Performances
Ishq Mastana
Vipul Rikhi
Vipul Rikhi performing. Courtesy Shreans Daga Foundation
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 while the narration will be in English.
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 is he the name of a living tradition that is still thriving? Exploring legends around his life, his poetry, the depth of his thought, and the beauty of the music that has sprung up around him, writer, singer, poet, Vipul Rikhi, takes us on a journey into the heart of this unique phenomenon.
The performance has been curated as part of a collaboration with Books & Brews, India, a woman-led creative and literary agency that weaves together all aspects of books and words through old, new and forgotten forms of art, culture, performance, and various written and oral traditions. It has been curated under Living Cultures, MAP’s public programming theme for the quarter. Through this theme, we explore the practices and evolution of cultures: shaping identity, representing beliefs, but also reimagined and revived by new encounters and changing contexts.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.
Vipul Rikhi
Vipul Rikhi is a writer, singer, poet, storyteller and translator immersed in the oral traditions of Kabir, as well as other Bhakti and Sufi poets for over a decade. He is the author of several books of poetry, fiction and translation — the latest being Drunk on Love, on Kabir’s life and philosophy, with HarperCollins. Other recent works include One Palace, a Thousand Doorways, a book of translations, and I Saw Myself: Journeys with Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (co-authored).
Vipul’s work with the very well-known Kabir Project involved writing, translations, research, curations and the co-creation of a vast digital archive called ‘Ajab Shahar’. In the course of these magical journeys, he developed a deep love for singing mystic poetry in the folk music traditions; he now performs nationally and internationally. He has a wide following through both his writing and his music.
