No Stranger Here is inspired by poetry of the 16th century Indian poet Kabir from the Bhakti Movement (500-1700 AD) that swept across India as a rebellion against religious orthodoxy, caste distinctions and Brahmanic rituals. The movement propagated equality, love, peace and harmony, and remains relevant even today, against worldwide prevalence of religious bigotry, discrimination, and communal orthodoxy that fuel wars and unrest.
Shubha Mudgals's rendition of this ancient poetry is the reference point for the poetry written by Ursula Rucker specifically for this album, set against the cross-cultural global soundscape of Business Class Refugees, draw a deep, contemporary parallel.
Lyrically, the track A Stranger Here / Pardesi is the pivot of the album’s concept: the poetry Shubha and Ursula render express being and feeling a stranger in this world, of being alone; not finding meaning, mooring or understanding. As prolifically expressed cross time by lovers, artists, saints and devotees – humanity is no stranger to spiritual emptiness, not belonging, intellectual questioning, and the contradiction of being a stranger in a familiar world.
With individual sensitivity, awareness, respect and the special artistic understanding of their own and different cultures, the four artists of this album are no strangers to the world of musical artistry, coming together in rich diversity to become the timeless spiritual voice of humanity.
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"No Stranger Here is beguiling and enchanting in equal measure, but also a bit bonkers. It's easy to get melodically hypnotised listening to them as their strange brew is made to shift your consciousness, but there's also a dark undercurrent in most of their work that rewards the listening experience with a heavy melancholy that's addictive to certain souls...like me". - Bobby Friction, BBC Asian Network
"EarthSync's latest offering is a real treat. Part devotional meditation, part savvy supplication for a sense of universality through music, No Stranger Here dazzles listeners with the hypnotic vocals of Ms. Mudgal and Ms. Rucker's razor sharp poetry and spoken word sections against the wildly rich tapestry of the Business Class Refugees". - World Music Central