In my previous blog, I established how important music was in our lives and mentioned my top six favourite Indian feminist songs. But even though the blog was appreciated by many, it did not feel complete to me. I left out a lot of artists, a lot of genres and sub-genres, and more importantly, a lot of languages.

With over 100 different languages spoken in India, not every language gets the recognition it deserves. That is also mirrored when it comes to music in regional languages. Living in a country that is so diverse, so complex that even the same languages have various dialects, it’s important to recognize the need for the promotion and upliftment of languages and artists who make music in regional languages.

Also Read: 6 Indian Feminist Songs We Should Listen To This Weekend

So, with the second part of this blog, I hope to be more inclusive and diverse across languages and genres. Here are my top 5 Indian feminist songs for this week:

1) Evada Unna Petha (Tamizh Padam 2, 2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMMRiENC5Lc&feature=emb_title

Song parodies are the best way to call out songs that don’t make sense. But Evada Unna Petha takes parodies to another level by calling out to every man that has taken a woman for granted. Translating to “who gave birth to you?” – Evada Unna Petha is a parody of very famous misogynist Tamil songs. The song features women who are questioning the very existence of our patriarchal society that makes them conform to stereotypical gender roles. If you are all about calling out the patriarchy, this is a song you must hear!

2) No More Limits (2018)

Sung by Dee MC, No More Limits is a rap that has been produced in association with Menstrual Hygiene Day India. The song has the perfect foot-tapping tones and lyrics that catch your attention. No More Limits is a conversation starter about menstruation and it does the job perfectly well! With lyrics that move you and the right tone, No More Limits is sure to empower you!

3) Vijanathayil Pathi Vazhi Thedunnu (How Old Are You, 2014)

From a Malayalam family drama, comes this masterpiece of a song. This song talks about the epiphany that every woman has at one point in their lives – the realization that she can be more than what she thinks of herself. This hits home majorly if you have ever been told you are not good enough. With the beautiful voice of Shreya Ghoshal, this song gives us the much-needed dose of upliftment.

4) Ziddi Dil (Mary Kom, 2014)

Mary Kom is a very well-known Indian Olympic Boxer. The movie is a biopic that gives us a peek into the boxer’s life – her struggles to get to where she is today, her wins and her losses. The Ziddi Dil song is the right blend of motivation and beautiful music. Ziddi Dil tells us to dream big, to conquer the world and more importantly, to fight for what we want; “be ziddi,” it says.

5) Suno Meri Awaaz (2012)

The very basis of this song is to show that women can achieve things if given a chance. The video features girls and women outshining men in every field! Sung by Anandmurti Gurumaa, this song is THE song to listen to when patriarchy is getting you down. A beautiful melody and women being their awesome selves – the two secret ingredients to the perfect weekend track!

Let these feminist songs drive you through the chaos of patriarchy and may you emerge victorious!