Dupatta
Stefan Kaye & Afreen Akhtar
Concept
In the history of art and literature, poetry and music have always had a very close relationship. As early as medieval times, minstrels set tales and poems to the sounds of music to create a new form of artistic and social expression. In the 20th century, however, times began to change, and the marriage of poetry and music played a pivotal role in creating a subculture whose feelings of alienation and anti-conformity drove them to search for something more authentic.
Delhi based musician Stefan Kaye will collaborate with upcoming Urdu poet Afreen Akhtar, resulting in a confluence of two genres and the creation of a powerful and authentic audio-visual experience. Stefan will compose an entire piece in collaboration with folk musicians from Delhi to accompany Afreen’s poetry, and a thematic video will be created to showcase their work.
About Artistes
Stefan Kaye & Afreen Akhtar
Stefan Kaye is a multi-instrumentalist composer and producer, originally from the UK, now based in Delhi and working in the Indian music scene for over a decade. He is the brains behind the popular group, The Ska Vengers, nominated as Best Indian Act by MTV Europe (2016) who performed at Glastonbury Festival, Womad and Bestival, among others, during their tour of Europe. Kaye also founded the bands - Emperor Minge, The Jass B’stards, and Pez RodrÃguez y su Orquesta, for whom he composes music, plays the piano and percussions, and occasionally sings. He has produced, directed and acted in 15 editions of 'Stiff Kittens' The Medicine Show’, a travelling cabaret show with a cast of 30+ musicians, comedians, actors and dancers, staged across India.
Afreen Akhtar is a storyteller, poet and activist based in Delhi who seeks to promote awareness about social issues, especially those related to women and children through discourse and dialogue. She is also the owner of an online thrift store, Ismat Store, which promotes sustainable and environmentally conscious fashion with a twist of art and literature. Some of her works are ‘Kya Yaad Hai Aapko’, ‘Dupatta’ and ‘Prophets of Patriarchy’. She has a YouTube channel and numerous other stories to her credit that she has performed on various stages, including TEDx Gateway, UN Women, The Wire, etc. Currently, she is a Sound Artist with the fellowship ‘Transmitterance’ by Radio Drishti.
