Dubai-based singer Suchetha Satish marks 150 years of India’s national song with a rendition spanning seven Indian languages and Arabic
Dubai-based Indian singer Suchetha Satish has given a cross-cultural interpretation to Vande Mataram, adding an Arabic verse to a multilingual rendition marking 150 years of India’s national song.
The project, titled “Vande Mataram Beyond Borders”, was created at the request of the Indian People Forum (IPF) in the UAE to commemorate the song’s 150th anniversary. Satish, a Guinness World Record holder for singing in the most languages at a concert, has presented the composition in seven Indian languages before concluding with Arabic.
Satish, who is from Kerala and is based in Dubai, said the decision to include Arabic was intended to reflect the UAE’s importance to the Indian diaspora and the cultural connections between India and the Emirates.
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For the Arabic section, she worked with veteran Emirati poet Dr Shihab Ghanem
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Their collaboration has included several India-UAE musical projects, including Arabic adaptations of Indian works
The singer said translating the historic song involved more than changing words between languages. The team sought to preserve its original meaning, emotion and patriotic character while ensuring that the translated sections fitted naturally with the music.
A team of lyricists contributed to the different language versions, while Satish’s mother, Sumitha Ayilliath, coordinated the production and wrote the Malayalam portion. The original Bengali and Sanskrit verses by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee were retained.
Vande Mataram was composed by Chatterjee in 1875 and later included in his novel Anandamath. It became a major symbol of India’s freedom movement.
The new rendition was formally released in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, where Satish subsequently performed at an Independence Day concert attended by about 3,300 people, mainly students.
The release comes as India and its overseas communities observe the song’s 150th anniversary through cultural programmes and commemorative events.
