Global-folk band Mishra and award-winning Indian classical/Sufi vocalist Deepa Shakthi have unveiled the video for their second album single, “Akhiyaan Udeek Diyaan,” set for release on September 26th. This release precedes their highly anticipated debut collaborative album, Turn O Spinning Wheel, due out next month (October 17th).
It was Deepa’s rich repertoire of songs from the qawwali tradition that instantly sparked a creative connection with Mishra, whose music is driven by the exploration of Indian classical rhythms. For Mishra, the ability of qawwali’s hypnotic grooves to invoke a trance-like state opened new possibilities for musical expression.
Akhiyaan Udeek Diyaan is a fresh interpretation of a song by the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, widely regarded as the greatest and most influential qawwal of modern times. The title, which translates to ‘The Eyes Are Waiting’, comes from a Punjabi song about separated lovers. Rendered a Sufi classic by Khan, it is an uplifting, mesmerising, and pulsing song, reimagined here through a cross-cultural lens, making it the perfect opener to the album.
The song’s high-speed low whistle reel, based on the Irish folk tune Rathlin Island, meets the tabla’s driving qawwali groove as Deepa’s free-floating vocals set the tone. The band locks into a full-throttle rhythm with English lyrics weaving through the original song’s themes. The song builds to a euphoric climax as Deepa’s vocals soar with virtuosic intensity and the racing tempo urges the listener towards the qawwali state of trance.
Turn O Spinning Wheel is a vibrant amalgam of folk influences from around the UK and India which sets out to reimagine the boundaries of UK folk music using Indian classical rhythmic and melodic concepts. Founded as a duo with Kate Griffin on banjo and vocals and Ford Collier on low whistle and percussion, Mishra are a collective of musicians, joined here by John Ball on tabla and santoor, Joss Mann-Hazell on double bass, and Alex Lyon on clarinets and vocals and guest percussionist Evan Carson on bodhran, with guitarist Stuart McCallum on production duties.
LIVE DATES 2025
19 Sept Priston Folk Festival
17th Oct Ryepiece Barn, Ettington
18th Oct Stapleford Granary, Cambridgeshire
‘TURN O SPINNING WHEEL’ TOUR
24th Oct Seven Arts, Leeds
6th Nov Acorn Theatre, Penzance
7th Nov Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury
8th Nov Leconfield Hall, Petworth
15th Nov The Victoria Sheffield
16 Nov St Mary’s Creative Space, Chester
21st Nov Waterside Arts, Manchester
28th Nov World Heartbeat, London
29th Nov Pound Arts, Corsham
30 Nov Acapela Studio, Cardiff
Akhiyaan Udeek Diyaan is released as a digital single on 26 September and is available on all digital streaming platforms. It is taken from the album Turning O The Wheel, released on 17 October on (MSR006), available on CD and on all digital streaming platforms.
Pre-Order via Bandcamp: https://mishramusic.bandcamp.com/album/turn-o-spinning-wheel
More: https://www.mishramusic.co.uk/