Times have changed, but his music hasn’t. The intimacy with which his poetry is uttered from the tips of his lyrical lips, it pays quick gratitude to his heart that strings it all together. Losing himself to the mysticism of Sufi sounds, singer Hans Raj Hans has drowned himself in its spiritual powers. Sharing a sliver of this contentment in the form of what he knows best—music—he presents himself live in concert at Jazba, a show that honours the uplifting spirit of Sufism.
Organised by Rudraksha communications in association with the IRS Association (Customs and Indirect Taxes), the thought being reiterated is one of maintaining solidarity, compassion and brotherhood in this divided world. “Hate has become the order of the day. People find it difficult to forgive. The only thing that can negate hatred is love, and as cliche, as it may sound, music has extraordinary powers of bringing people, countries, even political systems together,” says Hans.
In the wee hours of the morning when his noiseless village slept under the blanket of slivery starts, little Hans would wake up to the sound of a wandering saint who he lovingly called ‘baba ji’. It came from a distance which compelled him to follow in the direction of the sound. “I don’t know what our connection was but I was hopelessly mesmerised by his music. It filled me up with happiness and energy to do great things in life,” says Hans, adding, “Strangely enough, we didn’t know each other but he always found me where ever I went…school, college, everywhere, as though he wanted to always bless me.”
The seeds of love and not just music were sown then. Every time Hans produced a body of work, he thanked his baba ji. “He taught me that without love nothing can be achieved, and today when I see the troubled state of the world, his words ring in my ears. But I believe music can change everything, as it is from the heart and not intellect, like politics,” he says. In the end he says: “Na nasha karo na war karo… sirf pyar karo.”
Jazba: March 15, at 7 pm, Sirifort Auditorium, August Kranti Marg,
Siri Fort Institutional Area.