Diepak Ramjiawan was only six years old when he started learning Indian classical music. He developed his devotion for music in temples. It was there that he started singing his very first songs. In temples and during satsangs, Diepak’s passion for music is reflected at its best. His voice is his instrument for bringing more joy to people and sharing with them the value of music. Two years ago, he stepped out of his cocoon of temple and satsang world by sharing meaningful music through his YouTube channel Mantra Vibes, and through this, Diepak is reaching a much wider audience.
“I think it is important to promote Indian classical music to a wider audience. Because I have observed that in my close circle there is little interest in listening to Indian classical music. Therefore, my goal is to make the music attractive to my family and friends and to make it more appealing. This motivation has also become my challenge to develop myself further in music. The enthusiasm of those around me was also a good incentive to present more of myself as a singer. Since I started Mantra Vibes, I am fortunate to receive a lot of positive reactions and encouragement from my followers.“
Creating Accessible Music
A favorite Raag of Diepak is Raag Ahilya Bilawal, this Raag is known to create a pleasing mood and with great excitement he refers to the composition of the legendary singer Kishori Amonkar Pavan Batariya Gailo Mai.
Indian classical music might feel heavy – or inaccessible – to the mainstream audience, which is precisely why Diepak tries to capture the attention of his audience by presenting Indian classical music in a more accessible fashion. He experiments by mixing musical styles. For instance, he sings devotional songs in a Raag.
“This is a way of cultivating more love for Indian classical music. I think about the things that people want to hear in these times and try to build my repertoire on them and create a piece of music that is beautiful. As soon as I make Indian classical music more accessible, I notice that the audience can listen to it longer and my hope is that at some point they can also start to love pure Indian classical music“.
A Better World
On social media, it is quite clear, that Diepak is achieving success after success with his music, and more people are being moved by it. A growing number of people are being influenced and find his style of music enjoyable. He even receives videos from followers singing along to his songs. Diepak gets a lot of energy from this interaction. He is also surprised by the impact he is able to create with his voice.
“Initially, I made music for myself. But now I want to make the world a better place by using my voice. I want to help people to function better at work or at home and I am grateful that I can make a positive contribution to society by making music. I get excited when I see videos of people singing along to my YouTube videos while they are driving to work. Every ‘thank you’ and every ‘grateful’ encourages me to do my best.”
Making music together with other musicians is also a great experience, according to Diepak. After a long time, he performed at Muses of Mindfulness on October 2021. “It was an amazing experience and the stage felt like coming home. During the rehearsals with fellow musicians, we gave a piece of ourselves and this resulted in a magnificent musical explosion. That was a special feeling“.
Many Faces of Love
“Now I am really looking forward to taking part in the next DesiYUP project, ‘Many Faces of Love’, which will be performed next year on the 13th of February in De Doelen, Rotterdam. It is really the project of the year for me, because it is a wonderful mix of telling historically-based stories from a spiritual perspective. Each story is characterized by a particular emotion and I’m going to sing various raga’s that enhance these emotions. It will certainly be a successful collaboration with Shivali (storyteller) and Annelieke (violin), because both ladies also express their feelings through their voice and music“.
For more information about Many Faces of Love and ticket sales visit this link.
