Forests are always portrayed as this scary, haunted place that village elders narrate stories about — where shadows move before you see them and every snapped twig feels like a warning. We grow up with that imagination: the jungle as something to fear, something unknowable. But step inside one, and the narrative shifts. The silence is no longer sinister; it is sacred. The air feels older and purer. A distant birdcall , the rustle of leaves — and suddenly, you’re aware not of danger but of your own smallness.
It is from that space of humility that Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash have created Celebrating Our Tigers, a seven-track musical homage to India’s tiger habitats — the namesake for each track — and a deeply personal extension of their role as Goodwill ambassadors for WWF - India. Not only sons but also disciples of the legendary sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, the brothers are among the foremost torchbearers of the Senia Bangash gharana, balancing their lineage with exploration.
“When you go into nature, you’re a nobody,” Amaan says, almost matter-of-factly. “Even a bird is more powerful than you in the jungle.” Ayaan agrees, adding that the experience of being in the wild is less about observation and more about absorption — about understanding that everything already belongs, and you are an outsider trying to make sense of it.
Interestingly, the origin of this album does not lie in a grand artistic vision or a conservation brief, but in something far more intimate — family. “Most of the projects that my brother and I have done, they’ve all been extremely passion driven,” Ayaan explains. “And this also came from that space.” The turning point, he shares, was his teenage twins, Zohaan and Abeer. “We were very keen that they don’t kind of get into the usual stereotypical fancy cars and other material pursuits. We wanted them to value nature and wildlife.”
What followed was not a casual interest but an all-consuming curiosity. The boys began tracking tiger populations, memorising reserve names, understanding conservation patterns. Family holidays turned into repeated visits to forests — Corbett, Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kaziranga — each trip deepening not just the children’s fascination, but the brothers’ own connection. “Because of them, we ended up going on numerous occasions,” Amaan says, before pausing and adding, “our inspirational window opened because of them.”
From there, an idea began to take shape — not as a plea for awareness, but as a celebration. India today is home to over 70% of the world’s tiger population, a statistic that carries both pride and responsibility. “We got talking about how can we do something that is not a plead, but is a celebration of the great work on conservation that has happened in this country,” Amaan explains. Ayaan continues that thought, noting that music felt like the most natural medium — “the greatest wealth we have as a family” — to express that sentiment.
The structure of Celebrating Our Tigers is deceptively simple: each track is inspired by a specific tiger habitat. But the way they interpret these landscapes is where the album finds its depth. “Landscaping is very regional,” Ayaan explains. “So the reference was their folk music.” Instead of imposing a singular sonic identity, they turn to the musical traditions of each region — Rajasthan’s Mand, Assam’s Bihu, Bengal’s layered folk expressions — allowing the geography to dictate the sound.
Over time, the brothers explain, these regional sounds have evolved alongside forests themselves, shaped by communities that live at their edges — farmers, villagers, people who have coexisted with wildlife in ways both harmonious and difficult. “All the songs that used to be in honour of the jungle or the wildlife… that was the reference point,” Amaan says. The intention was clear — to keep the music as organic as possible. “It is not electronic eccentric,” he adds. “It’s as natural as possible that we could create.”
And yet, nothing about the process was rigid. There were no fixed compositions, no predetermined outcomes. “Your nature and whatever your journey has been… all of that reflects onto your music,” Ayaan says, describing the process less as creation and more as discovery. “When it’s a project that comes from a place of passion, belief and faith, it already takes you to a special zone.” Amaan adds that some of the most defining moments happened in the studio itself. “Some magical moments happen while you record as well,” he says. “We weren’t aware that this is how Corbett will shape up or Bandhavgarh will shape up. But it all just felt right.”
In some cases, the music was born directly within the landscapes it represents. “The Corbett track has been made in Corbett,” Amaan shares. “Ranthambore is made in Ranthambore.” Being physically present, both brothers explain, changes the way you listen — and in turn, the way you respond musically. The forest is no longer an idea; it becomes an influence.
Despite the underlying theme of conservation, the brothers are careful not to position the album as activism. “This is not any kind of an activism,” Ayaan says. “The agenda is very clear — the landscapes, the tigers.” But within that celebration lies an unspoken responsibility. “When you celebrate something, you are also conveying a responsibility that we all should silently give up to,” he adds. They are quick to acknowledge the efforts of forest officers and rangers, recognising the invisible labour that has led to the rise in tiger numbers. “It’s not easy doing what they do,” Amaan says.
Their association with WWF India, they both agree, feels deeply meaningful. “It’s like the biggest form of an award to us,” Amaan says, describing the opportunity to be connected to wildlife conservation in such a tangible way as a blessing. The visual storytelling of the album, supported by wildlife photographers, further expands its narrative. And yet, in a striking decision, the Kaziranga video does not feature a tiger at all. “Of course, we love the tiger,” Ayaan explains, “but it doesn’t mean we don’t love other animals or landscapes.”
When asked if tigers are their favourite animals, the answer is simple, yet layered. “I think tigers and cats have always been everyone’s thing,” Amaan says with a smile. But the connection, for them, runs deeper. With roots in Assam and a cultural association with goddess Durga — whose vahan is the tiger — the symbolism is almost inherited. “There’s some connect,” Ayaan says. Amaan adds a more personal note: “It’s a beautiful species. It doesn’t disturb anybody. It’s sharp. You learn a lot from these type of animals.”
Perhaps the most touching moment in the making of the album comes with the inclusion of the twins on the track Kabini. Recording alongside their grandfather, it becomes more than just a musical contribution — it becomes a moment of continuity. “It was really a special moment for them,” Amaan says. In many ways, the album is not just about preserving wildlife, but about passing on a way of seeing the world.
Away from the forests and the music, what grounds the brothers is something far simpler. Asked what makes them happy, the answers are immediate and telling. “Seeing the underprivileged get good food to eat,” Amaan says. Ayaan echoes that sentiment with “acts of compassion,” adding that time with family — especially moments with his children — holds immense value in a life otherwise spent constantly on the road.
And maybe that’s what lingers long after the conversation ends — not just the music, not just the message, but the perspective.
That the forest is not something to fear, but something to respect. That music does not always need to speak loudly to be heard. And that sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply listen — to the land, to the silence, to everything that exists beyond you. Because in that quiet, somewhere between sound and stillness, you begin to understand what they did — that even though you are small, that is not a weakness. It is where everything begins.
Celebrating Our Tigers is available on major streaming platforms.
Email: isha.p@newindianexpress.com
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