Some music asks to be heard. Some asks you to slow down.
For Hargun Kaur and Kirti Varsani, devotional music has been a shared creative practice since 2014, bringing together two distinct musical traditions and finding contemporary ways to present them without losing their connection to the sacred material at their centre.
Their latest releases, Chandaliyo and Surrender, take that idea in two very different directions. One draws on the movement and celebration of Gujarati folk traditions, while the other settles into a quieter, more reflective space shaped by Punjabi folk roots, traditional shabads and sacred texts.
Released on July 15, 2026, Chandaliyo is a 5:15 single inspired by Gujarati raas, garba and folk music. The track is built around Kirti Varsani’s composition and music direction, Hargun Kaur’s vocals and lyrics by Parth Tarpara. At its centre is a 200 year old traditional chhand by Sadguru Shree Brahmanand Swami, reimagined through a modern rap rhythm.
That contrast is fundamental to the track. The traditional devotional text remains at its core, while the contemporary rhythm gives it a different musical setting. Varsani’s production keeps the arrangement rooted in Gujarati folk tradition, while Kaur’s vocal performance carries both the reverence of the original chhand and the playfulness associated with the raas and garba traditions that inspire the song.
The track credits Roto Shah as arranger and Jay Rathod as music assistant, with recording, dubbing and mixing completed at WoW & Flutter Studio. Tanay Gajjar and Kardamsharma Joshi are credited as mix engineers. Dipesh Mavani handled direction of photography, editing and colour, with Divyesh Chikani and Monik Nakrani credited on the video team. Distribution is credited to Artvik Studios, Vikram N. Chauhan.
If Chandaliyo finds its energy through movement, Surrender takes the opposite route.
Released July 27, 2026, Surrender is a six track devotional album filed under New Age, Ambient and Chant. The record brings Punjabi folk roots and traditional shabads into a contemporary setting, with Kaur’s vocals moving between chant and melody and Varsani’s arrangements giving the songs room to breathe.
The album’s six tracks are Surrender (Ja Tu Mere Wal) at 5:47, Reverence (So Satguru Pyara) at 5:46, Eternal (Saaiyan) at 6:24, Divine Grace (Kar Rehmatan) at 4:26, Refuge (Guru Ramdas Rakho Sarnayi) at 3:46 and Oneness (Ik Onkar) at 2:17. The sequence moves from invocation through devotion and closes with Oneness (Ik Onkar).
Kaur is credited with lead vocals, while Varsani is the album’s music director and one of its composers alongside Kaur. The lyrics draw from traditional sacred texts and shabads adapted for musical performance, alongside original lyrics by Kaur.
The partnership behind the music brings together two different backgrounds. Kaur is from Amritsar, Punjab, and is described as an award winning singer, lyricist and harmonium player. She was a Top 5 finalist on India’s Got Talent and works across more than five languages, bridging classical and contemporary styles.
Varsani is from Bhuj Kutch, Gujarat, and has spent decades composing devotional music, with his work including music for Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan. Their collaboration brings these different traditions together while maintaining a contemporary focus.
Across Surrender, the pair adapt traditional shabads and sacred texts alongside original lyrics, with the album moving from invocation through devotion to the quiet release of its closing track.
Taken together, Chandaliyo and Surrender show the breadth of Kaur and Varsani’s ongoing collaboration. Chandaliyo places a centuries old devotional text inside a modern rhythmic framework, drawing from the communal energy of Gujarati folk traditions. Surrender turns inward, using chant, melody and spacious arrangements to create a devotional record centred on reflection.
The connection between the two releases is not a particular genre or production style, but the way Kaur and Varsani approach traditional material: with the source traditions remaining central while the music creates a contemporary setting around them. After working together since 2014, these releases continue a partnership built around faith, heritage and contemporary musical expression.
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