Bamaniya brings home the relevance of Kabir's couplets

Hyderabad is no stranger to art of the mystics. Little wonder then that the art and culture fraternity welcomed Kaluram Bamaniya with his troupe, here as part of the Kabir project, with high expectations.

Hailing from the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, Bamaniya, one of the country’s best known folk singers, had two performances at the University of Hyderabad and at Lamakaan. While the former saw an auditorium full of youngsters, the audience at Lamakaan was an interesting mix of people, ranging from students and young musicians to the city’s art and culture stalwarts.

However, the way the performance was received at the two venues showed a striking difference. While the university students seemed to be more involved and enthusiastic, the audience at Lamakaan was left fairly disappointed.

Bhavana Murali, a student of University of Hyderabad says, “One of the reasons we students connected to the performance was because of relevance with the contemporary socio-political situation in the country. While the country seethes with ignorance about religion, caste and creed, Kaluram Bamaniya’s rendition of Kabir’s couplets was a reflection of how this ignorance and sense of discrimination has been ingrained in people for centuries now.”

On the other hand, Rajaa Farhan, a young music enthusiast who had attended the show at Lamakaan was not much impressed. “The city is not new to bhakti and sufi performances, which is why such a large crowd gathered here to watch Kaluram Bamaniya. But it felt like there was a lack of energy. The mystic arts with all their serenity, manage to grab your attention, which I felt was lacking here.”

While the perceptions of the performance may differ, what did resonate across the age-groups and both the venues was the relevance of Kabir’s ageless dohe that generations before us have connected with and generations ahead will continue to.