India gets its pride anthem from Petter Wallenberg

Petter Wallenberg

Petter Wallenberg says that as an artiste, he's passionate about making art that drives change. What he doesn't reveal is that as an activist, he also has an affinity to probe what's dangerous.

Advocating the cause of the LGBT community - of which, he is a part - the Swedish musician includes in his album, Rainbow Riots, "queer voices" from Uganda, Malawi, Jamaica and South Africa. "These are among the world's most dangerous countries for LGBT people. After the release, I was touched to receive messages from LGBT people who live in hardship," he says.

Hoping to weave members of the community together in India as well, Wallenberg, with what he touts to be the country's first pride album, has released Love Is Love. "Working on an album featuring [Indians] felt interesting because this is the world's largest democracy."

The documentary-style album had him collaborate with India's first gay celebrity drag queen, Sushant Divgikar, and the country's first transgender dance group, Dancing Queens. "When I started this project nearly two years ago, I was a criminal in India. Then, the movement earned its biggest victory when section 377 was abolished. This is the soundtrack of India's rainbow revolution."

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