How Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum helped me understand the meaning of ‘tarab’

The Arabic word is almost impossible to define precisely in English.

Aditya Sharma

· Dec 27, 2020 · 11:30 am

Musings of a Mizo: On Vande Mataram by four-year-old Esther Hnamte and the paradoxes of being Indian

What does a patriotic song from the highlands mean at a time a boundary dispute has resulted in the highway to Mizoram being blockaded by Assam residents?

CV Lalmalsawmi

· Nov 02, 2020 · 06:30 am

‘Democracy gives us the right to ask questions’: Neha Singh Rathore’s Bhojpuri tunes are going viral

The young woman’s songs, recorded on her smartphone, speak uncomfortable truths.

Raj Kumar

· Oct 16, 2020 · 11:30 am

Punjab: Two singers booked for promoting gun culture through song lyrics

A Chandigarh-based lawyer alleged that the song was sung in contempt of High Court orders.

Scroll Staff

· Feb 02, 2020 · 11:03 am

‘Like Holi with the blood of Hindus and Muslims’: This song about Jallianwala Bagh still resonates

Imagining how India would shape up after independence was achieved, ‘Din Khoon Ke Hamaare’ evocatively invokes the unity of different religious communities.

Sumangala Damodaran

· Apr 13, 2019 · 07:38 pm

From ‘White Christmas’ to ‘Santa Went Crazy’: An activist-lawyer’s list of controversial X’Mas songs

Nandita Haksar remembers childhood Christmases in Lagos – and brings her legal ear to holiday tunes that have run into trouble over the decades.

Nandita Haksar

· Dec 25, 2018 · 06:30 am

Explained: The traditional roots of the viral ‘Manikya Malarayi Poovi’ song

The song is part of the Mappila Pattu genre, sung by the Muslims of Kerala’s Malabar region. This tune was originally recorded in 1978.

Scroll Staff

· Feb 14, 2018 · 05:08 pm

Watch: A Mumbai musical battle about potholes turns sour as Shiv Sena raises the pitch

After a parody video about the city’s bad roads, a radio jockey is threatened with a defamation suit – and her mother served a notice about mosquito larvae.

Sujat Ambedkar

· Jul 19, 2017 · 09:50 pm

Why a Welsh choir learnt a Hindi song from the students of a Mumbai municipal school

Only Men Aloud has been training girls from marginalised backgrounds for a special gig – and learning from them in turn.

Aarefa Johari

· Jan 20, 2017 · 11:30 am

Stage production ‘Sounds of the Sufis’ aims to rescue Sufism from Bollywood

A musical theatre performance combines personal stories with Sufi history to create an immersive experience.

Manish Gaekwad

· Sep 25, 2016 · 03:30 pm

Eric Clapton's classic Layla gets a subcontinental twist ‒ twice

Amit Chaudhuri and Krish Ashok give Indian rockers their own versions of the old favourite.

Scroll Staff

· Mar 12, 2015 · 02:33 pm