The Ska Vengers sing songs of protest and social change. As a Delhi band that blends ska/ reggae music with dub, jazz, punk and hip hop, this six-member group has a unique identity within the Indian music scene. It’s a killer combination of poetry and politics. For instance, last year they released a song titled “Modi, A Message To You” on the lines of “A Message To You, Rudy” by Jamaican musician Dandy Livingstone, and it’s set to a beat that stays in your head long after you stop sniggering at the political jibe (an uppercut to the chin, actually) in the lyrics. This month, The Ska Vengers are set to release a new song “Frank Brazil” and an accompanying animated video, which is their tribute to freedom fighter Udham Singh who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.The band comprises of vocalists Delhi Sultanate (Taru Dalmia) and Begum X, Stefan ‘Flexi’ Kaye (organ/percussion), Chaitanya Bhalla (guitar), Tony ‘Bass’ Guinard (bass) and Nikhil Vasudevan (drums), with support from Shirish Malhotra (tenor saxophone) and Kishore Sodha (trumpet). Their songs have an infectious rhythm that tends to get a crowd bopping on its feet. Q. Tell us what inspired the song and the idea behind the animation style of “Frank Brazil”.Tisha Deb Pillai and Kunal Sen (Animators): When the Ska Vengers approached us to create a video for this song, we didn't have a specific look or treatment in mind, other than the fact that it had to be good. We had two starting points – the song itself, and the background history of Udham Singh's life and motivations. The narrative and animation style developed organically along the way as we joined the dots between the two.We were keen on adopting a slightly different route from the conventional “textbook” representations of our Indian freedom fighters. We wanted to humanise Udham Singh – a real man on a real journey.Q. Why does your cultural orientation come from the West Indies? What is your connection with the Caribbean – is it just a preference for this style of music or are there other reasons?Delhi Sultanate (Vocalist with The Ska Vengers): I would say it’s both. As a youth of about 14, I fell in love with reggae music. It was conscious, it spoke of history and politics, and as a youth it was a welcome reprieve from vacuous dumbed down mainstream entertainment culture. I do feel that there should be more cultural dialogue and exchange between the former colonies – between India and Africa, South America and the Carribean. We had the same colonial masters and there are many parralels in our societies and cultures today. We have infinitely more to learn from our colonial comrades than from Europe and America.Q, Is there more awareness for ska music locally since you’ve been performing?Delhi Sultanate: Absolutely. Today it is not uncommon for audience members to request specific songs or know the lyrics to our songs. When we started out, the band and our style of music was completely unknown. Of course, ska is still largely unknown in the country but there is a perceptible change from when we started out. There is an increased awareness of reggae music and culture in general.Q. How do you feel your band has evolved from the time you started performing music, to now?Delhi Sultanate: Two things have happened – on the one hand, we have all improved as performers. We have become more confident and, personally, I can say that my writing and delivery has come a long way. Also, musically we have become more diverse. Ska and reggae still form the core of our band but you will also find Afro-beat and punk-sounding tunes on the upcoming album. “Frank Brazil” is not a ska song. Perhaps it’s closer to hip hop.Q. Does the fact that you’re from/ based in Delhi, the political capital of India, in any way influence your musical leanings?Delhi Sultanate: Not necessarily, I know I would love Carribean music even if I was living in another city. That being said, Delhi, being the capital and centre of power, does have a hard and, at times, brutal edge to it. I’m sure this finds itself into our music... maybe in the lyrics we write or in the sound that we produce.Q. Do you feel the audience for music in India is largely homogenous or in your experience, different Indian cities lean towards different musical styles and themes more?Delhi Sultanate: One can definitely discern a difference in differnet cities. It also depends a lot on the venue. Is it an upmarket place? Or a more inclusive space? Performing for students or in solidarity with political events are two completely different ball games, so it’s difficult to generalise on the basis of city alone. We have always enjoyed playing in Bangalore because the crowds that we have experienced there have been very open and energetic. I also enjoyed playing at the Kochi Bienale because it was a very mixed crowd. Anglicized, non-anglicized, some pretentious folk, students... it was a mixed crowd and everybody got down and started dancing towards the end.Q. Did you get any fanatic backlash to your track/ video “Modi: A Message to You”?Delhi Sultanate: So far the backlash has been confined to internet trolls who wish death upon us and one time some goons showed up at a Word Sound Power event I had organized. Not sure who they were, maybe they were Intelligence guys. Luckily, so far we have not received the kind of treatment that’s been meted out to the likes of Jiten Marandi or Kabir Kala Manch.Q. Since your music mostly follows a political theme, what are your views on patriotism – in the larger picture, does it only cause problems or is it essential in imparting a sense of identity?Delhi Sultanate: Patriotism comes in many forms and sizes. Don’t forget that the ersthile chief minister of Andhra Pradesh refered to the Naxals as true patriots. This was before he was elected, of course. He assumed a different tone post the elections. If by patriotism you mean love for the land, nature and people of a given place, then I would welcome it. As long as it’s not a feeling that is constructed against another group of people. While I believe in love for the land and people, I am very sceptical of blind adherence to the nation state. People should be sceptical towards their governments and too often feelings of patriotism or nationalism are inculcated in order to promote a very narrow idea of what it means to be Indian. Humanity cannot afford this narrow and destructive way of thinking any longer.Q. You performed at Tihar Jail a few years ago. How was the experience and what kind of a response did you get?Delhi Sultanate: What can I say, it was a trip to be inside the jail. I felt priviledged that I got a chance to perform there and also to represent reggae music. We did not really censor or tailor our performance for the jail gig. At first, the response was a bit muted. This also had to do with the fact that prisoners were not allowed to stand up and dance. Gradually, the guards somewhat relented and small groups of prisoners got up and started busting out moves and ‘breaking’ in front of their fellow inmates. The only thing I can say is that I wish there had been less distance between us and the prisoners. There was a buffer between us and the audience, then came a row of jail officials and then behind that were the inmates.Q. So who would you pick as your heroes (living, and from around the world) at the moment and why?Delhi Sultanate: You caught me off guard (haha). I’ve never been asked this before. If I was to talk about people whom I’ve met personally, I would cite Bhagwan Majhi from Orissa. He’s been a leader in the people’s movement in Kashipur and is a brilliant songwriter and singer. I also admire Gaddar for his talent and for what he has accomplished over the years.Q. Since a lot is wrong with the world, and all of that inspires your music and inspires your band’s philosophy, in your opinion, what is right with the world at the moment?Delhi Sultanate: At this very moment I would say mangoes are definitely right with the world. “Frank Brazil” releases on July 31, 2015.Follow @ARTINFOIndia
↧