Vande Mataram is the concluding piece of Veena Sahasrabuddhe’s concert from the Darbar Festival 2010. She inadvertently churns out this soulful melody, stirring the emotions of her audiences and bringing them to tears.

Vande Mataram (I bow to thee, mother) is the national song of India which was composed by one of the most prolific writers of 19th century Bengal, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

As Sahasrabuddhe concluded her recital with a verse from this song, she made many a music lover go back with fond memories of an afternoon, tied together by the common sentiment of a song that has strung together the hearts of many Indians for more than a hundred years.

This soulful version of Vande Mataram was her masterstroke – short, sweet and as unforgettable as the memories she has left behind for all of us with the vast repertoire of her music.

Veena Sahasrabuddhe
Veena Sahasrabuddhe (1948-2016) was an esteemed Hindustani classical vocalist. Her unique style drew from the Kirana and Jaipur gharanas as well as her university degree in Literature & Vocal Performance, and was showcased on over 40 albums throughout her lifetime. She found ample time to teach despite a successful performance career, demonstrating Indian music to schoolchildren and serious students alike.

Sanju Sahai
Precise, powerful, and intricately funky, Sahai embodies the Benares tabla gharana. As the sixth generation of his family’s illustrious rhythm lineage, his talent was recognised early - at age 9 he was playing major festivals, and completed his music degree at 13 with a Masters following at 18. He is mindful of diluting classical tabla styles, but this has not stopped him taking them into a breath-taking array of contexts. Alongside accompanying top Hindustani musicians, he has collaborated with artists spanning flamenco and jazz to opera and Gregorian chant. He has played in schools and prisons

as well as for the Queen, and tutors tabla at SOAS in London. Today he lives in the UK, and travels the globe as a star accompanist and soloist.

Tofail Ahmad
Tofail Ahmad hails from Bangladesh. He started taking lessons from Ustad Kamruzzaman on the tabla and vocal music from Pandit Anil Kumar Shaha in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With complete dedication and perseverance, he was awarded the prestigious ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) Scholarship to study North Indian Classical Music in Delhi. He is currently settled in the UK.

Musicians:
Veena Sahasrabuddhe (khayal)
Sanju Sahai (tabla)
Tofail Ahmad (harmonium)
Priya Parkash (tanpura)
Shobhana Patel (tanpura)
Song: Vande Mataram