Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan promises a smashing time ahead of second edition

Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan promises a smashing time ahead of second edition

Among the several things that cannot be revealed about Bengaluru Dakhni hip-hop crew Clan Bokka Phod’s upcoming performance is the setlist. Mohd Affan aka Pasha Bhai — co-founder of the collective who released India’s first Dakhni rap album Bangalore Ka Potta last year, says it is a secret.

Soon enough, he does offer some explanation about the second edition of their recurring showcase series Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan, taking place on July 22 at the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) auditorium. “We are going to have a couple of new artistes in the line-up. Plus, we are going to be playing a lot of fresh music that we’ve been cooking,” Pasha Bhai says.

With several members of Clan Bokka Phod stepping on and off stage for rap, DJing and beatboxing, Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan is keen on recreating the energy of their inaugural edition last year. Talking about the forthcoming event, the crew’s manager Ojas Shetty says, “Be assured that Pasha Bhai and Demixx Beats will close the set. Clan Bokka Phod and each member — Nimbu Da, Aib and Syed and Marwan, as well as Pasha and Demixx, will perform some signature songs, shayari and skits, in addition to the new songs.”

It is a tight-knit community pushing a rare artform, rap music in Dakhni, within Clan Bokka Phod and they intend to do it not just through releases available on music streaming platforms, but more so with performances and cyphers. Between last year’s edition of Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan and now, crew member Syed Ahmed says they have been experimenting with different genres while keeping Dakhni and Urdu storytelling at the centre of their tracks. “We’ve earned a newer and bigger audience. There’s been a lot of interest in Dakhni hip-hop.”

At the same time, feedback from other corners has been “highly fragmented”, according to another Clan Bokka Phod member, Aib. “Not so much from our general listeners and audiences, as from our family and close relatives. While we find it liberating to produce and express through Dakhni, our family has been advising against it saying that if we hope to become mainstream at some point, then we should write and perform in Hindi or Urdu, as Dakhni can be very limiting.”

Despite that, Pasha Bhai feels there is a special joy when they can make their audience, who are usually not Dakhni speakers, sing with them. “My personal favourite part (of concerts) is when we, for however brief a moment, convert everyone in the audience to a Dakhni (as belonging to the Dakhni cultural community). You just have to chant a slogan with us and congratulations, you’ve become one of us,” he says with a laugh.

With more recorded material and the promise of “big things only” in 2024, Clan Bokka Phod say they also find it to be a thrilling journey to find new spaces within the city to showcase their performances and events. Their manager Shetty adds that the plan is to keep Ghalata-e-Dakhnistan as a recurring annual cultural event. “We hope that with each edition, we are able to do something new and different, not just in terms of the musicians, comedians or performers that we bring together for the line-up, but also in terms of how the Clan’s music is experienced by the audience at the event.”