Fulbright-mtvU Fellows

India on Shuffle

The beauty of music lies in its ability to provide feeling across borders, classes, and races, and to resonate where words fail. I remember hearing the Gypsy Kings playing live at a Merkato 55 brunch party in New York; I remember dancing to Cuban band Las Orishas at Poble Espanol in Barcelona; I remember listening to Australian rock from my tent at Glastonbury in the U.K.; I remember singing “Beautiful” along with Akon, live at the Indian Premiere League Launch in Mumbai. With such an eclectic fusion of sounds crossing the globe, I wondered about India’s spot on the playlist. While Bollywood music is certainly a global export, my time in Mumbai has introduced me to a new, innovative, and increasingly popular scene that is gaining momentum all over India and on the international stage.

I had heard about Indian Ocean from the moment I stepped foot in India. The Delhi-based band has been around for about 20 years and many have grown up on their music. I knew their powerful words had the ability to move people of all ages and that they were immensely popular on the Mumbai scene. Nothing, however, prepared me for the crowd I witnessed on a Wednesday night in Mumbai when Indian Ocean performed at Blue Frog, the city’s most popular music venue. The concert was slated to start at nine, so I assumed an arrival time of eight would give me more than enough time to get settled. When I pulled up to the venue, however, I was greeted by the sight of hundreds of Mumbaikers who had already beat me to the scene, waiting in line since morning to what was an already completely full and sold out show. Luckily, my friend knew the owner, and he ushered us to the front amid much animosity from the other fans. I felt bad for all of those waiting in line, but then again, it was research!
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Tags: AC/DC, Akon, Amit Kilam, Asheem Chakravaty, Bauch Klang, Blue Frog, Bobin James, Buddy Holly, DJ Sasha, Guarav Raina, Gypsy Kings, Indian Ocean, Las Orishas, Midival Punditz, Raghu Dixit Project, Rahul Ram, Rolling Stone Magazine, Susmit Sen, Swarathma, Tapan Raj, The Beatles, U2

Cricket or Controversy

Glitz and glamour is back in Mumbai as Lakme Fashion Week rolls into the season of the Indian Premier League, or the IPL. The IPL is a Twenty20 cricket competition that includes 8 teams, or franchises, consisting of the top cricket players from all over the world. The third season of the IPL started in India on 12 March 2010 and is due to last over a period of 45 days. As mostly everything else in India, the IPL is very heavily influenced by Bollywood. Bollywood actresses Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta are both co-owners of IPL Teams, and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan is the owner of the ever-popular Kolkata Knight Riders team. All 55 matches will be followed by an afterparty and fashion show, organized by Bollywood star Arjun Rampal and his wife. The IPL Opening Party included all of the main Bollywood stars, and randomly, Lionel Ritchie and Akon. I went to a match last Saturday and Bollywood music played almost the entire time as cheerleaders danced to the tunes and the crowd went wild singing the songs and cheering on their teams.
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Tags: Akon, Arjun Rampal, Bollywood, Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lakme Fashion Week, Lionel Ritchie, Mumbai, Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Shiv Sena

India is a Melody

You just can’t escape it. It’s in the streets, in the stores, in the taxis, in the blood of the people that call India their home. Music pervades every inch of this city, from the pavement to the palaces, and for many, it’s the lifeblood that propels them towards another day.

I came here to explore the impact of Bollywood, the billion-dollar industry and musical export heard the world over. Five years ago, Bombay possessed only a handful of nightclubs, each pulsating with Hindi film songs and Bollywood dance moves, the Bombay Romeos purring lyrics from their favorite hits. I was surprised however to find a contemporary Bombay quite different from the one I had known. Globalization brought to Bombay German cars and Japanese electronics, Italian food and New York styles. It also brought a completely revolutionized music scene that represents a new generation of Indians. In the Bombay of today, there are dozens of nightclubs spread all throughout the city and a new wave of genres that cater to a new class of Indians. With the explosion of new media and nouveau rich Indians traveling the globe came new styles of music reserved exclusively for an upper class society that separates them from the common folk. I’m discovering that amongst other things, music is a major representation of the vast socioeconomic class divide that pervades the city.
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Tags: Akanksha, Akon, Bollywood, Bombay, David Guetta

Why Hip Hop???

In addition to my focus on strengthening the Hip Hop Therapy Project, I was also interested in learning more about why young people in northern Uganda were drawn to Hip Hop music and culture. I informally interviewed approximately 20-25 youth participating in the Hip Hop Therapy Project. Most of the young people I spoke to were young men between the ages of 14 and 18. I asked each of them the following questions:

• What do you like about Hip Hop?
• What do you dislike about Hip Hop?
• How did you first hear about Hip Hop?
• Who is your favorite Hip Hop artist and why?
• What influence do you think Hip Hop has on young people in northern Uganda?
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Tags: 50 Cent, Akon, Breakdance Project Uganda!, Chris Brown, Fabulous, Fat Joe, Hip Hop Therapy Project, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Michael Jackson, Ne-Yo, P-Square, R. Kelly, Rick Ross, Snoop Dog, Tupac, Uganda, Usher