Performance
Madan Gopal Singh (singer, writer, composer); Deepak Castelino (guitarist); Pritam Ghosal (sarod player); Amjad Khan (percussionist)

Chaar Yaar’s evocative musical repertoire weaves centuries of Sufi poetry together, intertwining elegies and laments. Their performances frequently draw from Punjabi lore and legends from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, while reflecting on histories of Indian partition, secular struggles and diverse devotional traditions surrounding love, exile and kinship. Their unique approach bridges cultural boundaries by exploring intersections within a wide gamut of poetic traditions ranging from those by spiritual seekers such as Kabir, Lal Ded, Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid and Khwaja Ghulam Farid to contemporary poets like Bertolt Brecht, Federico García Lorca, Rabindranath Tagore, Puran Singh, Nâzım Hikmet, Rasul Hamzatov, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Nagarjun. Using Madan Gopal Singh’s original translations, Chaar Yaar famously blends a host of literary trajectories within a singular harmonious song.