The pandemic months had us leaning into more causes that matter deeply to us with our music: we stand with protesting citizens demanding sustainable environment-friendly development, we are engaging with a public dialogue project to make a better safer world for children
Our Musical Tribute to Mr. Rudra Rana - An Inspiring Teacher from Chhattisgarh
Early this year, we got associated with The Minor Project – a public dialogue initiative aimed to spread awareness and help end violence against children.
Their “Teacher’s Spotlight” program showcased the exemplary work being done by Mr. Rudra Rana, a Govt. school teacher from Chhattisgarh. Mr. Rana has been assuring that education is delivered to his student’s doorstep during the pandemic. As COVID-19 struck, physical school facilities shut down, only very few students from the govt. schools in Chhattisgarh’s Korea district were able to attend online classes. Armed with a motorbike fitted with all the necessary contraptions, Mr. Rana now rides across the area imparting community classes. His unique method plugged a major gap.
Last week, we recorded a special message for Mr. Rana and his students – we are glad to be able to show our solidarity and support for his dedicated efforts.
A gift of music – one of our cherished tracks that soars with hope even as the world spins away around us with all it’s worries. With odds stacked up against children from low-income communities, Mr. Rana’s work shows that #educationcannotwait.
Our association began with Beta Sweater Pehno, our anthemy grungy track about the relentless academic pressure that most of us have grown up with. We hope you join in support of TMP and make a "major difference".
Raising Our Voice in Words and Songs to Save Trees
In November 2020, we sang again for the trees – this time the ones foresting the Western Ghats between our home state and the neighboring states of Goa and Kerala.
Thousands of citizens united to protest a massive infrastructure development project that received clearance during the pandemic. This project would require clearing out forests, felling 59,000 trees and spread across a national park and wildlife sanctuary, severely impacting the fragile biodiversity of the region. Noted (and much-admired) journalist Faye D’Souza gave a platform to the citizen’s movement on her YouTube channel to amplify their voice and shine an urgent national spotlight on this issue.
Now, this is a cause we deeply believe in – development must happen without impacting our nation’s rapidly receding green-cover and fragile eco-systems. In the past, we brought our music and lent a voice to protests in our city to save trees that were fated to be felled to make way for a steel flyover which would have been an illogical solution to Banaglore's traffic woes. More recently, we did a short tour-of-trees in Indiranagar – to save 117 of them from being chopped down to make way for yet another mall.
On Faye’s show, we sang 'Patte Saare' from our very first album and were happy to take in a viewer request for one of our favorite Kannada tracks 'Ee Bhoomi' – where we sing of finding heaven on earth when nature is in bloom. On Faye’s request, we ended the show with the soulful yet anthemic rendition of 'Pyaasi'.
Here are a set of powerful visuals of peacefully protesting citizens with music and art, embracing this earth, all in an effort to protect their home state and the future of their children and champion clean energy.
What can each of us do to contribute and stand in solidarity? Let us be informed as citizens about development and its impact. Raise your voice on social media, ask questions, be vocal. Show that you care and be willing to speak about issues that matter to you.
As Vasu said, “Protest Protects” especially those who don’t have a voice and can’t speak for themselves. Today, more than ever, we want a big part of our music to be about them, as we speak about the happenings around us.