Medellín / Envigado
Vasundhara Das — Songs of Bhakti
5 June 2026
7:00 PM
Parque Cultural y Ambiental Otraparte, Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia
www.comfama.com
An evening with
Vasundhara Das
An evening of Hindustani Bhakti music — devotion, poetry, emotion, rhythm, and improvisation.
Join Vasundhara Das for a moving musical journey rooted in Hindustani training, Bhakti poetry, emotional expression, rhythm, and live improvisation.
Songs Of Bhakti
5th June at 7PM AND 7th June at 5PM
Parque Cultural y Ambiental Otraparte AND Sala Fanny Mikey · Colombia
Meet the Artist
Vasundhara Das
Vasundhara Das is a singer, actor, performer, composer, speaker, entrepreneur, and community builder whose work spans film, music, innovation, and education.
As an actor, she has appeared in films including Hey Ram, Monsoon Wedding, Citizen, Ravana Prabhu, and Lankesh Patrike.
Trained in Hindustani classical music, she is also known as a playback singer with songs such as Shakalaka Baby, It's the Time to Disco, Where's the Party Tonight, Pappu Can't Dance, Salaame, and Kahin Toh Hogi Woh. She has collaborated with composers including A.R. Rahman, Vishal–Shekhar, and Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, and performs in multiple languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.
Her independent music projects include Channel V Jammin', The Shah Hussain Project, music created for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and the HIV-awareness anthem Har Kadam. Her album The Shah Hussain Project Volume 1, inspired by the Sufi poet Hazrat Shah Hussain, premiered at the INK Conference.
Alongside her band, Vasundhara performs live with Prashanth Gnanamuthu (bass), Anagh Nayak (drums), Lionel Jude (keys), and Shashank K (guitar).
Beyond performance, she has spoken at platforms including INK Talks, the Confederation of Indian Industries National Brand Conference, and TEDx events.
She is the co-founder of Drumjam, which has introduced drum-circle experiences to more than half a million participants through corporate training, team building, and community engagement programs.
Vasundhara is also certified in Sound Healing through Svaram, Auroville, and facilitates Voice & Vibration workshops that explore voice, sound, and music as tools for connection and self-expression.
She has collaborated with Dara.network (now Gooey.AI) on the RadBots project, creating "Damroo," a conversational AI persona designed to give voice to the unheard.
With a continuing focus on music, innovation, and human connection, Vasundhara Das works across artistic, educational, and community-building spaces around the world.
About the Concert
About the Concert
For many people in Colombia, this may be a first encounter with Hindustani classical music.
The music you will hear this evening comes from a tradition that has been passed from teacher to student over many centuries. Some pieces are based on Bhakti poetry, which expresses devotion, longing, gratitude, and wonder. Others draw from Sufi traditions that celebrate the search for connection and meaning.
You do not need to understand the language to enjoy the performance. Like all great music, its emotional meaning often travels beyond words.
As you listen, you may notice melodies unfolding slowly, moments of improvisation, intricate rhythmic patterns, and a close dialogue between the musicians. There is no need to analyse or interpret everything. Simply allow the music to guide your attention and imagination.
Whether you are familiar with Indian music or hearing it for the first time, we invite you to experience this evening with curiosity, openness, and presence.
What You Will Hear
Hindustani Bhakti Music
Devotion shaped by classical training. Poetry carried by melody. Rhythm that breathes with the moment.
01
Bhakti
Devotion, longing, love, surrender, gratitude — the inner movement of the heart turned into song.
02
Raga
An emotional landscape. A particular set of notes that opens a particular feeling, and lives only when sung.
03
Tala
The rhythmic cycle that carries the music forward — a steady heartbeat beneath every phrase.
04
Poetry
Verses from poets across centuries: words of yearning, beauty, and the sacred ordinary.
05
Improvisation
The artist answering the room in real time. No two evenings are ever the same.
06
Emotion
Above all, feeling. The music asks nothing of you but your attention.
Program
Songs of Bhakti
Good evening, everyone, and welcome to this performance titled Songs of Bhakti.
Bhakti means devotion, and devotion is a universal human experience, regardless of our individual beliefs or traditions.
Songs of Bhakti is a secular musical journey that brings together traditional compositions from the Hindustani musical tradition, poetry from saints and mystics of the Bhakti movement that flourished across India more than five centuries ago, and Sufi poetry and music that originated in ancient Persia and found a home across the Indian subcontinent through generations of poets, seekers, and storytellers who sang of the Divine Beloved in the languages of ordinary people.
These traditions have lived side by side, influencing and enriching one another for centuries. Together, they form an important part of India's living musical heritage.
Tonight, it is our pleasure to introduce our guest artists from India.
Vasundhara Das
Vasundhara Das is an acclaimed Indian singer, composer, songwriter, actor, performer, speaker, entrepreneur, and drum-circle facilitator from Bangalore.
International audiences may recognize her from the award-winning film Monsoon Wedding. While her musical foundation lies in Hindustani classical music, she is also widely known across India for her work as a playback singer and actor in multiple languages, as well as for her independent musical projects and live performances.
Roberto Narain
Joining Vasundhara this evening on world percussion is the extraordinary Roberto Narain.
A highly accomplished drummer, producer, and performer, Roberto has worked across a remarkable range of musical styles, including rock, heavy metal, jazz, jazz-rock, fusion, and funk. Throughout his career, he has performed at major concerts and festivals across India and around the world.
Anurag Shanker
Accompanying Vasundhara on tabla and guitar is Anurag Shanker.
A musician, composer, producer, and curator, Anurag has spent more than two decades working with independent artists, film and media music, folk traditions, and diverse musical cultures from across India.
Together, our artists would like to share a small glimpse into the vast musical heritage of India.
The pieces you will hear tonight are sung in different Indian languages and are based on various Ragas (melodic frameworks) and Talas (rhythmic cycles).
The thread that unites them all is Bhakti Ras — the emotional essence of devotion, longing, love, surrender, and spiritual connection.
- 01
Rāg Bhairav – Jor and Bandish
Khayal · Rāg Bhairav · Braj · TraditionalWe begin this evening with a traditional Khayal composition in Raga Bhairav. A raga may be thought of as a musical landscape: a unique arrangement of notes that evokes a particular emotional atmosphere. Raga Bhairav is traditionally performed at dawn or at the beginning of a concert. This composition is written in the ancient language of Braj. As it is morning now in India, the song invites us into a sacred moment: the awakening of Lord Krishna, lovingly addressed as Mohana.
- 02
Devaranama in Kedar and Bahaar
Rāgamāla · Kedar / Bahaar · Kannada · DevotionalA Devaranama is a devotional poem composed in Kannada, a language of southern India, yet often performed using ragas from the Hindustani tradition of northern India. Such compositions are sometimes woven together into a musical garland known as a Ragamala. This piece is based on the beautiful spring ragas Kedar and Bahaar. It reflects on the blessings of creation and reminds us that without divine grace, flowers would not bloom, birds would not take flight, and life itself would not unfold.
- 03
Tere Ishq Nachaya
Sufi folk · Punjabi · Bulleh ShahThe fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were a remarkable period for spiritual poetry across the Indian subcontinent. Many poets wrote passionately about love, spirituality, human unity, and service beyond religious divisions. This next piece is by the great Sufi poet and philosopher Bulleh Shah, who wrote in Punjabi and became renowned for challenging religious orthodoxy and blind faith. In this poem he declares: "Your love, O Beloved, makes me dance in complete abandon." This folk-inspired composition was later popularized by Abida Parveen, one of the greatest living masters of Sufi music.
- 04
Rāg Todi
Bandish · Rāg Todi · Braj · TraditionalOur next presentation is a traditional Bandish composed in the ancient language of Braj and set in the profound and deeply expressive Raga Todi. Todi is celebrated for its contemplative depth and its ability to evoke powerful spiritual and emotional states associated with the essence of Bhakti.
- 05
Abhang – Vedha Vedha Re
Abhang · Rāg Brindavani Sārang · Marathi · Saint TukaramThe Abhang is a beloved devotional form from the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Known for its vitality, energy, and communal spirit, the Abhang combines accessible melodies with deep spiritual meaning. This composition was written by the saint-poet Tukaram and later set to music by Raja Phatak. It is performed in the raga Brindavani Sarang.
- 06
Man Kunto Maula
Qawwali · Rāg Bhoopali · Amīr Khusrau (13th c.)Amir Khusrau was a celebrated Indo-Persian poet, musician, scholar, and Sufi mystic who lived in Delhi during the thirteenth century. His influence on North Indian music remains profound. Among the traditions associated with his legacy are Qawwali, Ghazal, Tarana, and Trivat, all of which continue to flourish today. Set in Raga Bhoopali, Man Kunto Maula is one of Khusrau's most beloved Sufi compositions. We warmly invite you to join us and sing along.
- 07
Udd Jaayega Hans Akela
Nirgun folk · Kabir · popularised by Kumar GandharvaOne of the most influential voices of the Bhakti movement was the poet Kabir. His poetry continues to live on in countless folk and devotional traditions across India. Kabir spoke courageously against religious division and blind dogma, advocating instead for direct experience, compassion, and inner truth. In this composition, made famous by the legendary singer Kumar Gandharva, Kabir reflects on the soul's final journey. The image is that of a solitary swan taking flight, leaving the world behind and travelling toward its ultimate destination. It is a song of departure, freedom, and transcendence.
Ensemble
The Musicians
Travelling half a world to make this music together.
Gallery
Photo Gallery
A glimpse into the world of Vasundhara Das, her music, and the emotional landscape of Songs of Bhakti.
Songs of Bhakti — official concert poster.
Videos
Listen Before the Evening
A short journey through Vasundhara Das's voice — invocation, devotion, energy, and her recorded catalogue.
INK Conference 2012 — Invocation
A powerful invocation that introduces Vasundhara Das through voice, presence, and musical depth.
Watch on YouTubeThe Shah Hussain Project
A glimpse into her work with The Shah Hussain Project, where poetry, devotion, and contemporary performance meet.
Watch on YouTubeWhere's The Party Tonight — Live
A live performance showing Vasundhara Das as a dynamic stage performer with range, energy, and audience connection.
Watch on YouTubeVasundhara Das on YouTube Music
Explore more of Vasundhara Das's recorded music, playback songs, and full musical catalogue.
Open in YouTube MusicPrepare for the Evening
How to Listen
Listen with an open heart
- —You do not need to understand every word or technical detail.
- —Follow the emotion — let it lead you.
- —Notice repetition and variation; that is where the music lives.
- —Let the music unfold slowly. Time will move differently.
- —Listen for silence, tension, release, and return.
- —Applause is welcome after major sections and at endings.
- —Come with an open mind.
Practical preparation
- —Arrive a little early — the opening moments are precious.
- —Keep your phone on silent.
- —Photography or video only if allowed by the organizers.
- —No prior knowledge needed.
- —Allow yourself to simply listen.
Venue
Where We Will Meet
Bogotá
Songs of Bhakti — Festival de lo Sagrado Universal
7 June 2026
5:00 PM
Sala Fanny Mikey, Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella, Bogotá, Colombia
Stay Close
Follow Vasundhara
More music, more moments, between now and the evening.
With gratitude
Our thanks to the Ministry of Culture of Colombia for the invitation, to the Organising Committee of the Festival of the Universal Sacred for their care and coordination, and to the Biblioteca del Parque Cultural y Ambiental Otraparte and the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella for hosting us. And to you, for being such a wonderful and attentive audience.