The album arrives at a pivotal moment in Indian history, with class-inequality and sectarian violence
seemingly being seeped into the legal and social fabric of Indian society. ‘Chetavni’ released on 7th
of February 2020 on all major music streaming platforms.
Five years after the release of the seminal ‘Laaj Watte Kai’, the multi-lingual hip-hop group that has come to represent the socio-political conscience of the city’s youth and nurtured the kind ofbrotherhood and creative energy previously seen in pioneering collectives such as Boy Better Know (UK), Wu-Tang Clan (US), Odd Future (US) and Brockhampton (US).
MC Mawali, Tod Fod, 100RBH, Maharya, and BamBoy pull no punches in their critique of the Indian state, delivering scathing indictments of the ruling elite that come packaged in witty, blink and you might miss them, punchlines. In 2019, they released The Warli Revolt, a collaborative piece with
Adivasi tribal chieftain Prakash Bhoir that became an anthem for the Save Aarey movement. Album highlights such as Aatank, Bhoy, Kranti Havi, and Khabardaar are poised to become the same.
Featuring production by BamBoy, Naar, Raakshas and Dr. Das, Chetavni explores a glacial, minimalistic soundscape, relying on guttural basslines and scattered Indian samples to drive the songs forward and paying homage to the crew’s inspirations from the UK’s grime and dub scenes.
