Kabir has been a favorite theme of Devotionals and every singer worth the salt has renditions of Kabir Bhajans in their repertoire. However,Kabir by Madhup Mudgal stands out in its selection of Bhajan pieces and the melodius rendition. The Album was originally released as 2-Volume cassette containing 18 Kabir Bhajans in 1999 by Music Today.
In its re-release in CD format, a selection of 11 numbers is presented from the original collection. The influence of the Kumar Gandharva who has been instrumental in grooming Madhup Mudgal as his disciple is evident in this brilliant collection. Singing devotionals is not only about good orchestration or a polished voice; it’s about manifesting the inherent spirituality of these lyrics which are spontaneous offerings by the Saint-Poets. Madhup Mudgal has been able to bring out this aspect in his singing. The choice of Bhajans has been the lesser known ones of Kabir.
The sleevenotes carry the text of all the 11 Bhajans as well as their transliteration in English.The Album starts with the fast-paced Ram Gun beladi re followed by sublime Narahari sahajey hi jinni jana and Chali meri sakhi ho. Ho Baliya kab dekhonge tohi is again a fast paced number wherein Kabir speaks of his intense longing to have a darshan of his Lord.The next number is a mystical poetry of Kabir .The Divine experience which is unique only to the aspirant is described in metaphors .Murshid nainon beech nabi hai/Syaah safed tilon beech tara is the number. Similar is the selections as Avadhu so jogi guru mera and Sarwar tati hansani tisari.The sonorous voice of Madhup Mudgal makes these rendition an unforgettable experience.
Baba jogi ek akala jaakey teerath vrat na mela speaks about the futility of frills and rituals on which much stress is laid by all religions rather than the eternal truths.Antar gati ani ani baani/Ko beenay prem laagi re/Ek achamba dekha re bhai are remaining selections sung with fervour and makes for an intellectual experience.However,the Album misses out brilliant compositions as Aise logani se ka kahiye and Chalan chalan sabko kahat hai, naa jaanun baikunth kahan hai which are a part of the original 2-Volume Cassette.
It would have been better if all the 18 compositions could have been accommodated in a 2-CD Volume .Nontheless the Album is to be possessed by all the discerning listeners of this genre of Music. The Album can be bought online at Music-today.com
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