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Award-winning filmmaker, poet and lyricist Sumathy Ram’s latest musical collaboration, “LoVE (Pyaar),” brings together Afrobeat, Latin music, Indian classical music and Vedic traditions in an international project centered on “love, unity and peace.”
Ram, who has gained recognition for a musical film, is currently working on another project in the genre. Her artistic collaborations have included prominent figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
Released September 13, “LoVE (Pyaar)” is the first track from Nigerian artist Baba Kuboye’s “Afroverse II: Global Cycle,” an evolving musical project that explores connections among cultures through contemporary music.
The song features five languages: Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Swahili and Nigerian Pidgin English. According to a statement, it brings several musical traditions together in a single composition.
Ram, who collaborated with Kuboye on the song, has described her broader artistic journey as an effort to honor influential figures, demonstrate “solidarity for collective healing, and a quest for unity.”
“Her creative pursuits have encompassed poetry and lyrics embedded in symphonic compositions, and currently, she is advancing both symphonic orchestral works and documentary projects, with plans for future premieres to be announced at a later date,” the statement noted.
At the center of “LoVE (Pyaar)” is Ram’s interest in creating a dialogue between cultural heritage and contemporary artistic expression. The song draws from three major musical traditions, each contributing a different dimension to its central theme of “Unity in Love.”
Kuboye’s Afrobeat provides the rhythmic foundation. Influenced by the musical legacy of Fela Kuti, Afrobeat has traditionally blended rhythm, improvisation and social commentary. In “LoVE (Pyaar),” the genre offers a contemporary framework for expressing the project’s message of cultural exchange and collective connection.
“The song’s Latin dimension adds another layer of rhythm and emotional expression. Latin musical traditions themselves reflect centuries of interaction among Indigenous, African and European cultures,” the statement added. “Canadian-born artist Farah Mitha, also known as FIREFLY, contributes to this element of the collaboration. With Kenyan and Indian roots, she brings a multilingual and genre-crossing approach to the project, describing her musical identity as ‘world pop with a soul.’”
The composition’s third strand draws from Indian classical music and Vedic traditions. Elements associated with raga, tala and mantra introduce a contemplative and spiritual dimension to the work.
The breadth of the music is also intended to connect with diaspora communities across different cultural settings.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej joined the collaboration at Ram’s invitation. Kej’s music has blended Indian classical influences with Western orchestration while addressing environmental and social issues. His participation creates another link between Indian musical traditions and contemporary international composition.
Ram’s concept and initial lyrics helped shape the song, while the broader team collectively developed its composition and production. One of its central inspirations is the Rig Vedic verse X.192.2, beginning “Om samgacchadwam samvadadwam,” which speaks of moving together, speaking together and bringing minds into harmony.
The verse holds particular significance in Ram’s interpretation of the project. According to Kanchi Paramacharya, its message calls for unity of purpose, shared feelings and harmony of thought, offering a broader vision of intercultural understanding.
For Ram, this philosophy provides the conceptual link among musical traditions that emerged in distinctly different geographical and cultural settings. Instead of presenting them as isolated forms, “LoVE (Pyaar)” places Afrobeat rhythms, Latin influences and Indian spiritual elements within a shared musical space.
Ram attended this year’s GRAMMY Hall of Fame event in Los Angeles with Kuboye. An advertisement for “LoVE (Pyaar)” appeared in the event’s program book and received recognition.
“I am honored to have participated in an evening set aside to honor recordings that have profoundly influenced the cultural and creative world of music across the globe,” Ram said.
Established in 1973, the GRAMMY Hall of Fame recognizes recordings considered to have lasting artistic and cultural significance while celebrating music’s influence across generations and genres.
The multilingual character of “LoVE (Pyaar)” is central to its effort to communicate across linguistic and geographical boundaries. Hindi and Sanskrit connect the song to Indian linguistic and philosophical traditions, while English, Swahili and Nigerian Pidgin English broaden its reach among African and international audiences.
The project is intended to be more than a conventional cross-genre collaboration. By combining rhythm, melody, language and spiritual themes, the song seeks to foster a musical conversation among different cultural traditions.
For Ram, the project is part of an evolving body of work connecting music with remembrance, healing and human solidarity. Her work in film, poetry and music explores how artistic expression can create space for reflection while bringing diverse audiences together.
“LoVE (Pyaar)” is available on multiple streaming platforms. The single marks the opening chapter of “Afroverse II: Global Cycle,” with additional works expected to expand the project’s exploration of global musical traditions and contemporary collaboration.
At its core, “LoVE (Pyaar)” advances a simple idea: Music can transcend cultural boundaries and create a shared language of empathy, peace and human connection.
