In this turbulent time – a group of musicians mostly unknown to each other got together to create a song with the intention of promoting harmony in the world. Mara Ghat Ma X Joy to the World is a fusion cover that brings together spiritual music from the Hindu and Christian faiths.
UK-based Drupti Vaja has been singing since the age of 6. Her repertoire includes Indian classical, devotional and folk music. Drupti is a full time senior nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham - where she most recently was in the thick of it supporting patients suffering from Covid. She is complemented on vocals by Nathaniel Morrison - a professional actor, dancer, gospel singer and songwriter, as well as the founder and Artistic Director of The West End Gospel Choir.
“When we went into studio, I had no idea, something so beautiful would be created” says Raj Mistry (co-Founder of Ragatip), “fusion is often dismissed as a confused concoction of 2 types of music, but I honestly feel that this record truly reflects the very best of Indian and Gospel music traditions”
Speaking to Asian Voice, Raj Mistry revealed more details about the idea behind the song and the rather unusual but melodious fusion. He said, “We continue to observe religion being used to divide communities all over the world, and during this pandemic where people need hope and positive vibes more than ever before we wanted to create music that could promote harmony. As a result, we had the idea of fusing devotional music from different faiths using gospel and bhajan musicians based in the UK.”
When the world underwent a lockdown during the pandemic, everyone turned to art and music specifically to find solace. What was it like for Mistry, we asked. “Music is a form of communication and without an audience to communicate it can start to feel a bit meaningless trying to create in a vacuum. Having said that most of the team used the lockdown to practise their art and refine their skills and you can hear the music that has emerged,” he answered.
Commenting on how has Covid-19 changed or impacted his sensibility as an artist, Raj Mistry said, “Covid-19 has fostered a sense of gratitude, for those that have been unable to perform on stage in front of a large audience and enjoy the buzz of that experience – 2020 has created a new-found sense of fragile and yet how important the work of a musician is.”
Mara Ghat Ma X Joy to the World released on 13 November on all streaming services. This is the first single from the album Spiritual Bridges, with more music releasing in 2021.
