Music giving India's young a new voice

By Dilip -

A decade ago, bands playing Pink Floyd and Beatles covers were the staple of Western rock in India but today's musicians are shunning that, says Mr Datta.
"Today, there is immense pride in doing your own thing. The youth is more about having our own say than to adopt something Western. Ten or 15 years back, bands in India were pretty ashamed of doing original stuff. People used to get booed off stage and were very apologetic."
Music has often been a way for young people to make themselves heard at a time of change, be it rock and roll, punk or Brit pop. "Fifteen or twenty years ago the Indian audiences were enamoured with the West. It didn't matter if you were a good band or not, the audience would rather see a white singer on stage. "That's changed now, today they want to listen to good music, wherever it is from. They don't consider themselves members of a third world country anymore. They see themselves as part of a greater global scene."


India has one of the world's largest populations of young people.

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