"I was born in the holy city of Allahabad (Prayag) and studied music with my master Late Kaviraj Ashoutosh Bhattacharya in Benares (Kashi) right next to the place where the immortal poets Kabir and Tulsi sat and wrote their immortal and sacred poetry. This place, right at the ghats (banks) of the Ganges, was where I learnt to play the tabla, this place where today people are still singing the songs of Kabir and Tulsi. This is why these two poets had a great impact on me. Their work will always remind me of the time growing up in Prayag and learning music with my Guruji in Kashi.

As a musician travelling around the globe I am constantly working with various kinds of music traditions, playing with many wonderful musicians and hearing styles of music that have significance in today’s world. It has always been my desire to interpret these great works in a contemporary context, in the language of the modern world and for the ears of today’s generation, without obscuring the sentiment and divinity of the poetry itself. This project’s combination of India’s traditional music with jazz, rock, western classical and electronics is something that has come naturally to me and has grown out of my musical experiences.

I have tried to portray Kabir and Tulsi using the musical resources of today, resources that are shared by all of us; hence the name Kabir, Tulsi and Us."

-Udai Mazumdar