Watch: Indian Psychedelic Jazz Rap Explores Mumbai’s Grim Reality

Mumbai or Bombay?

Percussionist Sarathy Korwar’s lead single, ‘Mumbay’, featuring MC Mawali explores the politicised origins of the city’s name in a psychedelic jazz-rap ecstasy.

US-born, India-raised and London-based Sarathy Korwar rcentyl released his sophomore album, More Arriving, on May 2nd. The timely political charged album outlines the lives of South Asians living in India and abroad. Infusing rap and spoken word with Indian classical and jazz, this politicised record is confrontational by nature. “This is what Indian music sounds like to me right now, and that means incorporating multiple brown voices. If anyone has a problem with that, they should be questioning what they think Indian music should be”, says Sarathy. And this impeccably captured in lead single’s video.

Korwar’s undulating percussion coalesces with Tamar Osborn’s baritone sax in an enchanting rhythm creating a rather haunting trance. Mawali elevates the song further by effortlessly applying a strange Carnatic rhythm to his Hindi/Marathi flow. The commendable video warps you in with hazy rushes of some of they city’s most iconic places. With lines like ‘Mumbai/Bombay/Mala Kai Farak Nahi’ (Don’t care if it’s called ‘Mumbai’ or ‘Bombay’) the song truly hits home.

Enjoy.

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