One of India’s finest musical exports, London-based percussionist Sarathy Korwar has finally returned to action with the announcement of his second studio album, ‘More Arriving‘ and the release of its lead single, ‘Mumbay‘ featuring Mumbai-based rapper MC Mawali.
On his forthcoming LP, Sarathy blasts out his own vibrant, pluralistic missive for the world to hear. With this album, Korwar expands his politicised narrative to envelop the entire diaspora. “This is a modern brown record. The kind of record that a contemporary Indian living in the UK for the past 10 years would make,” Korwar says. “This is what Indian music sounds like to me right now, and that means incorporating multiple brown voices. If anyone has a problem with that, they should be questioning what they think Indian music should be.“
Incorporating rappers from Mumbai and New Delhi with spoken word and his own Indian classical and jazz instrumentation, this is a record born of confrontation; one for our confrontational times. The album draws on the nascent rap scenes of Mumbai and New Delhi, which Korwar became fascinated with while travelling in India in 2016, and features many of its most exciting artists like rappers MC Mawali, Prabh Deep and Delhi Sultanate.
With ‘More Arriving‘ due out on July 26, its first cut ‘Mumbay’ boasts of MC Mawali punning on the politicised associations of the colonial term Bombay or the Indian nationalist Mumbai when referencing his hometown. Mawali applies classical Carnatic rhythms to his Hindi/Marathi flow, dancing effortlessly over Osborn and Korwar’s coruscating rhythms.
Accompanied by a stellar music video, check out ‘Mumbay‘ below.