How the music from Qala (2022)—produced by Amit Trivedi—diverged from the flow of mainstream formulas in the Hindi film industry, and succeeded in inhabiting a rare sweet spot of commercial and critical appeal. By Raunaq Saraswat

The music of Dev.D—produced by Amit Trivedi—still sounds fresh and imaginative, honouring Indian traditions while pushing the envelope of a global sound, remixing this popular tale with a burst of enigmatic new energy. By Karan Madhok

From the happy chorus of ‘Desi trick or treat’ singers to the problematic lyrics in folk classics, Deepansh Duggal takes a deep dive to explore the cultural significance of Punjabi Lohri music in contemporary times.

Saurabh Sharma explores the rising wave of propaganda anti-Muslim music on Indian airwaves, songs filled with jingoism, religious bigotry, and xenophobia masquerading as art.

Srinagar-based rapper Ahmer spoke to The Chakkar about how a deeper examination of his own community, culture, and history helped jolt him out of his comfort zone, and inspire his ambitious sophomore LP, Azli. By Karan Madhok

Dhani Muniz looks back at a masterpiece of cross-cultural curation, Miles From India, a one-of-a-kind document of two traditions bonding over a shared appreciation and recognition of the language of a true musical maverick.

Classical musician/composer Vivek Venugopal introduces his latest piece Moods for Violin and Piano, Op. 15, where he finds musical relief to accompany a myriad of life’s temperaments faced during the pandemic.

‘I’ve always been a blues-loving rock guitarist at heart, but I love so many different forms of music… all of it filters in!’ Indian guitar legend Warren Mendonsa discusses his latest Blackstratblues album, the inspirations that shaped his musical journey, and the path ahead. By Karan Madhok

Harish Raghavan’s work is the first full-band application of Indian classical concepts in jazz that sound and feel natural. Dhani Muniz explores the band’s music and deconstructs Indian flavours in jazz.

Delhi-based artist Mocaine’s ambitious multi-disciplinary project The Birth of Billy Munro is a dark and nihilistic narrative of music, prose, and film. While an imperfect patchwork of borrowed inspirations, the culmination is still unlike anything else in the Indian indie scene. By Karan Madhok

Often called ‘The Indian Bob Dylan’, singer-songwriter Deepak Peace from Pune challenges and confronts listeners with contemporary political issues, turning music into a call for revolution. By Hunardeep Kaur

The music of the Kudiyas from Coorg (Karnataka) is a melodious celebration of the gift of the forests. Sravasti Datta explains how an artists’ collective is helping to promote the indigenous music and stories of tribes across the state.