not here anymore // email me ✨writer ✨ editor 💫 creative producer 🚀 parent to @dialledin_
Dhruva Balram’s Journalist Portfolio
View as a gridIdentifying With The 'Other': The Appropriation Of Black Thought
bordermovement.com
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Growing up in a world where whiteness was the default, South Asians gravitated to 'the other'. Hip-hop - and Black culture at large - offered a protective umbrella to immigrant children, giving them an opportunity to belong in an unknown land and unfamiliar community.
The Colour of Hip-Hop: fighting racism in music
hhhhappy.com
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Hip-hop has permeated global culture in an unprecedented way since its inception in the 1970s as an neighbourhood-based cultural practice. Emerging from the ghettos of New York City, specifically the Bronx, hip-hop became the voice for a people who had been ignored for too long. It echoed the conditions African- Americans were living in, and still are, to an extent, and their daily struggles. hip-hop, over time, became the method that people of all religions, cultures, socio-economic classes could speak through; its influence over the masses grew as it took themes, messages and feelings that resonated with a majority of the ignored amongst the lower socioeconomic classes and displayed them on a more global scale.
Indian Music Industry: A Female Perspective
thewildcity.com
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Let’s get it out of the way early: the music industry, like every other in our patriarchal society, is sexist. We all know that. It’s especially prevalent in India where, within certain segments of society our culture forces women to get married by a certain age, not stay out past a certain hour, take care of the house and family, and be suppressed by the weight of what is right and wrong in the eyes of the 'community'.
DERAILED IN TANZANIA - The Adventure Handbook
theadventurehandbook.com
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The Zambian sun beat down as I boarded the train hurriedly for the congested platform seemed to be emptying into the already crowded train as thousands of people scrambled to find seats. On entering my second-class compartment, I understood instantly why the ticket agent had stressed on me to buy a first-class ticket, but at a hundred dollars more, my frugal nature came out. I now regretted my decision as I had the middle bunk of three in a compartment filled with large, sweaty men who had already stripped down to shorts and an undershirt due to the unbearable heat.
The Untold Story of Tikendrajit Akoijam and YVU
milaap.org
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Tikendrajit Akoijam has a number of visits to conduct today. An employee of the dairy division of his company accompanies him along with a driver, who doubles as security, a security guard who doubles as a handyman and myself - a Milaap Fellow.
How Hip-Hop Has Permeated Pop Culture
hotnewhiphop.com
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Emerging from the ghettos of New York City, specifically the Bronx, in the '70's, Hip-Hop became the voice for a people who had been ignored for too long. It echoed the conditions African- Americans were living in - and still are, to an extent - and their daily struggles. Acts like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five laid down the roots for what would become, slowly, the genre that permeated global society; Hip-Hop, over time, became the method that people of all religions, cultures, socio-economic classes could speak through. Hip-Hop became a voice for the ignored.
"I'm coming to snatch the throne": Prabh Deep on 'Class-Sikh'
thewildcity.com
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'Class-Sikh', the debut LP from Delhi-based rapper Prabh Deep, is blaring over the speakers at VegNonVeg, India's first multi-brand sneaker store. His nearest and dearest friends, some of whom make up rap group Seedhe Maut, are going bar for bar with the lyrics to 'Kal (Future)', a stand-out track on the album.
Review: Childish Gambino's "Because The Internet"
hotnewhiphop.com
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How do you rate this album/mixtape? Originality is a rarity in modern hip-hop, and when an experimental album comes along, it tends to polarize listeners initially. Take Kanye West's new album , for example. Its minimalism, raw emotion and amalgamation of genres was difficult for many diehard fans to stomach at first (not to mention the left-field visuals). Childish Gambino's Because the Internet has similarly polarized opinion in the hip-hop community. There's no middle ground here. 'Bino is already an anomaly in the game, and he's unafraid to show it. His use of double entendres, metaphors, sly name-drops and pop culture references require multiple listenings to fully appreciate.
Once a Rite of Passage for Young Girls, This Tradition Now Helps an Entire Manipuri Village Prosp...
thebetterindia.com
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After centuries of anonymity, the Phaksaba artisans in Manipur are getting their time in the spotlight. This group of aspiring women is working day and night to get the recognition they deserve. In an isolated region of Manipur, lies Khangabok, a village renowned for its traditional art of Kouna Saba, locally called phaksaba or mat weaving.
Jwala: "It All Happened Because Of The Internet."
thewildcity.com
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The boys seem to speak a language of their own. That is to say, they're talking a vernacular that seems to be fully theirs. The very slang that they exchange with each other, including memes, seems to go over my head.
How traditional weaving liberated five Manipuri women of from the clutches of debt
theoptimistcitizen.com
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Re-imagining the design of a centuries-old dress appeared to be far-fetched. It seemed too simple to work: update the phanek, a traditional Manipuri wrapping skirt to a more modern, stylish fashion. But what started out as an ambitious idea between five determined manipur women blossomed into a lucrative business that none of them could fathom.
An inspiring story of how micro-finance loans help rural women in Manipur.
milaap.org
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Aching, the group leader, is part of a group who relied on microfinance loans to crawl themselves out of debt. Due to their indigenous status in rural Manipur, they have never been able to hold a job. Most of them don't even have the necessary educational qualifications.
The inspiring story of Thoithoiba, a Manipuri native who faced adversitiy and overcame the odds
milaap.org
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A story of Thoithoiba, a Manipuri native, who persevered despite the odds to complete his education and become the sole earner for his family. Facing adversity and obstacles at almost every juncture of life, he overcame them to now feel settled and ensure his siblings continue their education.
Walking The Tightrope: The Delicate Nature Of Sampling Indian Music
thewildcity.com
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Bollywood has been in existence for over a century; its sound within our cultural psyche, bringing together people over harmonious melodies and synchronised dancing. Indian classical and folk music have, in comparison, been around for centuries. Acclaimed artists like Lata Mangeshkar and A.R Rahman have become flagbearers for a universally accepted, cherished and inspiring sound the world over.
Sub_Sequence: Pushing Creative Boundaries
bordermovement.com
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On 3 December 2017, over 100 people gathered at the Goethe-Institut in Colombo, Sri Lanka to bear witness to a distinctive, idiosyncratic performance: Sub_Sequence where 5 individuals performed a live, collaborative audio-visual set. Comprised of generative visuals and mixed media art, including inventive styles created by the artists themselves, the evening featured w ...
Consolidate: An Intimate Encounter With The Bangalore-Based Collective
thewildcity.com
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Joe Panicker, one-half of Aerate Sound, isn't visibly stressed. It's only a few days until he plays with Naquash as Aerate Sound at Boiler Room in Bangalore, opening for Jlin, Sinjin Hawke and Zora Jones. Naquash, the calmer, quieter, more mellow half of the duo, walks around taking photos while Panicker talks as quick as the beats he produces: rapid-fire.
Of skin-whitening creams and racism
thedialogue.co
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A string of controversial advertisements appeared on televisions across India in the early 2000's that turned the spotlight on to a decades-long obsession: skin-whitening creams. These commercials, which depicted how fairness equated to success were subsequently pulled after an uproar against them by human rights groups and activists.
Atlanta's Robbin Season: An Appreciation
HotNewHipHop.com
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With the second season of the critically-lauded show coming to a close, we decided to take a look back at why Atlanta's Robbin season has been so memorable. Atlanta’s Robbin’ season, the second in the series, ran for 11 episodes. Each one was starkly different, important in its own dis...
The Colour of Hip-Hop: fighting racism in music
hhhhappy.com
—
Hip-hop has permeated global culture in an unprecedented way since its inception in the 1970s as an neighbourhood-based cultural practice. Emerging from the ghettos of New York City, specifically the Bronx, hip-hop became the voice for a people who had been ignored for too long.
Bursting The Bubble Of Electronic Music in India: A Discussion
bordermovement.com
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"Venues" Speaking casually to a number of people in the Indian music industry, that's the unified response I get when I ask why electronic music cannot seem to leave the main tier 1 cities (Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore).
We're All In This Together: A Discussion About Mental Health In The Music Industry
thewildcity.com
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The music industry has recently taken major strides in addressing its most shameful secrets; sexism, sexual abuse, misogyny, homophobia and racism have been at the forefront of conversations around the world. And with social media ubiquitous for artists nowadays, several have taken to various platforms to start a discussion around these topics.
Walking The Tightrope: The Delicate Nature Of Sampling Indian Music
thewildcity.com
—
Bollywood has been in existence for over a century; its sound within our cultural psyche, bringing together people over harmonious melodies and synchronised dancing. Indian classical and folk music have, in comparison, been around for centuries. Acclaimed artists like Lata Mangeshkar and A.R Rahman have become flagbearers for a universally accepted, cherished and inspiring sound the world over.
'Red Berry, Blue Berry: Working in Rural Australia', by Dhruva Balram
The Lifted Brow
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A hazy mist is slowly enveloping the farmland. The last of the sun's rays are gone, leaving behind a horizon of hues like an overripe avocado. In the depths of Australian winter, in rural New South Wales, the cold is seeping through my clothes into my bones.