Lyrics take on Modi, in tune with reggae beats

Stop your fooling around; messing up our future, time to straighten right out. You should have been wound up in jail. Modi, A message to you. Modi, A message to you. 

 

“Everyone knows about Modi,” exclaims Stefan Kaye, founder of the band The Ska Vengers, who has come up with a new song ‘Modi, A message to you’ that lashes out at the 2014 General Election’s most popular prime ministerial candidate--Narendra Modi.

“Modi holds a strong possibility of being the next Prime Minister of the country, but we all know what has happened in the past. 

Since the evidence was not produced in order for the Supreme Court to prosecute him, they had to give him a clean chit. 

It is worth mentioning that the SIT themselves likened him to a modern day Nero who fiddled while Rome burned. 

Therefore, through our two-minute, 13 seconds song we are focussing on a man whom we believe may be detrimental to peace and stability in this country,” says the leader of the band.

And was he not afraid of protests by the right-wing nationalist party? 

 

“It doesn’t matter what is being said about us. I believe, social change is possible through art and music,” says Stefan.

The City-based band is known for blending ‘ska’ rhythms (a modern style of popular Jamaican music) with the elements of dub, punk, jazz and rap. 

The group has composed the song in the same style by taking a leaf from a reggae song ‘Message to you Rudy’. 

 

“It is a funny song with a satirical edge. Normally, we compose our own music but this time we have taken the elements of the original lyrics. 

We wanted to make it short and snappy with lyrics straight and to the point. It is definitely not poetic. 

More so, animated visuals tell the entire story,” explains Stefan, who is also the percussionist in the band.

So far, the song has received more than 30,000 hits on YouTube and there is a mixed reaction from the music lovers. 

“Most of the people are supportive and they have been vocal about the issue. But there are some right wing supporters who are of the view that Congress and other parties have paid us for the video. They chose not to believe us, but we haven’t been paid for the video. We have done everything on our own and this video is not for money,” says Stefan.

Quiz him why he hasn’t penned a song on Congress or any other party?  And he replies sarcastically, “Yes, people have asked us but we don’t take requests.” 

But he emphasises that the album covers other social issues as well. According to him this makes his band different from others.

“There is distant lack of bands and artistes who are interested in producing songs with 

social relevance.”

But Stefan is hopeful the trend will change. “In the years to come , people will have a reason to come up with songs based on social issues. People will understand the right meaning of  ‘Freedom of Speech’.