VASU DIXIT HAS been championing folk contemporary music in Karnataka for over a decade now. The singer is now shining the spotlight on saint poets and their lyrical melodies, and his upcoming EP is based on the works of famous Indian poets.
This weekend, Vasu takes the stage with his collective to showcase these new tunes, as well as some popular numbers from the band’s repertoire. “I’m working on songs by saint poets such as Purandara Dasa, Basavanna and Kabir,” Vasu tells us, adding, “These are all folk poets. But of course I will be treating the music in my own style. I am making it contemporary but with folk elements in it.”
This EP is still in the recording stage, and fans can expect it to be out by this July or August. But the concert at Windmills Craftworks this weekend will give audiences a sneak peek into the new music by the band. “We will play some of the songs that we have not played ever before. And some that have not been released at all,” he tells us. The collective will be performing songs such as Sunta Hai, a Kabir number that is not part of the EP, but will be released separately as a single. And of course the band’s much-loved tracks such as Tarakka Bindige and Ragi Tandira will also be part of the set list. Apart from the EP, Vasu is exploring different forms of folk music with the PaDa Project, and he is also working on an audio book for children.
Rs 590 upwards. May 13 - 14, 9.30 pm. At Windmills Craftworks, Whitefield
anagha @newindianexpress.com @anaghzzz