A Decade of Invocation

Ahead of their performance at the Sufi Heritage Festival in Sunder Nursery, Delhi ensemble The Aahvaan Project talks about the lessons of the past decade, the evolution of the band’s philosophy and their recent EP

- ADITHI REENA AJITH

FOR Delhi singer Vedi Sinha, a journey to Rajasthan to volunteer at the folk music festival Kabir Yatra, gave birth to The Aahvaan Project — Sinha’s musical and philosophical enquiry into finding meaning in a busy world.

With an ektara by her side, she began reciting poems inspired by love, injustice and loneliness, weaving them through the teachings of mystics such as Kabir, Lalon Fakir and Bulleh Shah and Nirgun philosophy.

What started as a solo exploration in 2016 has since evolved into a collective, with collaborators including music producer Sumant Balakrishnan and percussionist Makrand Sanon. This Saturday, the ensemble will perform at the Sufi Heritage Festival. For the group, the setting becomes a meeting point of Sufi and Nirguna thought in contemporary life.