Sometimes 9-to-5 doesn’t cut it. Not when there’s a greater calling, as with Ameya Dabli, who left a banking career to move thousands with his spiritual music
Ameya Dabli (right) has performed alongside renowned artistes such as Shaan
The Indian dream doesn’t get any simpler: get a high-paying job after college, grind till you make it to the top, and live a long, stable life. But Ameya Dabli’s dream would beg to differ. It takes guts to shift careers midway, especially if you’re already living that ideal “Indian dream”. From blending genres at high-profile nuptials (such as the glitzy Anand Piramal-Isha Ambani wedding), to performing for the armed forces, and now his pan-India concert, Krishnaa – Music, Bliss & Beyond, Ameya Dabli’s journey has been anything but conventional.
Today, Dabli is a renowned spiritual musician who has performed alongside legends such as AR Rahman, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan. Back in 2013, though, his life looked very different, with a career in the top rungs of the banking sector. Though he enjoyed his old job as Vice-President at HSBC, “somewhere in my mind I knew I was meant to do something else, I just didn’t know what”. In the pursuit of his true purpose, Dabli was swept away by the dynamics of spirituality and found his medium of channelling it in the form of music. “When I quit my job, I had no income for the first six months, and we had to ensure that we had some consulting assignments or musical concerts we could fall back on,” shares Dabli, who left behind a nearly-10-year career in banking.
But offers to sing soon followed, and by the end of 2014, he was certain — this was it. He took his first steps toward building what would now become his own company [name]. However, the hustle persists, be it corporate or creative. “The biggest difference now is being able to choose who I work with. I can choose to let go of people I don’t fit well with,” he says, “Compared to your regular corporate job, what music pays is, to an extent, intangible. In the 4000 concerts I’ve played over the last 25 years, I must’ve impacted about five to seven crore people, which wouldn’t have been possible had I stayed in the corporate world.”
By creating aesthetically immersive concert experiences and blending genres like reggae, soft rock, and hip-hop, Dabli makes spirituality cool
Behind every icon lies an inspiration, and for the 45-year-old, it began at home with his mother. “She’s a trained musician. Although she never performed live, she continues to teach, and that inspires me,” he shares. Beyond his mother’s quiet influence, Dabli draws creative energy from vocalists like Kishore Kumar and Jagjit Singh, whose timeless voices have left a lasting mark on his musical style. On the spiritual front, Dabli finds grounding in the teachings of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, which continue to shape his personal and artistic journey.
One might call the spiritual messaging in his music retro, or borderline old-school, but Dabli is out to change that perception and make it cool enough for Gen Z to tune in. But why specifically Gen Z? Dabli asserts, “Today’s generation has a lot of exposure to the Internet and is prone to influence. What I believe is key to bringing a society together is to have a good value system in place, and music holds the ability to eliminate mental health issues, especially in Gen Z.”
Surprisingly, Gen Z is listening. By creating aesthetically immersive concert experiences and blending genres like reggae, soft rock, and hip-hop, Dabli doesn’t just promote spirituality; he makes it cool. Call it the rebirth of the hippie movement, if you will. “We care about how our music can leave a lasting impact on those attending the concert, ensuring that they go back home on a high and with a message. You don’t need to be old to enjoy spiritual music,” Dabli adds.
Spirituality and religion are often misinterpreted to go hand in hand with religion. But for Dabli, “spirituality knows no religion, it detaches you from the outside world, allowing you to turn inward.”
Taking a leap from stability to uncertainty is often glorified in movies, and the classic “struggling artist” plot has long been a fan favourite. But what sets Dabli’s version apart is the vision he brings to the table. It’s not just about chasing a dream but about building a movement.
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