16 October,2011 09:16 AM IST | | Yolande D'Mello
As a direct fallout of Anna Hazare's campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill, musicians across the country have jumped on to the bandwagon to lend a tune, hit a chord and pen a rhyme or two about corruption
It's time for Gandhi, says rapper Blaaze in his new single (also titled after the same phrase). "I've been trying to get a message through for the last 20 years, finally have people listening," says Lakshmi Narasimha Vijaya Rajagopal Seshadri Sharma Rajesh Raman aka Blaaze.
Rapper Blaaze spreads a message through his song Time For Gandhi
"This is what hip-hop is really about -- being the voice of the people. In the West, artists talk about life in the ghetto, here we should talk about battling corruption," says Blaaze. His single talks about the urban "battlefield" and urges citizens to "be the change". Along with folk beats and rap, it also contains lyrics like 'hate the sin, love the sinner' though we're not sure Hazare would agree.
"Filmy music is more like a job. Bollywood and fans aren't going to like stuff that doesn't have a crazy beat and three 'chicks' shaking their hips and they definitely don't want to hear about injustice and poverty," explains the rapper.
Kochi-based alternative rock band Mother Jane recently uploaded a video for their song No Contest. Shot in monochrome, it has members in trademark vibrant face-paint, singing about repairing the system of governance.u00a0
Goa-based Remo Fernandes was one of the first to upload his tribute for India Against Corruption in August. Fernandes had something to sing about after being vocal about his support for Hazare on Facebook right at the beginning of Hazare's fast.
Meanwhile, Indie band Agnee will launch their campaign 'Create with Agnee' in a new avatar this November, as they write a song against corruption with the help of fans. "We will create half a song and get the fans to tell their story by writing the rest.
In this way we plan to reinvent the same song as many times as possible, each time telling a new story. The logistics are a nightmare, but it should give a voice to the campaign," says K Mohan, vocalist for the band. Fans can send their suggestions via the band's Facebook page and the song will be realised in the first week of November.
Anna loses his head
Geek Mentors Studios Pvt. Ltd is a Noida-based game designer firm with a bone to pick with corrupt babus. Their latest contribution to the world of video games is Angry Anna, an Angry Birds-inspired online game that features activist Anna Hazare. Join Hazare, or at least his Gandhi topi-clad head as it knocks off familiar-looking politicians in a fight against black money.u00a0u00a0
Visit: www.angryanna.com
