SHREYA BOSE
Protest Music.
A STARTER FOR THE CURIOUS
Motorcycle Shayaries: Less elegant but possibly just as
effective, Rajasthani rap-rock duo, Motorcycle Shayaries
focus their anger on the violent state of the country. Their
exceptionally violent verbosity demands frequent, fervent and
somewhat shameful attention :
Sex nahi hamari sanskriti
Hamari sanskriti to rape hai...
Ham asal khoon ke pyaase hain
Shakahari hain naam ke
(Holi Hai)
Imphal Talkies and The Howlers: If we knew what it was like
to live in Manipur, our hearts would break. If you listen to
the words of the Imphal Talkies, it would come as close to the
same feeling. For example,
Blood Soaked streets
That's my ground
That's where i play around
Sound of gunshots
That's my song
That's my lulla- lullaby
(Lullaby)
The band offers an undiluted understanding of the travails
that the North Eastern states, especially Manipur continue
to endure, and wounds made deeper by the fact that much
of India remains almost entirely unaware of what it is that
drives these men to pen words and play sounds gutted with
pain.
Bollywood: Bollywood isn’t known for making protest a big
part of its commercial roster. While scenes of outrage are
common on the screen, they often serve as a plot device. Not
as the linchpin of the narrative. However, you don’t need to
dig far to find music that will speak to you if you have known
or understood injustice. Case in point : Ranaji ( Gulal ),
Mehengayi Maar Gayi ( Peepli Live), Khoon Chala ( Rang De
Basanti) and Janta Rocks ( Satyagraha ). As always, consider
this a nudge in the direction that gets you to Google “protest
music in Bollywood”.
The Ska Vengers: They conflate and merge dub, punk, jazz and
rap with Cuban and Latin influences. They kicked off “ska”
into an expansive listenership in India. They created a list
of songs that will possibly encourage you to shake a leg or if
you are shy, atleast a shoulder. In addition, they make some
of those songs about censorship of the media ( Badda ) and
about the Indian freedom fighter Shaheed Udham Singh, who
was branded a terrorist and executed for the assassination of
Michael O’Dwyer, the British Lieutenant Governor of Punjab
at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre ( Frank Brazil ).
They also performed in front of 2000 inmates in South Asia’s
largest jail, Tihar, in 2012.
JJI Exile Brothers: Three men in Mcleodganj wield a few
traditional Tibetan instruments like the Tibetan guitar,
Tibetan flute and the yungching (a stringed bow instrument)
as well as a couple of guitars. Then they proceed to make
music that reverberates with tales of a struggle than countless
Tibetans have immersed themselves in – freedom. There are
also exhortations to experience more love, and share more
peace. Relevant, poignant messages that have been a fixture
through history but executed in a fashion unique to the pains
of a particular people with their particular story of brutality.
Are there more? Innumerably so. Does the above list
offer a complete representation of the diverse palates
of sound that this country has created in response to
times of human suffering? Not even close. But they are
proof that while the charts and the radio stations and the
Youtube recommendations might be pushing forth odes to
superficiality and indifference, an alternative, less visited,
less paid for, less shared, less bought but possibly more
related-to strain of songmanship exists. If you wish to return
to the purpose of music that defines it as an instrument of
catharsis and confession, you’ll do well to hear the song of
those the good life has forgotten.
The
Score Magazine
www.thescoremagazine.com
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