Songs of Kabir and other Mystic Poets
Vipul Rikhi sings folk songs of Kabir and other Bhakti & Sufi poets from South Asia, such as Gorakhnath, Bulleshah, Shah Latif, Meera and others. In his performances, he likes to bring equal emphasis to the poetry and its insights as to the sheer beauty of the folk tunes. He shares songs from centuries-old oral traditions of mystic poetry in the subcontinent, and translates into English before singing.
Some media reports:
Ishq Mastana | Drunk on Love
Life and philosophy of Kabir, in story and song
An introduction to the enigmatic, iconoclastic 15th century Bhakti-Sufi poet, Kabir, through storytelling, commentary, poetry and songs. The songs are in dialects of Hindi and the entire narration will be in English.
Why Kabir?
Over 500 years after his lifetime, Kabir still speaks to our times. In simple, direct words, he addresses complex emotional and cultural issues, with deep insight and clarity. But who was Kabir? How and where did he live? What made him who he was? Was he just one person or has he become many? Exploring legends around his life, his poetry, the depth of his thought, and the beauty of the music that has sprung up around him, we take a journey into the heart of this unique phenomenon.
Rooh ji Rehaan | A Gathering of Souls
Stories, Poetry and Songs from the world of Shah Latif
Those who set out with nothing
Experience union
Those who bedeck themselves
Remain forsaken
– Shah Latif
Explore the poetry of the great 18th century Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, through storytelling, translations and songs. Vipul Rikhi shares these stories along with interpretations of their deep significance for Latif. There will be translations of the poetry in English and, most importantly, songs of Latif in the kaafi form, which are part of the folk oral traditions of Kutch, Gujarat.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai was a great 18th century Sufi poet who, without exaggeration, can be called the Voice of Sindh. His poetry draws on the power and beauty of Sufi as well as Yogic thought, melding the two philosophies into one poetic and spiritual vision. His major work is the “Shah Jo Risalo” and his poems thrive today as a vibrant oral tradition being widely sung, quoted and loved by both Hindu and Muslim communities in the Sindh and Kutch regions on both sides of the Indo-Pak border.
In a world where women voices were unheard of, Latif took popular love legends of the region and spoke through the voices of different women protagonists, to weave a web of poetry that plays tantalizingly between the levels of ishq-e-majaazi, worldly love, and ishq-e-haqeeqi, spiritual love.
Examples: http://ishqfakiri.com/achi-mil-yaar/
https://sayskabir.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/shartiyun-aain-ta/
The duration of the program is around 90 minutes.
Dying to Live: Songs of Kabir and other poets
On the art of dying, living and loving by Vipul Rikhi
Mystic poets such as Kabir and Bulleshah constantly urge us to die in order to live. To die a living death means to pass into another dimension of being, which is also called love. On the one hand, there is the reality of physical death which has to be confronted. On the other, the call to learn the art of dying. How do the mystic poets respond to this human question? Vipul Rikhi, through his songs and narrative, will engage the audience in a conversation about death, dying, love and living.
Dhai Akshar Prem Ka: Love Songs of the Mystics
by Vipul Rikhi
What do Kabir and other mystic poets have to say on the subject of love? Actually, a lot! But what they say might surprise and challenge us, before leading us to a place of tenderness and bliss. A conversation through songs and couplets on the eternal human obsession with love.
