Watch: Christmas is over, but this qawwali remix of ‘Jingle Bells’ lives on
It’s a cliché, but music really can break every barrier.
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Musician and composer Mayookh Bhaumik, known for film soundtracks and for experimenting with genres, has taken the world’s best-known Christmas carol down the qawwali route.
With the vocals accompanied by a harmonium, a tabla, and a dholak, among other instruments, this is Jingle Bells with the hypnotic rhythm of qawwali instead of the rousing lilt of the traditional version. And just as, if not more, cheerful.
Bhaumik, who won a National Award for best background score for the film Laptop in 2012, told The Indian Express, “It began as a fun thing. The idea of some Hindu boys getting together and singing a Muslim form of music for a Christian holiday was quite interesting.”