Loknaad: Spreading awareness through music
"We are living with violence around us and so its defination is getting narrower day by day."
New Delhi, Dec 09: Music is the only medium for this couple to reach out to the masses and create social awareness although they are not formally trained in music!
Meet Vinay Mahajan and Charul Bharwada of 'Loknaad' (People's Voice), who use songs, accompanied with ghungroo and dafli to take the results of their findings from studies and field experience to the people for collective reflection and action.
"What began as a way to express feelings against injustice at meetings and rallies gradually took shape of a platform - a form to voice people's agony and aspiration," says Charul.
Vinay, an agricultural engineeer and Charul, an architect left their corporate jobs and initiated Loknaad in 1992 with an aim towards "building the culture of peace, dignity and democracy."
The duo has written and composed 50 songs in Hindi, Gujrati and Punjabi, and given over 250 performances focused on marginalised communities -- with special emphasis on women and children, and the issues releated to agriculture and water resources.
"We had no formal training in music. Neither we were performers. While doing our professional work we came across what we call 'true India'," says Vinay.
The Ahmedabad based couple, who won the 'Sanskriti Award 2005 for Outstanding Social Achievement' recently, say that choosing songs as a medium was not their "conscious decision."
"We had seen such performances in our childhood and we had ideas to express," he says.
"We had developed a keen interest in using songs as a way to take the findings of our field experiences and the ground realities to people," adds Charul.
"Most of the time people only talk about different issues or violence be it social or religious and leave the task of improving the situation to others.
"We through our performance -- which is a mixture of commentry, story and songs -- create social awareness and try to put across the message to people to think how they can improve the situation, " she says.
The Loknaad team, which has performed for audiences in rural and urban areas, schools, citizen fora, for farmers and tribals is of the opinion that defination of violence is getting "narrower" day by day.
"People only react to social and religious violence. But there are different types of violence happening everyday around us which go unnoticed," says Charul.
"Any violation of human rights and dignity of a human being is a violence. We are living with violence around us and so its defination is getting narrower day by day," opines Vinay.
"Look at child labour issue. These children are losing their childhood when they are very young. They are forced to work. Is this not a violence? Aren't we living with it?" asks Charul.
Be it child labour issue, organic farming campaign in Gujarat, people's struggle against the displacement due to developmental projects or the Right to Information, the Loknaad team has been a part of these campaigns through specific songs.
Sadhana Bhalla, Principal of Mira Model School in east Delhi, where the duo had performed says, "Their mode of conveying the message is unique. They raise the issue be it child labour, farmer's suicide or riots, in a simple way so that the message is put across effectively.
"Their simple songs with strong message helps in making the connection with the audience immediately, she adds.
While songs remain Loknaad team's more known form of "expression", they have also prepared radio programmes, calenders, posters to spread awareness. The forum's first publication 'Chalo Chowk Chitarva' (Let's paint the chauraha) of peopl's song in Gujrati was released in 1992 followed by a cassette of Gujrati songs titled 'Loknaad' in 1994. Their latest composition titled 'Insaan hain hum' (We are humans) "sensitises" people about with different forms of violence.
Unlike others, these performers do not charge for their programmes, they do not perform on political platforms nor for charity and fund raising events.
The team which has also received the 'Young Achievers' Award 2000 by Generation Next and Symbiosis Institute of Management for its contribution to creative social music, says, "Such recognisition shows our voices are being heard and being received as important voice."
"This also puts a lot of responsibility on us with the kind of expectations it generates, says Charul.
"Songs are our only strength and our limitation is that we are a team of two," she adds.
~ GDN
New Delhi, Dec 09: Music is the only medium for this couple to reach out to the masses and create social awareness although they are not formally trained in music!
Meet Vinay Mahajan and Charul Bharwada of 'Loknaad' (People's Voice), who use songs, accompanied with ghungroo and dafli to take the results of their findings from studies and field experience to the people for collective reflection and action.
"What began as a way to express feelings against injustice at meetings and rallies gradually took shape of a platform - a form to voice people's agony and aspiration," says Charul.
Vinay, an agricultural engineeer and Charul, an architect left their corporate jobs and initiated Loknaad in 1992 with an aim towards "building the culture of peace, dignity and democracy."
The duo has written and composed 50 songs in Hindi, Gujrati and Punjabi, and given over 250 performances focused on marginalised communities -- with special emphasis on women and children, and the issues releated to agriculture and water resources.
"We had no formal training in music. Neither we were performers. While doing our professional work we came across what we call 'true India'," says Vinay.
The Ahmedabad based couple, who won the 'Sanskriti Award 2005 for Outstanding Social Achievement' recently, say that choosing songs as a medium was not their "conscious decision."
"We had seen such performances in our childhood and we had ideas to express," he says.
"We had developed a keen interest in using songs as a way to take the findings of our field experiences and the ground realities to people," adds Charul.
"Most of the time people only talk about different issues or violence be it social or religious and leave the task of improving the situation to others.
"We through our performance -- which is a mixture of commentry, story and songs -- create social awareness and try to put across the message to people to think how they can improve the situation, " she says.
The Loknaad team, which has performed for audiences in rural and urban areas, schools, citizen fora, for farmers and tribals is of the opinion that defination of violence is getting "narrower" day by day.
"People only react to social and religious violence. But there are different types of violence happening everyday around us which go unnoticed," says Charul.
"Any violation of human rights and dignity of a human being is a violence. We are living with violence around us and so its defination is getting narrower day by day," opines Vinay.
"Look at child labour issue. These children are losing their childhood when they are very young. They are forced to work. Is this not a violence? Aren't we living with it?" asks Charul.
Be it child labour issue, organic farming campaign in Gujarat, people's struggle against the displacement due to developmental projects or the Right to Information, the Loknaad team has been a part of these campaigns through specific songs.
Sadhana Bhalla, Principal of Mira Model School in east Delhi, where the duo had performed says, "Their mode of conveying the message is unique. They raise the issue be it child labour, farmer's suicide or riots, in a simple way so that the message is put across effectively.
"Their simple songs with strong message helps in making the connection with the audience immediately, she adds.
While songs remain Loknaad team's more known form of "expression", they have also prepared radio programmes, calenders, posters to spread awareness. The forum's first publication 'Chalo Chowk Chitarva' (Let's paint the chauraha) of peopl's song in Gujrati was released in 1992 followed by a cassette of Gujrati songs titled 'Loknaad' in 1994. Their latest composition titled 'Insaan hain hum' (We are humans) "sensitises" people about with different forms of violence.
Unlike others, these performers do not charge for their programmes, they do not perform on political platforms nor for charity and fund raising events.
The team which has also received the 'Young Achievers' Award 2000 by Generation Next and Symbiosis Institute of Management for its contribution to creative social music, says, "Such recognisition shows our voices are being heard and being received as important voice."
"This also puts a lot of responsibility on us with the kind of expectations it generates, says Charul.
"Songs are our only strength and our limitation is that we are a team of two," she adds.
~ GDN
posted by Giridhar Narayan | 07:41
1 Comments:
We saw your programme in DD Gujurati channel-- it was lovely. I and my father really loved the songs and both of yours dedication. Thanks a lot for doing such great work :)
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