Top 5 Indie Songs to listen to this Election Season
As the country once again sets out in the heat to cast their vote for a brighter future, these indie musicians are taking their turn to create an impact with their protest songs.
The present ruling party hasn’t been very popular with the youth of the country. With their tendency to blame anyone speaking against the government and tag them as “anti-nationalists” it will be quite hard to turn the young people to their favor. However, the party’s latest track to promote themselves in this election season seems like a desperate plea for the youth’s favor.
In an attempt to attract first time voters, the party has released a ridiculous hip-hop track which- let’s just say- is downright cringeworthy. The catchline goes as, “My first vote to the one, one and only one who has got everything done” with a few youngsters making some Hip-Hop moves. It has been criticized for hypocrisy as the party is infamous for its conservative nature and hatred towards the so-called “Western culture”, whereas on the video it does not shy away from anything Western.
However, considering that music has time and again played a vital role in the political climate of any country this might be a good time to check out what the indie music scene is up to. Musicians from across the country have come together to voice out their opinion about the present ruling party, and it is not a surprise that most of their lyrics are angry and their sound is like a hammer hitting against the wall trying to warn us of the danger that is coming. Be it Kashmir, the North East, or the South it seems the youth of the country have joined hands to stand up against all the intolerance which has seen a steep hike in the past few years.
As India plunges into the seventh phase of this year’s Lok Sabha elections, here are the top five indie songs/music that you should consider listening:
- RollsRoy’s ‘Poorna Swaraj’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5evMTpafTc
As a stark contradiction to the party’s track, ‘Poorna Swaraj’ is a subtly penned down complain about everything which has gone very wrong in the last five years. The song, composed by New Delhi based Hip-Hop singer Sumit Roy aka RollsRoy’s, confutes the party’s 2014 General Election slogan, “Acche din aane wale hain” (Good days will come). In his song, Roy asks, “Kya yehi hai acche din?” (Are these the good days) as he builds up on the line, “Poorna Swaraj! Par Shabdo pe lathi kyun?”. Roy’s song echoes the fear of the youth that their freedom of speech will be nothing but a promise left on paper with no actual practice.
2. Pragnya Wakhlu’s ‘Kahwa Speaks’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOubakkiQEA
If Roy’s song adds to your perception, then Wakhlu’s song is all about changing the perception of people when it comes to Kashmir. It is not an unknown fact that five years of Modi’s rule have proved extremely costly for the Kashmir. However, Wakhlu’s songs try not to concentrate on what went wrong but they are a reminder of everything that could be marred if the government does not do something regarding the tumultuous conditions in the valley. Her songs deal with the ordinary things of life such as Kahwa, and in her own attempt she reminds the world of all the beautiful things Kashmir has to offer. With a mixed lyrics in both Kashmiri and English, she tells the story of every Kashmiri who have been compelled to fight an endless war.
3. Arivarasu Kalainesan’s ‘Anti Indian’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHUmhdWNFMM
The South will fight back! That is the hope the country is relying on at the moment, and Kalainesan’s raging track is a promise to fight back. Over the last few years, the youth have been accused of “anti-nationalism” and anyone who has tried to question the government are tagged as “Anti-Indian”. In his track, the Tamil rapper asks a significant question, “Where is your Aadhar card? Without that do you even exist?” followed by, “The entire nation comes at a price.” He then asks, “What? Are you calling me an anti-Indian?” That final question sums up exactly how the youth feel at the moment. Kalainesan’s track reminds us of the underlying dictatorship that the nation has slipped into, and his lyrics is the hard-hitting truth that the nation needs to hear.
4. Rigsum Pakhrin’s ‘Trapped in the Hills’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msYhpkbj-YE
On one hand, Kashmir finds itself on the verge of being torn, on the other hand, people of Darjeeling are trying to remain united for as long as they can. Pakhrin’s track, ‘Trapped in the Hills’, takes us back to the 104-days long Gorkhaland agitation which followed after the West Bengal government declared Bengali language to be made compulsory in every school across the state. The decade old fight to have a state of their own reignited and Pakhrin’s song calls out to the people who have lost their loved ones in their fight to remain united. His song plays a significant role this election season as it sings the tale of those who don’t get the chance to even speak up against their own state government.
5. Rahul Rajkhowa’s Rap against Citizenship Amendment Bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PS95QWuHy4
The Assamese rapper hasn’t been at all satisfied with the Citizenship Amendment Bill and his track is a direct confrontation against the present ruling party. In his attempt to lash out against the Center’s attempt to pass the bill in Rajya Sabha he tries to raise awareness about the bill. His lyrics are anything but subtle as they claim, “Given the area India the most populated/ And it's gonna get worse/ Cause of the bill you created.” The bill undeniably makes a strict distinction between Muslims and other immigrants. Rajkhowa’s song hits us with the harsh reality of lack of land and resources which will be a matter of concern for the other immigrants,, as he says, “You ain't doing enough to shelter the ones that we have./ You couldn't even save 15 miners in the northeast with the whole country watching this./ Now fresh immigrants should be a part of this?”
