MUMBAI: Jazz-inspired drummer and composer Tarun Balani’s upcoming album Kadahin Milandaasin is his most emotional record to date, capturing a deeply personal journey through his Sindhi heritage via the memories of his grandfather and father.
The album explores Balani’s identity by delving into the rich stories of his ancestral homeland in Sindh, as well as tracing the migration of his paternal grandfather from Naushahro Feroze, Sindh to Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi.
The first single from the album, ‘Lajpat Nagar Sometimes’ is an ode to Lajpat Nagar, a refugee colony in Delhi that became home to migrants coming from Sindh to New Delhi in the early 1950s. The trumpet, played by Adam O’Farrill, brilliantly captures the wistful loss that permeates every aspect of life for families affected by the Partition, like Balani’s.
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But the single is also a celebration of the artist’s life in Lajpat Nagar, where he grew up and now composes music in the same space that his grandfather once used as his studio to paint, and of the very nature of the area, that continues to see an influx of migrants from Afghanistan, Africa, and other parts of the world.
“I feel like my music reflects Lajpat Nagar: a mix of cultures, identities, and worlds that may not seem to belong together at first glance,” he says, adding, “But if you look closely, there are many similarities.”
“‘Lajpat Nagar Sometimes’ is both an homage to my ancestral roots and a sonic reflection of my influences, ranging from Sindhi folk music to New York jazz — and everything in between,” says Balani, who created this album with his band Dharma, featuring Finnish guitarist Olli Hirvonen, alongside his longtime friend, band mate and pianist, Sharik Hasan from India and trumpeter Farill.
Balani is driven by a relentless desire to be a holistic artist, and his work is often a reflection of his life philosophy and his lived experience. In his upcoming album Kadahin Milandaasin, Balani is inspired by the collective grief of a community, and his personal memories.
“The Sindhi community is complex and hybrid, with multiple layers and dimensions. Perhaps that’s why it has taken me all these years to finally discover my personal connection to its culture, art, music, and literature — through an extremely personal lens,” he says of the upcoming album.
Kadahin Milandaasin explores the broader themes of migration, identity, and cultural preservation, and will release on German label, BERTHOLD records, on May 16.
