AHMEDABAD: When one thinks of Germany and music, the symphony of thoughts usually leads to Beethoven, but many Germans have found their ode to joy in famous Gujarati songs.
The highpoint of a new cultural flourish was heard by a gathering at Stadtkirche Sankt Michael, or St Michael church, in the German city of Jena. These were the ragas of romanticism composed by the revered Gujarati poet Zaverchand Meghani. The songs played that day included “Ho raj mane laagyo kasumbi no rang” and “Man mor bani thangaat kare”. These are timeless classics in Gujarat. On October 15 last year, Hardik Chauhan, originally from Ahmedabad’s Asarwa, sung them at the Jena church. And the chorus that swelled to the rafters was provided by German singers.
