Gurbani Summary 10

Dalit Music

Art is the easiest way to get into people’s minds. Kings and nobles have in the ancient times paid entertainers to write songs about them and their work to gain support. With the growing political consciousness among the Indian youth protest songs are becoming more popular than ever. Music has been a part of the Dalit community since forever as certain Dalit castes occupation was playing music at funerals and for entertainment. The community has also used is as a medium of self-expression and it is gaining more and more momentum as the community is comparatively freer than ever to assert their identities.

The Dalit community in itself comprises of different lower and untouchable castes so the food habits and lifestyle vary and so does their music. Dalit music is an open challenge to the caste hierarchy. The music is a form of resistance, through this music the community is taking back the public space and visibility that has been denied to them for ages. In Punjab “Chamar pop” is a rising genre of Punjabi music. The artists through their music are trying to generate a sense of pride in the community as for thousands of years their community has been oppressed and shamed for their low social status, which was sanctioned by the Hindu religion itself.

Artist like Gini Mahi in Punjab and The Casteless Collective in Chennai are breaking these social barriers and bring the community's struggle in the limelight. Through their music they are telling their stories, talking about their culture and suggesting solutions. Even today we don’t see Dalit music in the mainstream. You only see these artists and their music on Youtube and other such platforms. The mainstream media thinks of Dalit music as folk but like any other regional music in India, the Dalit music has evolved with time. Pop, hip hop and rap are just to name a few.

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