EarthSync

On the verdant shores of the Bay of Bengal, a mosque, a temple, and a church sit side by side in Nagore near India’s southeastern tip. An unexpected and flourishing Sufi religious site, Nagore’s five-acre Sufi shrine or dargah is filled with pilgrims of diverse faiths, and with the poignant voices of men singing songs passed down for generations, yet infused with pop sensibilities.

This cultural crossroads inspired the catchy, striking collaboration behind Nagore Sessions. A trio of traditional Sufi dargah singers teams up with Middle Eastern frame drums, the resonant strings of the sarangi (bowed, short-necked string instrument), and Tibetan brass in pulsating, elevated tracks that ring with raw power and an uplifting, transcendent call to love and devotion.

NagoreAlbumCover The production team from EarthSync first came to Nagore in the wake of the tragic 2004 tsunami, as part of the Laya Project, a multimedia homage to the cultures and peoples affected by the devastation. “At that moment when disaster struck, pilgrims of all faiths in Nagore lost their lives. It was a microcosm, an emotional hotspot of sorts, reflecting what the tsunami was everywhere else,” explains EarthSync Director Sonya Mazumdar. “Everyone came and helped each other, regardless of religion, culture, or other differences. The mosque was opened for injured people, and to help bury the dead.”