Subway Bhaktis – A Cup of Tea (2024)
“When words fall to silence, music steps in and carries us to the heart of who we are…” – I like that. A quote by singer-songwriter Rachel Zinman, she captures the core of music; the raw emotion and how it speaks words that are beyond language. Part of the critically acclaimed, award-winning Subway Bhaktis, Zinman’s vocals have been described as “poetry set to music…” Today, I have the honour of delving into that sonic poetry, so why not join me on the journey?
A quick background to Subway Bhaktis, just so we’re on the same page. In the early 1990s, singer-songwriter and yoga instructor Rachel Zinman began chanting mantras she learned from her yoga teacher in New York on the subway. Nyck Jeanes became intrigued and quickly the pair placed music to the chants; hence, Subway Bhaktis was born. In 2003, producer Kamal Engels joined the pair, and they released three award-winning albums. Unfortunately, life took hold and things changed over the years but there is a silver lining. The lining is Subway Bhaktis’ new single ‘A Cup of Tea’.
The first release since Subway Bhaktis’ 2010 album Rasa Lila, ‘A Cup of Tea’ is a simplistic offering of vintage folk. The “phoenix out of the ashes” tune, ‘A Cup of Tea’ is a barebones exposition of raw emotion, vulnerability and tender fragility; however, as delicate and fragile as it might be, there is a hint of soothing, rich hopefulness lingering in the tune.
Produced with Kamal Engels, the track is minimalistic and stark using a free-form combination of acoustic guitars and vocals. Interestingly, as with the melding of hope and vulnerability, complexity exists in the melody making the barebones arrangement kaleidoscopic. Perhaps it is the underlying whisper of Jacob Ziman-Jeanes’ synths and piano… whatever it is, ‘A Cup of Tea’ is youthful innocence clinging to mature sincerity. I love it!
In addition to the single, Subway Bhaktis released an official music video for ‘A Cup of Tea’. You can view the video below or on their YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Subway Bhaktis on their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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