 By Samir Shukla
Manika Kaur Ek (Six Degrees Records) Kirtans are devotional singing or sacred chants performed in South Asian religions, especially Hinduism and Sikhism. I first heard Sikh kirtans at local Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) and during a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India where they are performed continuously while the main sanctuary is open. They are generally sung and performed in Gurudwaras by men. Manika Kaur has parted this tradition and become one of the foremost proponents of Sikh kirtans. Her latest recording, Ek, melds her soothing voice and trance-inducing musicality, bringing kirtans and their spiritual aura to the greater world. Kirtans can be universal in the way they encounter with listeners, evoking a sense of connection, even when one doesn't understand the words or lyrics. This recording is among those in invoking universality with its vocals, words, and music. You don't need to follow Sikhism or understand Punjabi, traditional language of Sikhs, to feel the devotion and connection Kaur makes with her voice, which is instilled with a sense of peace and tranquility. The recording is composed and performed with traditional instruments and arrangements. Kaur sings in English and Punjabi. Every song on the album leads with one of several traditional instruments accompanying Kaur's vocals along with contemporary sounds and production values. The recording works as a cohesive whole, including the album artwork, created, and designed by the Singh Twins. Kaur is also very active in charity and social work, including raising funds to educate young girls in rural Punjab. The recording Ek (which means 'oneness') is now available on Six Degrees Records.  By Samir Shukla
We were watching a cooking show one evening. The veggies were being karate chopped, stacked and sorted, and sent flying into pans. The chefs ran around like proverbial chickens with their heads lobbed off. The cameras panning this way and that way, with quick cuts and closeups. I guess that's needed to make a cooking show more exciting, like some kind of sporting event. It only made me dizzy, and hungry. This was all being done in a “gourmet" kitchen.  By Samir Shukla
Director Khyentse Norbu's new film, Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache, focuses on the centuries-old Himalayan cultures, respect and celebration of feminine energy. This energy is personified in tantric Buddhism by Dakinis, females who may appear as mysterious living beings who give or take away life force. This Nepali production tells the tale of Tenzin, a contemporary Tibetan entrepreneur who is working to open a coffee house in Kathmandu and is quite skeptical of ancient beliefs. He is then haunted by inexplicable dreams and visions of Dakinis that are later interpreted by a monk as omens for his imminent death, within seven days.  By Samir Shukla
I sprinted across the street the other day. An SUV screeched past behind me as I jumped onto the sidewalk, feeling a breezy swoosh on my backside. I was on a stroll, lost in the sprinkling of buds and flowers on trees as the days warm in our part of the globe. High on pollen. I was dreaming, daydreaming, strolling past a raggedy fence in the sadder part of the neighborhood. A non-descript apartment complex was getting pieced together like children's toy blocks on a cleared strip of land a little further down the road. The woods in that land erased down to a grove of a few sad trees, clinging to the ground, bemoaning their lost comrades, slowly coming back to life in the warm sun.  By Samir Shukla
Singer-songwriter Vandana Vishwas's new single is “Mann Lago," a poem by the 15th century Indian poet and mystic Kabeer Das. Kabeer Das, popularly known as Sant Kabeer, wrote poems that challenged the religious and social ethos of his era. He practiced “Fakiri" – a vagabond lifestyle based around minimal personal possessions. He lived the Fakir (a monk or seer) lifestyle and inspired India's Bhakti movement. The opening line of the poem “Mann Laago Yaar Fakiri Mein" says “I am hooked into living as a Fakir." In the poem he writes that his biggest pleasure is in chanting the Almighty's name while forsaking possessions and worldly pleasures. This poem has been recorded by other artists but Vishwas makes it her own with an original musical composition, her voice weaving through the music and words. She gives a contemporary edge to “Mann Lago" while retaining a traditional, almost classical charm. Vishwas says the lyrics are very relevant to the current times of isolation where people can reflect upon the global disturbances caused by the pandemic. The lyrics, which repeat in a chantlike manner, evoke life's higher meanings and simplicity. This haunting version is composed and presented in the Raga Ahir-Bhairav. There is a cross-cultural musicality to this version that is stitched with Indian, Persian, and Western musical instruments. The track is available on streaming and video services. Vishwas is an Indian-Canadian singer-songwriter who has released several recordings. More information is available at www.vandanavishwas.com. |
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