A new music album turns the spotlight on climate change through lived experiences

Devanshi Pawar

Even as we speak, a drought has been declared in the state of Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Bihar slowly recovers from a flood. At times like this, the Climate Emergency Mixtape feels like a clarion call. With six artistes from around the country turning their lived experience of climate change into music, the album takes the conversation out of symposiums and into the cypher.

The mixtape is a collaboration between Asar, a climate culture collective, the community platform Youth Ki Awaaz, and rapper-composer Ashwini Hiremath aka Krantinaari that started off in February this year. Brikesh Singh, coordinator, Climate Culture Collective, and chief communications officer, Asar, shares that the idea is to ‘decentralise climate communication through culture." Asar had previously worked with Meghana T on a stage production about rising temperatures. Hearing about Ashwini Hiremath aka Krantinaari's cross-country journey at a Mumbai conference pushed Singh to rethink their approach.

Delhi-based rapper, Alkama performs during a session. Pics Courtesy/@climateculture_ind; Youtube

In addition to bringing in diverse perspectives, Hiremath points out that the songs underline the effect of climate change on communities across caste and class lines. They range from Naveen Koomar's personal ballad on the destruction of Aravalli Range, to Alkama rapping on Delhi's air, or the simplicity of Sollisai Sistahs decrying the absence of shade for communities in Tamil Nadu.

"Not all of them had sung about the topic; outside of tangential mentions. For instance, Devanshi Pawar aka Devanshi! is a Sociology student from Mumbai. It took a conversation with her before we realised she truly care about these issues," Hiremath says.

Ashwini Hiremath aka Krantinaari and Brikesh Singh

The ground has begun to shift. The track by Sollisai Sistahs caught the attention of Praveen Chakravarthy, Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, who met them for an hour-long conversation. "I was excited to get an hour with a Rajya Sabha MP; it's no mean feat," Singh admits, "The impact becomes hyper-local. That's where the magic of the conversation lies."

The response has already triggered conversations for a second mixtape. "We would like to do multiple versions and cover all the states of India. But that will take time," reveals Singh. For Hiremath though, it is essential. "We have to. Every region is experiencing a collapse. Music has always been a medium of awareness," she sums up.

Naveen Kumar in Vann Katte

LOG ON TO @climateculture_ind (for updates on their Climate Week itinerary); YouthKiAwaaz on YouTube
ON October 1 (launch)