KOCHI: For most of us, the pandemic outbreak was the beginning of a dystopian nightmare. Masks on our faces, empty streets, constantly fearing for our well-being and that of our loved ones - life as we knew it changed in the span of a few weeks. For artists, this also meant giving up on their dreams and goals momentarily and letting go of their biggest highs - performance and stages. “It seemed like everybody was unhappy. There was little hope around us, and the future was looking bleak,” says Vighnesh Shivanand aka BrodhaV, the popular Bengaluru-based rapper.
For him, recovering from Covid and battling the quarantine isolation, all while nursing a ligament tear on his leg that restricted his movement, was torture. However, the rapper, who is one of the pioneers of the Indian hip-hop industry, was not one to give up. “Writing verses and making music became my escape. Even while things were looking bad, I knew I could turn it around because I have always believed in my music,” he says.
It was then - during the second lockdown - that he revisited a song he made around 10 years ago. “It was just something I would play for my friends, but never knew what to do about it. The track had this very organic, semi-classical hook to it, and that got me thinking, it sounds like a Malayalam tune,” quips the artist, who got in touch with his friend and musician Benny Dayal for counsel. The track spoke of resilience, of rising from the ashes and walking towards the light and Benny helped BrodhaV translate his thoughts into Malayalam phrases.
This was the birth of his latest track, All Divine. The track features video footage from Vighnesh’s early days as a rapper - back when he won Orkut rap battles - like a flashback. The present-day BrodhaV appears after, and his verses talk about the pain he lived through, sacrifices he made as a struggling artist, anxiety that held him down and how music was always his solace. As work comes knocking, the artist’s anxiety builds up. Distraught, he looks at his backpack, wanting an escape.
Then comes the most inspiring hook of the song - manassin parajayangal kanakkakkathey, kanavukal nammude thunayay mattam (don’t let failures drag you down, let your dreams be your guide). As the video, shot in the greenery of Chikmagalur progresses, BrodhaV finally breathes in the lap of nature, finds his light, smiles at himself and the progress he has made.
“Speaking about mental health is very important - both for artists and listeners. Music is a healing force for everyone, and if we can encourage the right kind of discussions through art, it would help people save a lot of money on therapy,” quips the artist, whose releases like Vanko and Aathma Raama are quite popular among Malayalis.
All Divine is BrodhaV kicking off 2022 on a very positive note, in collaboration with digital music company Believe. Interestingly, he has also collaborated with Steve Knight from California-based hip-hop crew Flipsyde for the song. Given the success of his first Malayalam creation, BrodhaV is planning more collaborations with the state’s musicians. “I would love to work for Kerala’s movie industry too, apart from independent artists. The content coming in from the state is quite impressive,” he concludes.
Behind the scenes
All Divine features lyrics by Brodha V, Benny Dayal and Steve Knight, Aditya MP on violin and Akash Shivakumar on mixing. Chris Gehringer mastered the track. The video was shot and directed by Sujish Das. Producers : Vighnesh S and Arpan Peter. Asst director: Bharath Rajan.
Bengaluru-based hip-hop artist BrodhaV’s latest offering All Divine is all about wading through the dark times into a new light. The song, with its captivating Malayalam hook, has become an anthem of self-discovery