Beyond Sight: 'Soulful' band proves music has no boundaries

LUCKNOW They may not see their audience, but this musical band's performances draw music lovers from every corner of the university. A group of visually impaired students from Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU) has formed a unique musical ensemble. Aptly named 'Soulful', it is India's first all-visually impaired university music band.
Known for promoting secularism through music, these visually-impaired students are not confined to just one music form. They hold a grip on sufi, Indian classical music, mehfil ghazals, along with bhajans and qawwalis.
A brainchild of MA English first-semester student Pandit Vijay Upreti, a singer and instrumentalist who has been doing stage performances since his childhood, brought together other visually impaired students of the university to form this band.
"For me, music is the purest form of prayer, which is free from all biases, religious beliefs, and others. I have been visually-impaired since birth and have learned music by listening to veteran singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Sonu Nigam, and others. I joined DSMNRU in 2021 and was highly motivated by the response of my teachers and classmates when I performed during New Year celebrations in my classroom," said Pandit Vijay Upreti, a native of Agra.
"After my performance I got to meet BA student Vipin Chauhan, a fantastic banjo player and Bhojpuri singer, DEd student Ankit Tiwari, who is excellent at dholak and singing, and MA political science student Satyam Verma, a mobile octapad player. This is how the 'Soulful' band was formed. We made our debut this month during the screening of the 'Chandu Champion' movie in our university, where a crowd of 2,000 students in the auditorium appreciated our performance by clapping for a minute or so," he said.
"'Soulful' is the university's first-ever all-blind students' official music band. The group of these four students is gradually being joined by more visually-impaired students. An exceptional sense of rhythm, pitch, and beat knowledge allows them to deliver performances that are mellifluous and melodious," said DSMNRU vice-chancellor Prof Sanjay Singh.
He said the formation of 'Soulful' marked a significant milestone for the visually-impaired community, showcasing their musical prowess and challenging societal perceptions. Through their music, these students aimed to inspire and empower others, proving that disability was no barrier to achieving excellence in the arts, he said.
"My father, Madan Lal Verma, who is a driver by profession, gifted me a synthesizer since I had an inclination towards music. But due to physical constraints, I could not learn it. Now, I went back to my hobby through our band," said Satyam.