Fresh off the success of their collaboration with Nobel-prize winner Kailash Satyarthi on their last EP, celebrated Sarod virtuosos, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash announce the launch of a brand-new album titled ‘Sand And Foam’ in association with global production house Tiger Turn.
Releasing today, the album draws inspiration from the eclectic works of the renowned Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist, Kahlil Gibran. Based on the literary icon’s masterpiece works of the same name, every track enlisted on ‘Sand And Foam’ attempts to take listeners on an immersive musical voyage whilst exploring narratives of identity, belonging, and self-discovery and bringing to the forefront Gibran’s profound and motivational thoughts on how to enrich one’s life through global soundscapes.
The theatrical album also marks the maiden collaboration between the seventh-generation music duo from India and multi-Grammy award-winning record producer and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kabir Sehgal from the United States Of America.
The gifted trio have impeccably embraced Eastern and Western artistic traditions for the eight-track compilation that merges classical Indian soundscapes with jazz harmonies, trap drums, and neo-synths.
Some of the special guest appearances on the record include Claudia Acuna (vocals), Latin Grammy nominee; Tivon Pennicott (sax); Caliph (rap), Oran Etkins (saxophone), Malini Aswathi (vocals) and Sudha Raghunanthan (vocals).
Speaking about how the idea of the album was born Amaan Ali Bangash says, “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. A first for us in this genre.”
Elaborating further on the key musical takeaway from the album Ayaan Ali Bangash adds, “Taking as inspiration from the master of timeless wisdom, Khalil Gibran’s illustrious works, especially in current times, I feel that his thoughts are so very relevant. It was something we collectively wanted to execute musically. Literally as Gibran says, ‘solitude is a silent storm that breaks down all our dead branches; yet it sends our living roots deeper into the living heart of the living earth.’ I am so honored to have been a part of this process.”
Speaking about the inspiration and concept of the album Kabir Sehgal states, “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.”
