MUMBAI: Apart from being popular for songs like ‘Iktara’ (Wake Up Sid) and ‘Tum Hi Ho Bandu’ (Cocktail), Kavita Seth is also known to love poetry. In 2014, she released an album ‘Trance with Khushrow’, which is based on poems by Amir Khushrow. Seth’s love for poetry runs so deep, that the singer even decided to perform poems by Mirza Ghalib, Rumi, Kabir and Bulleh Shah at her concert ‘Anandotsav- A Live Sufi Concert’, which took place on 10 June.

“There is so much literature in India, which we as Indian need to promote, and Indian literature and poetry will always be my first preference. We actually do not need to go anywhere else or sing crass lyrics, which is something I have even followed in my career. After ‘Tum Hi Bandu’, there were producers who called me up to sing item numbers, but I refused,” said Seth. The date 10 June, also marks the birthday of her husband, KK Seth, who passed away in 2011, and by performing at the concert, she also paid tribute to him.

Her album ‘Trance to Khushrow’, whose music was composed by her son Kanish, was nominated for a GiMA Award earlier this year. “Considering the fact that the album got nominated, it is evident that good music is appreciated. For Kanish it was more like he got nominated alongside AR Rahman, so he was overwhelmed,” she added.  Being the mother of two boys, both of whom wish to pursue music careers, she ensures that the two of them do their riyaaz. “Their training began at a very young age, when we were in Delhi; both used to learn the piano. Riyaaz is the only way through which an artiste can move forward. Even to this day, I do my riyaaz on the tanpura and harmonium,” she explained.

Apart from her independent projects, she recently recorded a song for Himmesh Reshammiya, which will be released soon.