south asian music recs pt 1

ok. i might just be very indian but i have barely seen any south asian independent music (NO i'm not counting coke studio), since india's music runs on 1) filmi and 2) coke studio (which again. not counting that as independent music. fuck coke studio). and 1 gets boring while 2. well. the boycotts. also adding that since i have a massive preference for rock music, this post will be primarily focusing on that. sorry about that.

note: this list might also have more of india than for other countries bc i'm indian and thus have more experience with indian music. very fucked up language order to keep you on your toes.

India:

Motherjane (genre: rock; they have a lot of carnatic influences as well): formed in 1996, based in kochi. they sing in english. i would recommend listening to chasing the sun, jihad, and soul corporations

Avial (genre: alternative rock): formed in 2003, based in thiruvanandapuram. they sing in malayalam. i would recommend chekele, aadu pambe, nada nada

Pineapple Express (genre: multi. mixes rock, pop, carnatic, experimental, electronic, progressive): formed in 2016, multillingual, no set place they're based in. i would recommend anthem, jazbaat, dil se (yes That dil se. their cover slaps.)

Agam (genre: carnatic rock): formed in 2003, based primarily in bangalore though many members are from kerala. multillingual. i would recommend rangapura vihara, koothu over coffee, the celestial nymph (manassi dussaham)

me vibing to the absolute, most broad spectrum of music humanity can conjure

I love Taylor's "Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close?" BUT these are ✨ DIVINE✨"hothon se chu lo tum, mera geet amar kar do, ban jao preet meri, meri jeet amar kar do" touch my soul (me) with your lips, make my song immortal, become my love, make my victory immortal and "bin puche mera naam aur pata, rasmon ko rakh ke pare, char kadam bas char kadam, chaldo na saath mere" without asking me my name or my address, keeping the customs and traditions away, four steps, just four steps, walk with me please and "janam janam janam saath chalna yuhi, kasam tumhe kasam aake milna yahin, ek jaan hai bhale do badan ho juda, meri hoke hamesha hi rehna, kabhi na kehna alvida" lives, all my lives, walk with me like this, give me your promise to come and meet me like this, there's one soul among us even if our bodies are apart, stay mine forever, don't ever say goodbye and "barkha, bijli, baadal jhoothe, jhoothi phoolon ki saugatein, sacchi tu hai, sachha main huin, sacchi apne dil ki baatein" the rain, the thunder, the clouds are all liars, there are lies in the gifts of all the flowers, only you are true, and so are the conversations of our hearts

Hindi is the language of love and promise (2)

From #Woodensday into #Feathersday…

Taus (mayuri), India, c.1885 wood, parchment, metal, feathers The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

“The name of this bowed instrument means peacock, the bird associated with Saraswati, the goddess of music. Popular at 19th century courts, it derives its form from the dilruba, an instrument combining features of other Indian stringed instruments like the sarangi and the sitar.”

Monkey Man and why I loved the heck out of it

At it's core, it's a Bollywood flick presented to the West with familiar nods to previous action films - I definitely picked up hints of Tony Jaa's influence on Asian action flicks throughout.

It's heavily focused on police corruption, something commented a lot about in India, and here, more importantly, Indian films. Just like America has its love affair with mobster flicks, Bollywood has a long history featuring films that showcase police corruption, sometimes tied into political extremism, fanatical or greedy religious leaders, and Monkey Man comments on all this as well and pays nods to that commonality. We've got televangelists and religious leaders in the states funnelling money, preaching prosperity gospel, and using it to influence politics and fund lavish lifestyles here.

Monkey Man shows this happening in India, and is filled with Indian culture and symbolism through out. The focus on Hanuman, the god and one worshiped by the strong, chaste, wrestlers, champions, and fighters. It's a common thing to have a household deity if you will. Some families might choose to focus worship on Ganesh, others Hanuman, some might do Mata Rani or Lakshmi. Here, it's the divine Vanara (monkey people race) - one of the Chiranjivi - immortals/forever-lived.

Hanuman. Themes of rebirth, common in South Asian history and mythology are present from Kid being a ringer, beat up fighter getting whooped for money to being reborn and facing his trauma through a ritual/meditate process that I don't want to get too much into to not spoil the movie. Post that, he begins his own self alchemy to really become the true Monkey Man. Nods to Ramayama, and an unapologetically Indian story featuring dialogues throughout in Hindi - don't worry, there are subtitles.

And of course a love for action flicks before it, all the way back to Bruce Lee. A beautiful use tbh of an autorickshaw (and you might know them as tuk-tuks in Thailand) which are popular in India with an added kick...I swear, that thing had to be modified with a hayabusa motor. Which is an actual thing people do - modding those dinky rickshaws with motorcycle engines, and considering they weigh nothing at all, they can REALLY FLY once you do that.

Monkey Man brings to the big screen other elements of India people might not know about, such as the gender non conforming and trans community that has a long history in India, presenting them as action stars as they go up against a system of corrupt elites oppressing part of the city, marginalized communities, and minority voices as depicted in the film. I'm not sure if people are going to get all of that without having the context, but I love that it does it without holding anyone's hands.

It's a fun action flick to see in the age of superhero films, and I say that as an obvious superhero/sff nerd. Also loved that Dev included a little bit about Hanuman's own story in the film, and the loss of his powers - almost mirrored by Kid's own loss of self/skills, strength until he confronts his trauma and is reborn, and in fact, remade (not necessarily the same). Also, the use of music was brilliant, including one scene with a tabla (the paired hand drums of south asia) - and Indian music is central to Indian stories.

This is a culture with evidence going back to the Paleolithic with cave murals showing art of Indian dance nearly 30,000 years ago. Yeah, that far back. As well as Mesolithic period art depicting musical instruments such as gongs, lyres, and more.

Indian music is some of the earliest we can find that has high developed beat and rhythm structures such as 5, 7, 9 and now the extremely common and known 4/4 and 3/4 - which so much of Western music is built upon. The foundations and experimentation of/in Jazz. John Coltrane and John Cage were heavily inspired by Indian music and incorporated a lot from it into their works. And Monkey Man blends Eastern and Western music through the narrative as comfortably as it does an Indian story in a very familiar Western accessible structure.

Dev did a wonderful job. And thanks to Jordan Peele for bringing it to screens.

what a beautiful place to die

suraksha (2023) poems [album art by kush]

In case you're wondering, Rani Chatterjee from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is who I think I am when I'm strutting down the street.

Geeta Bali in Dulari (1949) | dir. A. R. Kardar

[ song: Na bol pee pee more angana by Shamshad Begum ]

[ music: Naushad | lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni ]

Any desi instrumental recommendations? 

South Asian Music Recs 2 fast 2 furious

India (pt 2)

Soulmate (genre: blues rock): formed in 2003, based in shillong. they mostly sing in english. i would recommend love you, voodoo woman, shillong (sier lapalang)

Indian Ocean (genre: multi. mostly jazz and rock and folk fusion): formed in 1990, based in delhi. they sing in multiple languages. i would recommend bagh aayore, shoonya, jaadu maaya

Moheener Ghoraguli (genre: multi; rock (folk and blues), jazz, baul, american folk): formed in 1975, based in kolkata. they sang in bengali. i would recommend ei shomoy amar shomoy, amar priyo caffe, sei phuler daal

chandrabindoo (genre: rock, multi): formed in 1998, based in kolkata. they sing in bengali. famous music composer pritam was a part of chandrabindoo! recommended: hridoy, geet gobindo, ami amar mone

Pakistan:

Junoon (genre: sufi rock): formed in 1990, based in lahore and nyc. multilingual. i would recommend: sayonee, yaar bina, azadi

Entity Paradigm (genre: rock): formed in 2000 (but they kept breaking up and rebanding every few years. also entity and paradigm used to be separate bands till they joined. yes this is the one with fawad khan. this is very mainstream. (<- girl saying this as if half the others are Not) anyway), based in lahore. they mostly sing in urdu afaik. recommended: hamesha, waqt, fitrat

Mekaal Hasan Band (genre: sufi rock, alternative rock): formed in 2001, based in lahore. they are multilingual, but mostly urdu afaik. recommended: raba, ranjha, ghunghat

noori: formed in 1996, based in lahore. multilingual. recommended: yariyaan, meray log, dil ki qasam

part 1

July 18th is Desi and Arab Goth Representation Day and, in celebration, Uttar Pradesh, India-based darkwave act Willow Scarlet released a video for "Pishach," the first part of their new dark South Asian folklore and mythology-inspired release Veeran, which celebrates by featuring clips of various Desi and Arab goth influencers. A pishacha, the subject of the song, is a flesh-eating and blood-drinking demon in Hindu lore.

‘We Are Lady Parts' Returns to Peacock in May for Season 2

Nida Manzoor’s masterpiece of a show starring Muslim women of color makes its long-awaited return. Three years after its debut, We Are Lady Parts will return for a second season on Peacock on May 30. Continue reading ‘We Are Lady Parts’ Returns to Peacock in May for Season 2

View On WordPress

aishwarya rai in crazy kiya re ; dhoom 2

Le Chala Jaan Meri · Abida Parveen

अपने दिल को भी बताऊँ न ठिकाना तेरा / सब ने जाना जो पता एक ने जाना तेरा / तू जो ऐ ज़ुल्फ़ परेशान रहा करती है / किस के उजड़े हुए दिल में है ठिकाना तेरा।

Translation: Should I not even tell my heart where you are? Everyone knows that only one knows your address. You who keep troubling me like a lock, your place is in someone's ruined heart.

hello people of tumblr. tell me some genres of music that you like and think i should listen to this year :D

some of the genres on my list so far: medieval rock, balkan folk metal, desi pop, japanese metal, african polka, and more