Mere gully mein: How the art form of the streets is blossoming under professional mentors
The Dharavi Dream Project (TDDP) in Mumbai provides opportunities for aspiring artists in Dharavi, including a state-of-the-art recording studio and counseling center. TDDP aims to change the culture and improve the lives of its students.
MUMBAI The physical distance between Dharavi and Taj Lands End is 7 km. But, the psychological gulf between the two is as big as the Arabian gulf between them. “I started from the streets and college cyphers. After I started working with The Dharavi Dream Project (TDDP), I got to perform at Taj Lands End,” says 24-year-old MC Josh (Joshua Joseph), a rapper from TDDP. “If a normal Dharavi boy like me gets to perform at a five-star hotel, toh samajh rahe ho na? It’s a big change. Even the food was...” he trails off.
For the past six years, Josh has been attending the After School of Hip-Hop in his ’hood. With a structured curriculum for six art forms (rapping, b-boying, emceeing, graffiti, skateboarding and deejaying), the school sees a rotating roster of 25-30 students for each discipline. Originally championed by late entrepreneur Samir Bangara, it is currently headed by Dolly Rateshwar, Sushant Yattam and Tejashree Pol, with financial and advisory support from Universal Music Group, Qyuki Digital Media and dJED Foundation. In its 10th year, the school has recently added a state-of-the-art recording studio and a counselling centre to its premises.
“For a rapper, the studio is like a church,” says Josh. “If I have to record outside, I have to pay for it. This recording studio is like someone’s opened a studio in my house, because TDDP is my home.” Chief mentor MC Heam (Hemant Dhyani), who has designed the rap curriculum, and who also plays coach on ‘MTV Hustle’, says, “When I started rapping 18 years ago, I didn’t have access to any studios. I used to record my songs in a car, with the windows rolled up, so that no noise would come in. Booking studios and taking my students there were all logistical hassles. Now, it has become a lot easier to record demos and final tracks. Our plan is to provide them with all the services. I don’t want them to take 18 years to achieve something, har jagah ke dhakke kha ke.”
Co-founder Yattam says, “For them, writing a song is easy because music is second nature to them. But, recording in a studio is intimidating. Since the studio has opened, our students are in the middle of recording about seven songs. Spotify recently released a data point, which states that hip-hop consumption is highest on the app. That means not every song needs a video. Hip-hop is anyway a more lyrical, audio-based art form. That’s where we’re coming from. Roland, AR Rahman and rapper Raja Kumari have all contributed equipment for our studio.”
Pipe dreams for a pipeline
Dharavi is in a state of churn right now. But, its proposed redevelopment by the Adani Group is the fourth such attempt by the state government in the last few decades. Locals say they have been hearing of plans since the time Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister. The 590-acre land parcel holds a million-plus population, and about 20,000 SMEs create an annual turnover of $1 billion. “Dharavi is all about entrepreneurship,” says Yattam. “There’s a self-sustaining ecosystem here. So, we don’t have to teach them how to hustle. The real hustle for them is getting access to resources.”
Heam adds, “I’m from Najafgarh in Delhi, which is known for its crime rate. But, in Dharavi, I walk khullam-khulla even at midnight. I have learnt hard work here. People work three jobs just to manage their lives. Obviously, there’s a dark side, but we’re trying to reduce that through our school.”
One of the initiatives in this regard has been the opening of the Dharavi Dream Counselling Centre, in collaboration with Trijog, a mental healthcare organisation. “The counselling centre is an absolute need,” says Josh. “We need a place to talk. I rap because it’s like therapy to me. When I sit down to write, all my ajeebogareeb thoughts come out. But, I know so many youths who do nasha. Our biggest problem is that no one understands us. So, if that problem can be solved, if kids can understand their own value with counselling, then that would be good.”
Arushi Sethi Shah, CEO and co-founder of Trijog, says, “From October 15, our counsellors will be at the school, providing mental healthcare and aid to over 100 students and their families.” Shah reiterates that emotional wellbeing is a universal need, irrespective of background. “When I asked in their classroom if there’s anyone with any worries, a four-year-old raised his hand. Imagine if the understanding comes that young. For musicians especially, because they’re trying to create, their struggles are a lot higher. They’re more likely to suffer from anxieties and depressive moods, because they’re with their thoughts most of the time.”
Yattam adds, “Many of them suffer from stage fright. For us, stage fright is something else; for them, it stems from their locality, parental pressure, financial constraints, the immediate option of child labour. So, support goes a long way,” Shah continues, “We make up our own securities, insecurities and inferiorities in our minds. But, our self-worth cannot be defined by where we come from, but who and what we are. This self-confidence and identity-building can only be done if we have the right avenues to talk about emotional health. And, that’s exactly what this counselling programme will be bringing to the school.”
The process of confidence-building, however, is already underway at TDDP. Because rap goes hand-in-hand with swag. Heam says, “One of my students was wearing a fake Louis Vuitton yesterday. When his friend pointed it out, he replied in Marathi, ‘When my dreams come true, I’ll buy the real one.’ So, they’re setting higher goals for themselves.” Yattam says, “What we have to understand is what we are trying to do here. Are we creating a talent factory? Or, are we trying to change their lives? Everyone wants a breakout star. But, for us, if a kid walks in, and he’s still here in a year’s time, that’s a success story. Changing the culture here is our metric for success.”
Caption:
Sushant Yattam, co-founder of The Dharavi Dream Project, with chief mentor MC Heam, on the premises of the After School of Hip-Hop. Satish Bate/HT Photo
Pull quote:
‘When I started rapping, I used to record my songs in a car, with the windows rolled up. Our plan is to provide our Dharavi students with all the services. I don’t want them to take 18 years to achieve something, har jagah ke dhakke kha ke.’
Rapper MC Heam, chief mentor, TDDP