Reigniting patriotism with a modernised version of 'Vande Matram'

Music has always succeeded in creating some sort of a stir within us. And when it’s a song we’ve associated ourselves with for generations, it just gets better. This year, three stalwarts of music, Bickram Ghosh, Ajoy Chakrabarty and Ustad Rashid Khan have come together to reignite the love we have for our country by creating a slightly modernised version of Vande Matram.

Produced by Sony Music, the song has the voices of Rashid Khan, Pandit Ajoy Chakrborty and his daughter Kaushiki Chakraborty.
Singer Ajoy Chakrborty says, “Vande Matram is the one song that actually unifies us all. It reminds us that we are not Maharashtrians, Bengalis, Kannadigas or Tamilians — we are Indians first. This is the song that compels us to respect our motherland, the nation.”

After much discussion, the four musicians realised that they needed to create something that would bring together the youth of our country. However, adds Chakraborty that, “it was important to change the way the song is perceived. One has to live with the times and that is why we created a slightly modernised version of the song. And it has been put together by people like Rashid, who is very popular among the youth; Bickram, whose work with percussions needs no introduction; Kaushiki, who’s quite a talented singer and myself — we all come from different generations as well!”

Belonging to an old school of music, Ajoy Chakraborty admits that the need of the times often forces people to change the way music is perceived and performed. “I will never give up on my ideals, thoughts and beliefs but it is necessary to look at music from a different way. My daughter and I won’t have the same tastes in music and to cater to the younger audience, one has to bring about changes because I believe that it is the older generation that has some sort of a responsibility towards the younger generation,” he adds.