Kabir Festival Mumbai brings together folk artists, story-tellers and documentary films dedicated to the music and poetry of the fifteenth century mystic poet, Kabir. From February 17 to 19, there will be multiple events at different locations, all of which are free and open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The festival has performances from classical and folk musicians from Madhya Pradesh, Kutch and Rajasthan. The roster includes
- Prahlad Singh Tipaniya, a Malwi singer from Madhya Pradesh who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011.
- Mooralala Marwada, a Kutchi folk singer.
- Bhanvari Devi, a female folk singer from Rajasthan.
- Mukhtiyar Ali, a singer in the Sufiana Qalam (Punjabi Sufi poetry) tradition from the semi-nomadic Mirasi community of Bikaner.
The festival will also feature four documentaries by Shabnam Virmani which looks at an array of characters like a street fruit seller, a social activist, a Dalit folk singer, a Zen Buddhist scholar, and their journey as they explore Kabir’s poetry and its contemporary meanings with issues like secularism, national identity, religion and music (we know, deep stuff).
Other performers include a group of three sisters who will narrate a story on Kabir through the medium of song and dance.
To know more about the Kabir festivities take a look at the detailed schedule for the festival here.
Check out a performance by folk singer Prahlad Tippaniya below.
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