MUMBAI: Pragnya Wakhlu, the founder of Mousai, who released her first single Burning Fire on 2 December 2016, is all set for her sophomore album Kahwa Speaks. The album will release on 21 July independently with Songdew. The album will be available on global platforms digitally (Apple Music, Google play music and others) on 21 July and the launch gig will take place in New Delhi on 22 July at Depot 48.                                              

“Kahwa Speaks is a movement that consists of an experimental six track Kashmiri-English album and an audio-visual tour. The English translations are a mix of contemporary takes on the poems of Lal ded and Habakhatoon, the traditional wanwun (one of the most traditional music forms of Kashmir) and original compositions. The aim is to introduce the world to the hidden facets of Kashmiri culture by means of an audio-visual performance and story-telling. It is also an attempt to preserve the Kashmiri language as well by creating memorable songs that pique people’s interest in learning the language. The music is more contemporary with a slightly folky sound to create musical renditions that are a reflection of how most of us grew up with diverse modern influences, yet grounded in our roots,” explained Pragnya.

Watch the Burning Fire music video here:

Born in Srinagar and raised in Pune, Pragnya has been a Kashmiri that has lived out of the state but one has a strong connection with her roots. Her endeavour with this album is to help audiences across the world to be introduced to the finer nuances of a forgotten culture and history through an experiential show involving live music, visuals and storytelling. The original lyrics and compositions are aimed at spreading the message of peace and unity, strictly keeping away from any political agendas.

The album also features a song Burning Fire (in Tibetan and English), which was released on 2 December 2016 on her YouTube channel. “The song aims to bring awareness to the often ignored and very critical issue of self-immolations in the Tibetan community and their struggle to preserve their identity. This is a cause I feel really strongly about,” added Pragnya.

She is currently raising funds through crowdfunding for the audio-visual tour and the music video (www.ketto.org/kahwaspeaks) so that they can take this worldwide.