On Sunday, Bengaluru will bear witness to the final show of an evening of music dabbling into the mysticism of Sufi music. Ki Jaana Main Kaun (I Know Not Who I Am) promises to be a 90-minute musical, exploring the nuances of the poetries of renowned Sufi poets, and will be performed by an ensemble comprising Sufi singer Radhika Sood Nayak, guitarist Neil Mukherjee and tabla player Vinayak Netke. This being their first time performing in Garden City, Nayak says, "In a way, this is a leap of faith, but it feels exhilarating.”
The concept for the show came to Nayak around seven years ago when she was watching a musical narrative on the works of Amir Khusrow. "A friend of mine was performing as well. As I was watching them perform, the only thought that kept running through my mind was why hadn't done this with our Punjabi poets yet," she says.
Even though the show unravels the beauty of the works of olden poets like Baba Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain, Nayak assures this shouldn't wane a layperson's enthusiasm. "You don't need to understand Punjabi to enjoy the show. We have taken steps to ensure that. Both the people I will be performing with - Neil and Vinayak - don't understand the language either. But that doesn't stop them from them understanding the essence of the work," shares Nayak.
June 18, 6.30 pm. At Shoonya Center for Art and Somatic Practices.