Karma’s musical tribute to mom Nargis

BAVINA SOOKDEO

Popular band Karma is paying tribute to the bond between a mother and her children through its release of Yeh Bandhan Toh (Bond of Love), a song which also celebrates familial love.

The song from the Bollywood movie Karan Arjun (1995) was redone by siblings Ravi, Nisha, Nalini and Anil Bissambhar. The video, which was released earlier this week, features their mother Nargis Bissambhar, 71, with her children.

When translated the lyrics say:

Of the temple of motherly love,

you’re the most beloved idol

I can see God whenever I see your face.

Whenever I come in this world,

I'll only find your scarf;

On the wall of multiple births,

I'll write about my love.

This bond is a bond of love,

it's a union of many births

Producers Ravi B and Anil B are delighted by the positive reception the song has garnered.

“While this was intended as a token of love to our mother, we were very happy that thousands of people were able to connect with our song and share in the love with their mothers as well. We are overwhelmed by the positive messages from people around the world in response to this, with many sharing that they were moved to tears by the love they felt in the song and video,” they said.

What inspired Karma to feature Nargis in the video?

“It has always been our mother’s wish for the four of us to collaborate on a song, so we made it happen as a Mother’s Day gift to her.

"We picked this song because it is a perfect depiction of our love and bond with each other. We wanted to create a forever memory with our mother to show her how much we love, honour, appreciate and cherish her.”

While they did the song specially for their mother, the siblings admitted that in a way, their late father, Jeewanlal Bissambhar, inspired this project as well.

“Our father passed away suddenly at age 56 and there is so much we never got to do or share with him. We were all very young at the time and his unexpected death dealt us all a harsh blow. We have so little photos or recorded memories of him, which we truly regret. We made a big effort to make this happen so at least we can preserve this as part of our mother’s legacy.

"Our dad was a key influence in our lives in every aspect. He was a talented musician and singer who guided and encouraged his children to discover their full musical potential,” Karma said.

The video shoot was not without its challenges. With Nalini living abroad and the demanding schedules of all involved, it is a rare occurrence and always a challenge to get all the siblings in the same place at the same time. Nalini came to Trinidad specifically for this project, and as a surprise to Nargis.

“Mummy was unaware of her involvement and was totally stunned when she arrived on site.

“The emotions and love seen in the video were actual moments captured on camera. Our mother was in total bliss during the shoot, which is clearly seen and felt in the video.” Everyone in the video wears pink which is Nargis’ favourite colour.

Nargis' participation in the video was itself a surprise to her as she was under the impression she was going to do a photoshoot.

“Our mother is a very shy and reserved person who needed to be coaxed into this. She was led to believe that she was preparing for a photoshoot and became a bit flustered and overwhelmed when we began taping. However, she was soon able to relax and enjoy the shoot. She was truly overjoyed to be with her four children, and this is seen and felt in the song and video.”

The music for Yeh Bandhan Toh was produced by S Rocks Music, with vocal design by Basslab Studios, and mixed and mastered by Anil at Basslab Studios. Cinematography was done by Dinesh Maharaj, and the video was directed by Vaneeta Gobin.

The band extends special thanks to U-Pick Trinidad at Tucker Valley Road, Chaguaramas, where the video was filmed. Karmas also acknowledges the original singers of Yeh Bandhan Toh – Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, and Alka Yagnik, along with its music director Rajesh Roshan, and lyricist Indeevar.

For Mother’s Day, Karma is urging everyone to cherish, not only their moms but all parents.

“Our message is clear – treasure your parents while they are alive. Shower them with love, affection, patience and attention while they are here on earth because you never know when they can be snatched from you. Spend time with them, create memories and take lots of pictures and videos to preserve your family’s legacy.”

In existence for 22 years, Karma performs soca, chutney soca, Bollywood, hip-hop, electronic dance music, pop, dance and alternative music.

The band performs internationally and has supporters around the world. Karma recently performed to a sold-out event in Toronto and is in New York for a Mother’s Day event. After, its next stop is in Berbice for Guyana’s Independence celebrations.

When Karma returns from Guyana, it will begin to prepare for its rebranded concert titled Ravi Beyond at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, on June 15. The concert will feature Bollywood sensation Raghav and his hit song Teri Baton Mein. Karma then returns to Guyana for Clash of the Titans on June 22 at Guyana's National Stadium.