"We don't see the mystic Kabir as a ‘saint’. To us, he is just a human being who had the guts to speak his mind," is the belief of Neeraj Arya's Kabir Cafe, a neo-fusion band that has made a mark for itself on the Indie music scene by interlacing the Sufi saint’s dohas with Folk, Reggae, Pop and even Carnatic sounds. After two and a half years of being in existence, the band — featuring Mukund Ramaswamy (violin), Raman Iyer (mandolin), Viren Solanki (percussions) and Poubuanpou Britto KC (bass guitar) besides Arya (rhythm guitars) — is set to launch its debut album, Panchrang on Independence Day. They are also gearing up for a six-city tour. "The album’s name was suggested by our guru Prahlad Tipaniya, who felt the five of us, from distinct musical and cultural backgrounds, coming together in a beautiful confluence with Kabir is what the album is about," say the members. Excerpts from an interview:

Neeraj Arya's Kabir Cafe