Kabir Cafe has been winning hearts with their soulful performances all over the country. Their songs Sunta Nahi Dhun Ki Khabar, Tu Ka Tu and Mat Kar Maaya ko Ahankar are favorites. The five piece band comprises 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 15^th 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, Verus Ferreira met up with the band to find out how the band takes Kabir’s poetry and makes 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 and Viren Solanki was pursuing a commerce degree, Britto as a music teacher), to make music as their full time job.

Why the addition of Cafe in your band name, when it is dealing with Sant Kabir, the poet?

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 "cafe", 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 guys decide to perform songs based on Kabir's poetry?

NA: Its sheer destiny. I was in Delhi, working with an NGO 'Manzil' around 2009 when I was a part of a screening of the documentary on Kabir Folk Music "hadh anhadh' by Shabnam Virmani (Kabir Project). It triggered something in me, and the folk legends shown in the film, namely Padmashri Prahlad Singh Tipanya and Mir Mukhtiyar Ali inspired me to render Kabir poetry using the guitar. Performing them in small circles in Delhi, I travelled to the Malwa Kabir Yatra, celebration of Kabir folk music in the interiors of Madhya Pradesh, and met and spent time with Prahladji. Much later, I came to Mumbai towards 2012 after returning from a film making course in Madison, Wisconsin where I met the rest of the band, and told them about my passion for Kabir poetry. The rest of us instantly connected with the idea.

NA: So when I came to Mumbai in 2012, I joined as a resident artist and video editor for the Natural Streets for Performing Arts (NSPA). Mukund Ramaswamy, our violinist was also an artist with the NSPA and we connected really well. I did vocals and with Mukund, we both made a beautiful combination to render Kabir. While we played as a duo and sometimes collaborating with fellow NSPA artists, we were joined by Raman Iyer on the mandolin player. We became thick friends, meeting every weekend which spilled over during the weeknights as well. I brought out more of Kabir’s poetry, to watching films, reading books and making music consumed us, and then there came a point when Kabir couldn’t be just a hobby weekend project. We decided to quit our respective jobs and focus all our energies on Kabir. Raman named the band Neeraj Arya's Kabir Café in November 2013. Very soon, our drummer Viren Solanki joined us and we played as a four piece and sometimes hiring a bassist. By September 2014 our bassist Poubuanpou Britto KC joined us full time, and since then we have had the same line up.

What made you create music for Kabir?

NA: It was my basic instinct at first. When everyone in the band came together with their cultural and musical differences, surprisingly there was something which everyone could connect to with Kabir. The poetry had simplicity and depth, spoke about a variety of topics that are highly relevant and yet gave the scope for musical experimentation. Sometimes we feel we didn’t choose Kabir, Kabir chose us.

How seriously have you taken Kabir's teachings?

Raman Iyer: We think it’s more of a subconscious change in us, than consciously having to abide by Kabir at all times just because we sing his songs. Kabir in some way has opened us up more towards people, led us to look within before talking about the wrongs outside. We all surely feel a change in us, which can’t entirely be described accurately. And there's music. The more time you spend with Kabir poetry and with music, one would surely have developed some kind of a positive change, don’t you think?

Yes you are right. So what genre would you put this kind of music into?

NA: Kabir's legacy is musically almost as old as the poetry itself. His poetry has survived over the years through multitudes of folk lineages rendered in different 'shailies' (styles) Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Malwi, Rajasthani, Kutchi...Our guru Padmashri Prahladji Tipanya is our foremost guidance and inspiration, so a lot of our songs have the 'Malwi' fabric, over which we weave different genres. If you ask what genre would you put our kind of music, we would say Neo folk - Kabir Poetry.

What has been the audience reaction to it? Any negative, positive?

RI: So far we have really been blessed. We have performed close to 700 shows across 8 countries in the last 3 years, and we aren’t backed by any big label or promotions. It’s simply the love of audiences towards Kabir that has seen us through. We don’t think we have received any negative reaction, but the positive reactions are overwhelming. The audience considers us as 'messiahs who are keeping Kabir alive for today’s generation'. But Kabir has survived for 700 years, and survived well. We don’t think we are doing any service to Kabir. He is the message, we are simply the medium.

You’ve also moved into theatre and other musical avenues. Can you share some details?

NA: This was something we thought we would try, to mark 6 years of Kabir Cafe. (we started in November 2013). We got an opportunity to stage a production at a farm near Khopoli. So we made the music grander. We added percussionists and a guitarist to our lineup and also got a dance troupe the Rangrooh Ghungroo from Baroda, who performed to us playing Live. We also interwove our set with a small skit "Waiting for Kabir" written by Raghav Bhatt (of the Netflix film ‘Bhasmasur’ fame) and performed by Sajay Dadhich, a long standing veteran in Mumbai theatre. The skit also featured Raman Iyer from the band playing a supporting role. The entire production was spearheaded by our logistics manager and sound engineer Rajat Dawda. It was a super success and we hope to stage this production in other places too. 

What does 2020 have in store for you?

NA: We are currently brainstorming on a lot of ideas to engage our YouTube audience including a possible series. We’ve done The Dewarists, India’s Got Talent and a few other television shows to performing consistently across the world. 2019 also saw two of our renditions of Kabir poetry in Bollywood. 'Fakiri' (Hindi Medium) and a song in the film Baadshaho. So since the last 3 years, thanks to Kabir and the love of people, we didn’t have to do any other 'work' besides exploring Kabir, musically.