Vande Mataram "I praise to thee, Mother". The "mother goddess" in later verses of the song has been interpreted as the motherland of the people – Bangamata (Mother Bengal) and "Bharat Mata" (Mother India), though the text does not mention this explicitly. It played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. It became a popular marching song for political activism and Indian freedom movement in 1905. Spiritual Indian nationalist and philosopher Sri Aurobindo referred it as "National Anthem of Bengal". The song and
I Exalt Thee I Exalt Thee I Exalt Thee is a 1983 album by trumpeter and singer Phil Driscoll. It was released in 1983 on LP by Sparrow Records. The album was released on cassette in 1988. In addition to its regular CD release, in 1998 Driscoll re-performed and re-recorded the album under his own label, adding another track "I Will Bless the Lord", with the title "I Exalt Thee: 1998". The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Gospel Performance. It also garnered Driscoll the 1984 GMA Dove Award for Instrumentalist of the Year, and the album was nominated for the