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Bollywood normally dominates India's music charts. But when the pandemic put paid to new film releases, it created a huge opportunity for independent musicians to make a name for themselves –- sometimes from their bedrooms. @AFP's @VishalManve12 reports https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr
Data from audio streaming platform JioSaavn reveals the sea change that has taken place, with their Top 30 weekly chart dominated by non-film music since the lockdown. https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html @AFP
Singer Carlton Braganza saw his popularity skyrocket when the country went into lockdown. For more than three months, the 48-year-old spent nights performing for an online audience from his bedroom, gaining tens of thousands of new fans in the process https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html @AFP
Hip-hop artist Palak Parnoor Kaur, who has used a small GoPro to shoot videos inside rickshaws and buses under the moniker 'Lil Malai' ('Lil Cream') since 2018, has also seen an uptick in followers on Instagram and YouTube. @AFP https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html
But experts caution that it is only a matter of time before Bollywood claws its way back into the spotlight. Many artists are still struggling to make money, despite acquiring social media followers thanks to free online performances https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html @AFP
But for some, money isn't the main motivation behind their desire to grab the mic. Rapper Duleshwar Tandi's furious videos about the plight of millions of migrant workers in India's lockdown went viral in April, bringing the former waiter unexpected fame. https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html
"Dule Rocker" has rejected offers from the film industry, telling @AFP he refuses "to write rap music objectifying women". But in a story arc worthy of a Bollywood movie, the 27-year-old is now working on an album for US titan Universal Group Music. https://news.yahoo.com/independent-musicians-thrive-pandemic-silences-035646339.html
