BANGALORE: Brodha V, one half of the hip-hop band Machas with Attitude, has been redefining rap for Indian audiences for sometime now. Latest in a string of musical innovations is the single Aigiri Nandini, whose music video was released last week.
Aigiri Nandini is a result of Brodha V’s new contract with label Sony Music, a first of many singles that will be made together. Bringing together Carnatic music and hip-hop, this fusion piece also looks to mark Navratri, a festival that celebrates Durga.
A huge fan of Hindu mythology, Brodha V loved the stories that were narrated to him as a child. “I usually sit and try to fuse these slokas with hip-hop beats, mainly because I find it amusing. But in the process, I start thinking like a producer and see if it can be turned into a full-length song,” he says.
Aigiri Nandini, a sloka that tells the story of how goddess Durga destroyed the demon Mahishasura, has been modified to reflect modern day India. “My version of the song talks about how gentle and aggressive a woman can be and how they’re all capable of defending themselves and fighting back,” he adds.
The song’s already hit the iTunes top 20 charts in India. When asked if rap is finally here to stay, Brodha V says, “Honestly, the general public has always loved hip-hop music. Only these event organisers, labels and radio/TV heads had a problem with the music because they weren’t able to make money off of rappers and DJs. But the scene is changing now. Everybody knows where to find local hip-hop music. Now audiences are supportive of good music and acts irrespective of the genres the belong to,” he says.
The Aigiri Nandini music video has been directed by Bombay-bred youngster Mikhail Mehra who has worked with international artists such as Foreign Beggars and Stafford Brothers.
The video is a throwback to B-grade movies from the ‘80s. “The protagonists are three regular women who turn into vigilantes to take back illegal money from a cricket bookie,” notes Brodha V
The rapper’s singles On My Own, Aatma Rama and After Party have garnered over a million views and helped him step into Bollywood, where he contributed to movies like Chennai Express (Ready Steady Po) and Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge (Dheaon Dheaon). “Movies are different. You’re not sending a message from your point of view, but instead from the character’s point of view. Also, as a rapper, there is limited scope in a film song and your verses are mostly used as fillers. But I hope sometime in the near future, music directors are given the freedom to make full-length rap songs in movies as well,” he says.
The music video that was released on September 30 can now be viewed on YouTube.