A song that once travelled through the streets of colonial India as a cry for freedom has returned to the grooves of a gramophone record, 121 years after it was first recorded. This time, Vande Mataram speaks in three languages, carries the voices of four generations and brings together musicians who have reunited after years.
The release coincides with the nationwide commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram, which began on November 7, 2025. At the heart of this musical journey is The Anthem: Vande Mataram, a specially curated vinyl album that seeks to preserve the many voices of India's national song.
The album, conceived by the Centre for Gramophone and Allied Studies (CeGRAMS), was recently unveiled by Carnatic vocalist Alamelu Mani, the mother and first music teacher of singer Hariharan. Its release also revived the observance of Vande Mataram Day, a tradition that organisers trace to 1937. What distinguishes the record is its attempt to bring together different linguistic and musical interpretations of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's composition.
Alongside the complete original song, it features a Tamil rendition based on the translation by poet Subramania Bharati and an English interpretation drawn from a 1906 translation by British officer William Herbert Lee. Hariharan has composed the Tamil and English versions, while the album also incorporates instrumental interpretations and taranas inspired by the national song.
The English rendition marks another reunion. Hariharan and Leslee Lewis, who together formed the celebrated musical duo Colonial Cousins, have joined hands again, bringing their distinctive musical styles to a composition rooted in India's freedom struggle.
The project began with a conversation between Hariharan and CeGRAMS founder Akhilesh Jha. What followed was six months of musical work, bringing together historical translations, classical traditions and contemporary arrangements. The album's journey also reached Rashtrapati Bhavan, when Hariharan and Alamelu Mani accompanied by Jha presented its first copy to President Droupadi Murmu recently.
Four generations of Hariharan's family contributed their voices to the recording. During the meeting, the President listened to the vinyl on a turntable, while Hariharan performed the national song.
The choice of vinyl carries particular historical significance. In 1905, when the freedom movement was gathering momentum, Vande Mataram had already entered the world of recorded sound. More than a century later, CeGRAMS has returned to the same medium to document its musical evolution.