How the Works of Kahlil Gibran Inspired Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash’s New Album ‘Sand and Foam’

When asked about the processes and inspiration behind their new album Sand and Foam, it’s only apt that sarod artists Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash are quick to invoke the works of their main muse, author and painter Kahlil Gibran. Amaan states, “As Gibran says, ‘Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.’ It’s with that very ethos that we have created this album. We are ever so grateful to all of the amazing artists who have teamed up with us on this very memorable album. [It’s] a first for us in this genre.” 

It’s pretty much similar to how the duo respond to most of the email questionnaire about Sand and Foam, a nine-track fusion album created with Indian-origin composer and producer Kabir Sehgal. Traversing electronic flourishes, cinematic arrangements and a good amount of melodrama to mirror Gibran’s storytelling, the album is certainly new territory for the brothers. Sehgal, for his part, says in a press statement, “I grew up reading the works of Kahlil Gibran. His writings are boundless and borderless. Instead of focusing on our differences, Gibran recognized our shared humanity. In making this album, we blended borders. We fused genres into something more fluid, awakening a new aesthetic, which brings us together.” 

Ayaan adds, “I thought that with Kabir’s sensibilities, we can come to a meeting point, and we both took inspiration from Gibran’s work and philosophy. Gibran’s work of universal brotherhood and hope influenced the style and compositions. We were honored to have such a diverse lineup. It is the first time our instruments have amalgamated with these textures of sound.”  

Songs like “The Wanderer,” “Spirits Rebellious” and the title track are lightheaded in their approach, while “Fable of the Forerunner” is quick-paced, with the sarod finding an understated place amongst Sehgal’s grand, modern arrangements. Electronic beats come to the forefront on “Prophets of Prose,” which features rapper Caliph and vocalist Claudia Acuna. Elsewhere, saxophonists Tivon Pennicott (“Fable of the Forerunner”) and Oran Etkin color in jazz hues, with a bit of hip-hop (“Jaipur Festival”), all while Amaan and Ayaan run their sarod meditatively through the dense layers. Indian classical vocalists Malini Awasthi (“Mirrors of the Soul”) and Sudha Raghunathan (“A Tear and a Smile”) close the album off with a dexterous electro-fusion energy.  

Amaan says that a straightforward way to describe the album is “a meeting of living musicians across cultures” who want to “heal this divided world” through music. Ayaan adds, “Through this collaboration, the aim is to preserve the essence of both Indian and western traditions so they can flow into each other without artistic compromise. The visual element is an individual journey of the artist.”  

Up next, the message of solidarity and peace for the world will travel once again with the Bangash brothers, who are performing at the iconic Carnegie Hall in the U.S. for the refugee orchestra project with conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya. The duo adds, “We also play at Royal Albert Hall for BBC Proms as a part of our Europe tour. We team up with Pipa maestro Wu Man for a new album in the Fall.”  

Listen to ‘Sand and Foam’ below.