Sarathy Korwar is set to release his much-anticipated new album Kalak in November and back in August he had already shared the phenomenal and fiery lead single ‘Utopia Is A Colonial Project’. Now the the percussionist, producer and composer has released a second track from the album titled ‘Remember Begum Rokheya’. Kalak celebrates South Asian music and literature, and the new single sees Korward honouring the life of Bengali feminist writer Begum Rokheya and highlighting the importance and impact that marginalised voices from the past and the present can have on the future. Korward comments:

“When speaking about futurism, one of the fundamental questions is – who gets to speculate? Who gets to tell their story or vision of the future? Begum Rokheya is an example of someone with a radically different worldview and someone who we would generally not hear from. In her 1905 book Sultana’s Dream, she tells the story of reversed purdah, where peace-loving women overpower aggressive men to live in harmony with nature.”

He continues:

“The song is based on a simple, call and response melody, paying homage to its folk music origins. The group vocals are performed by friends and family, to reflect the song’s emphasis on community.”

Listen to ‘Remember Begum Rokheya’ below and be sure to grab Kalak when it drops on November 11th through The Leaf Label.