Vandana Vishwas unveils her latest musical masterpiece Kabeera: The Thinker with the single Kundaliyaan – 1 — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Kundaliyaan – 1 is a significant milestone in Vandana’s illustrious career, showcasing her unique fusion of Indian poetry and contemporary musical arrangements. The single is a compelling exploration of the poetic genre known as Kundali, rooted in Hindi poetry, characterized by its complex metering. Vandana delves into this elaborate form, inspired by the timeless verses of the great Indian thinker and poet Kabeer Das. In Kundaliyaan – 1, Vandana creatively weaves Kabeer’s profound insights with the enchanting raag Ahir Bhairav, creating a musical tapestry that unravels deep truths in an expressive and captivating manner.
Vandana’s new fourth album Kabeera: The Thinker pays homage to Das’s wisdom, encapsulating his penchant for minimalism combined with universal love and compassion, which are the essentials of Indian culture. The making of this album was a labour of love for Vandana, who meticulously selected eight of Kabeer’s most powerful poems, including the iconic Kundaliyaan, to create two distinct compositions — Kundaliyaan – 1 and Kundaliyaan – 2. Each track capturing the essence of Kabeer’s profound philosophy.
Vandana collaborated with her musical and life partner Vishwas Thoke, who contributed his guitar skills and musical flair. “My creative process in making this incredibly fulfilling album led me to some outstanding poetry by Kabeer Das, which I had to narrow down to eight,” said the 2017 Best World Music Video award winner. “It took me months to select these eight tracks including carrying The Complete Works of Kabeer Das everywhere I went — coffee breaks, long drives, vacations… even river cruises.”
Vandana is a celebrated world music artist who transitioned from a successful career in architecture to pursue her lifelong passion for music. Despite facing a challenging medical condition from early childhood, Vandana displayed remarkable musical talent, earning a degree in North Indian classical vocal music, and becoming an All-India Radio artist during her teenage years.
She released her debut album Meera: The Lover in 2009, which marked her entry into the North American scene, earning critical acclaim. Subsequent releases like Monologues in 2013 and Parallels in 2016 continued to garner recognition and accolades, with the latter achieving significant chart success and earning awards, including the Marty Award from the Mississauga Arts Council, a Toronto Independent Music Award for World Music, a US Independent Music Award as well as nominations in Canadian Indies, the KM Hunter Award for music by Ontario Arts Council and more.
Watch the video for Kundaliyaan – 1 above, check out Kabeera: The Thinker below, and meet Vandana Vishwas on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
