About The Event
Hailing from Mumbai, vocalist and instrumentalist Neil Khopkar is deeply rooted in the traditions of Hindustani classical music. A disciple of Vidushi Neela Bhagwat of the Gwalior Gharanathe oldest school in Hindustani music. Neil represents a lineage that traces back six generations to the gharanas founder. With a deep reverence for the purity of Gwalior Gayaki, Neil upholds its essence while skillfully engaging with contemporary sensibilities. His performances act as a bridge between heritage and innovation, offering audiences a timeless and transformative musical journey.
Sadho Dekho Jag Baurana
Singing Kabir in our times, for our times Sant Kabir never spoke softly to power, dogma, or certainty. He listened to every voice around him—religious, social, political—yet refused to be claimed by any. Hearing all, he chose his own rhythm. That refusal to conform, that fierce clarity, is what makes Kabir urgently contemporary.
"Sadho Dekho Jag Baurana" brings Kabir back to where he belongs: in lived time, among listening bodies, unsettling us just enough to make us think. His couplets are sharp, playful, compassionate, and devastating in equal measure—what Hazari Prasad Dwivedi once called “tender as a flower, hard as a diamond.” Simple in language, fearless in thought, Kabir cuts through ritual and identity to speak of truth, love, and freedom.
In this intimate recital, Neil Khopkar reimagines Kabir through a rare and striking musical dialogue between Hindustani vocal music and the Appalachian dulcimer. Rooted in the khayal tradition yet unafraid of experiment, Neil treats Kabir not as heritage but as a living voice. The dulcimer’s haunting, meditative resonance opens unexpected pathways, allowing Kabir’s words to breathe, echo, and confront our present moment.
This is not background music. It is listening as an act of attention. An evening where music becomes inquiry, poetry becomes resistance, and Kabir speaks—clear, sharp, and uncomfortably relevant—to our times.
