Gig Preview: ‘Ekam Satt – One Truth, One Humanity, World Music’ in Mumbai

(L-R) Ameya Dabli Devaki Pandit and Rakesh Chaurasia. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

The inaugural show for new concert series ”˜Ekam Satt – One Truth, One Humanity, World Music’ will take place in Mumbai at the Nehru Centre, Worli tonight. The brains behind Ekam Satt is singer and composer Ameya Dabli, who came up with the idea for the series a year ago. Dabli’s goal is to use the concerts to foster unity and love among different cultures.

The Ekam Satt concerts will showcase different musical styles, ranging from sufi and folk to various genres of world music, as well as reggae, hip-hop, opera and more. This debut edition of Ekam Satt will feature performances by renowned vocalist Devaki Pandit and flautist Rakesh Chaurasiya.  A portion of the ticket sales will go towards the Helping Hands Foundation, an NGO working for the treatment of children fighting cancer.

Here is an excerpt from our exclusive interview with Dabli:

What can people expect at the show?

People can expect it to be a rollicking yet thought-provoking time ”“ for them to pause, reflect and at the same time enjoy their life “in the moment” with some fantastic compositions by the legendary poets across the globe. We also have Devaki Pandit and Rakesh Chaurasiya, who are both legends in their own field of music. Their styles complement my genre and I thought of bringing about a different experience for the audience”¦ with three distinct identities performing world music with a mix of sufi, folk and contemporary styles.

What are you hoping to achieve from the concert?

In today’s turbulent times, it is essential that people get rid of their stress and sit back and have a relaxed time enjoying some peppy music and also break their inhibitions across caste and culture. So the idea is to spread the message of a ”˜one-world family’””or ”˜vasudhaiva kutumbakam’–as has been preached in our age-old principles in India.

Are there any artists you would want to collaborate with in the future for Ekam Satt?

Well, of course, there are loads of other artists I would love to collaborate with and the concept of Ekam Satt is such that it is a natural blend for artists to collaborate. Some of these could be the current Western sensations of [American pop singer] Justin Bieber and [British rock band] Coldplay and also Indian legends such as [tabla maestro] Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Do you have plans to take Ekam Satt around the country and maybe abroad as well?

Certainly, I have already performed at the Indian High Commission in London in November last year and will be performing in the U.S. and Canada in July and August this year. We are also receiving requests from a lot of corporate firms to have different versions of this concert for their employees ”“ plus our album release is coming up soon. So, there’s lots on the anvil.

Buy tickets for Ekam Satt here.