Poll Numbers: Protests song for election season
Editor’s Note: They say art ought to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. In that spirit, Anurag Tagat—Assistant Editor at Rolling Stone India—curates a playlist of fabulous protest anthems from a variety of languages and genres—from Bhojpuri to indie, Tamil, metal and hip-hop.
Written by: Anurag Tagat is an independent music journalist, Assistant Editor at Rolling Stone India and regular contributor to The Hindu, Red Bull India, Vogue India, NCPA OnStage and more. His work has appeared in Billboard, Variety, Rolling Stone Japan, Caravan and HT Mint Lounge. You can follow him on Instagram here.
Over to Anurag…
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, here are songs that empower the voiceless, question authority and—of course—deliver a solid groove.
‘Fighter’ by Sumeet Samos: ‘Fighter’ reflects rapper Sumeet Samos’ firebrand spirit. In this short but punchy song, Samos talks about his rejection of fame and fight to represent the “resourceless”. This rap song on casteism inevitably namechecks the late Rohith Vemula.
‘Mazi Layaki Kay?’ by Sheetal Sathe: A member of the Kabir Kala Manch, Sheetal Sathe gained prominence when she was arrested in 2013 under the UAPA. She stars and sings in Anand Patwardhan’s ‘Jai Bhim Comrade’ film—and her songs are now on most streaming platforms thanks to the indie label Navayan Mahajalsa. Her 2023 release ‘Mazi Layaki Kay?’ (Tell me what I deserve) offers a taste of her rebellious oeuvre.
‘Hey Mr. Prime Minister’ by Deepak Peace: Influenced by folk heroes like Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, Deepak Peace’s three socially-conscious albums include ‘Aaj Ke Naam’ in 2017, ‘1947 Se AK47 Tak’ in 2019 and ‘Daastan-E-Hind’ in 2022. ‘Hey Mr. Prime Minister’ draws from Dylan’s ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’—and takes aim at the always publicity-friendly nature of our current head of government. Sometimes the simplest tunes are the most powerful and Peace proves that time and again.
‘The Warli Revolt’ by Swadesi, Prakash Bhoir: The Mumbai hip-hop crew Swadesi teamed up with activist and singer Prakash Bhoir for this song in 2019. With over a million streams on Spotify, it remains a definitive tune in not just protest music–but also Indian hip-hop. Its poignant energy draws from tribal rhythms that reflects its message on the cruel price of development.
‘Gaddaar’ by Bloodywood: New Delhi folk-metallers Bloodywood have taken the indie world by storm. ‘Gaddaar’ is a fast-paced metal banger with a bit of English rap thrown in. Vocalists Jayant Bhadula and Raoul Kerr throw down verses in broad strokes about corruption, religious hate and more.
‘Empire’ by Long Distances: Among the newer indie rock bands on the block, Mumbai act Long Distances talk about the direction they feel the country is heading in (and maybe several other countries fall under this category). Weaving in more elegant metaphors over shoegaze and post-punk songwriting, singer-songwriter Aarifah Rebello can command anyone’s attention when she sings, “And where you gonna be, when your empire falls?” The song comes as a warning and a new perspective on how all rulers meet their end, with references to herd mentality and the (now) satire-driven line, “The nation wants to know”.
‘Anti Indian’ by Arivu, OfRO: This is part of his breakout 2019 album ‘Therukural’ with producer ofRO. The Tamil rapper’s powerful riff takes aim at the label thrown at anyone who dissents. The album became an important launchpad for Arivu and his brand of conscious poetry–and in ‘Anti Indian’, he displays his Tamil bravado and pride
‘Baari Hamaari’ by Roy, Dub Sharma: Part of the New Delhi-based Herock project, ‘Baari Hamaari’ isn’t even the most pointedly political song on the EP. That distinction belongs to both ‘Paisa Fake’ and ‘Chowkidaar’. But ‘Baari Hamaari’ hits the hardest. Teaming up with the usually reticent producer Dub Sharma, Roy packs a ferocious punch in this anthem for youthful rebellion.
‘Wahin Ka Wahin’ by Lifafa: Lifafa aka Suryakant Sawhney has often worked in political undertones into his dancefloor-friendly, sometimes noisy tunes. Everyone knows ‘Jaago’ but the far more infectious bop is ‘Wahin Ka Wahin’—which clearly influenced by protest movements like Shaheen Bagh. There are also references to love jihaad and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation plus a rousing call to rise up without fear.
‘UP Mein Ka Ba’ by Neha Singh Rathore: the Bhojpuri folk singer has over 1.28 million subscribers on YouTube. Her most popular bit of poetry/music remains ‘UP Mein Ka Ba’—released in 2022 ahead of the UP state elections. In just one minute and 19 seconds, Rathore’s poetry deploys sarcasm to devastating effect. A ‘season 2’ version released a year later brought the UP Police to her doorstep. But Rathore remains a defiantly critical of the present establishment.
