreak of COVID-19 she managed to record and release just one track from the album, Mann Lago as a single in 2021.

Special Thanks

Raj Sharma, Mumbai for his invaluable input in rhythm arrangement and Sanjay Marathe, Mumbai for his beautiful music programming and arrangement.