Kabir is like a wave that Returns

I recall that every year one way or another, some stirring happens in the name of Kabir...as though a wave keeps returning back to the coast with varying amplitudes. Somehow I also wonder if by the time a calender year ends, how Kabir makes an appearance in my life.

What a mystical relationship I feel sometimes, that goes through its own cycles or circles, and on and onward.

So here are the things that finally happened THIS YEAR-

First of all, I decided about the idea of Hamsadhwani Enterprises, and to bring music into its center and not the remaining arts, as I did in the past. Music pedagogy has always been a serious concern for me, partially because of the difficulty in receiving musical training myself. On a tangent, I am reminded of my master Kabir, who kept looking for a guru who would give him deeksha and show him the path of god (the way I did, after every single music teacher of mine) And then when he found his own Ram(and through him me too)...there was so much he created. In other words, teachers were always the same- full of their own knowledge and not really bowed under its weight or responsibility!

Secondly, out of the blue I read about the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy and decided to contribute something in qualitative research. I have always felt that Kabir and me are so close to one another, or rather his poetry is such an expression of me, that to write one paper can only be the start of a longer expression, which would necessarily be a book. The first paper I have written in music therapy (for a journal) is about Kabir (!). Just today I signed the document handing over copyrights in part to the Canadian Association of Music Therapy and part to myself for using the paper. Wow! I felt very honored.

When I opened this blog to write just now, I saw that the one lower entry talks of my idea of Kabir singing workshop from 16th July! In other words I thought about it that long back. So the workshop idea becomes the first service that we would offer from Hamsadhwani, and that is the next little idea.Number three.

The fourth idea was Pranab's- to make a video...and we got down to it, in a jiffy. Just recorded it and canned it on 3rd Dec 2013. Look at some of us here, shot by Sabyasachi, the editor :) We look like a band of crooks...happy after a robbery- Two are also a bit worried about the consequences.

The team that was involved with the recording of the Kabir video. L-R: the young lad who came with the lights and studio equipment, Dhananjay, tabla artist, Me- voice (just in case my role was not clear!!), Amarpreet, harmonium artist, and Pranab- filmmaker and the spirit behind this whole team coming together.

So now from the sense I get is that the video will be made of a satirical song- mann na rangaaye rangaaye jogi kapda 

So this is at the time of writing this, I have planned a demo-workshop of Kabir singing, on the next weekend. Let us see how it goes. The response that I have got thus far is heartening mostly- may be I am only tuning into those who are supportive.

I am NOT mentioning here about the new Kabir compositions that happened this year, because that is a part of life every now and then.