Jazz percussionist Sarathy Korwar was born in the US, grew up in India and is now part of the UK jazz scene. These diverse backgrounds all play a part in the eclectic style he brings to jazz music. On “Birthright,” tabla playing, street sounds and chanting greet the listener. Then comes in a powerful deadpan vocal delivery from poet Zia Ahmed with some wonderful minimalist keyboard lines. He intones, “‘Mi casa es su casa,’ says the man who stole your land… Does the land stitch itself back together? Do people stitch themselves back together?”
The charged lyrics illuminate the hypocrisy of the entitlement of people living on stolen land. The pressure of the song builds as the hypnotic keyboard lines stay relentless, the lyrics become more pointed and more singing voices are introduced. Suddenly, most elements drop out and we are left with only percussion and a repeating line referencing our rising seas: “Higher and higher / water on fire.” This incredibly poignant song takes on so many of the issues the world faces today. Though the title “Birthright” first brings to mind the Israeli propagandist group offering free trips to Israel, the song’s targets range from all settler-colonial states to the entitlement of those who destroy our environment. Hopefully all land torn apart by borders can soon be stitched back together.
Check out Sarathy Korwar’s 2019 album More Arriving here.
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Freeing Music 