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Somdatta ‘s ‘We Rise’ the music track focuses on trauma endured due to abuse and domestic violence.
We Rise is Somdatta’s recent single release which focuses on trauma endured due to abuse and domestic violence. This track is an addition to her album ‘Mazi’. It delves into a victim’s loss of identity and self due to physical and emotional abuse. The song also highlights the resilience that emerges from suffering. The ‘We Rise’ music track has been composed and arranged by Sarod maestro Prattyush Banerjee.
The ubiquity of ‘We Rise’ is that it combines original Bangla and Sanskrit lyrics to communicate its message. The Sanskrit lyrics have been written by Neha Krishna Kumar and the Bengali lyrics have been written by Sugata Guha. The production not only approaches vocal expressions due to trauma but also a movement that often helps us express the unspoken suffering in our bodies. The performers for the music video are Rebecca Brodowski, Darci Erickson, and Somdatta. Co-Choreographers Rebecca and Somdatta have worked together in creating movements that resonate with the subject of trauma experienced due to Domestic Violence in liaison with the lyrics of the song set in Sanskrit and Bangla.
The melody of the song has been composed by Sarod maestro ‘Prattyush Banerjee’. The unique soundscapes of the track include vocal harmonies fused with the Pakhawaj and have unique combinations of the tabla with drums, sarod with flute, and piano strings. Sanskrit verses required strong rhythms and hence the Pakhawaj was infused along with the vocal harmonization sung by Somdatta in a choral effect shaping the soundscape as unique in appeal. For the Bangla verses, the dynamics of the sound are vibrant with drums and other Western instruments. There is the Tabla and Dholak along with percussion instruments that shape the rhythmic character of the song. The track has multiple tonalities and shades leading to a global appeal in its soundscape.
Somdatta is an interdisciplinary artist with a passion for using her craft to make a difference. With a voice that echoes the struggles and hardships of women everywhere, she uses her music, movement, and choreography to give a voice to raise awareness about the oppression and trauma that plagues so many. Through her art, Somdatta strives to create a world where we can come together, collaborate, and find common ground across borders and boundaries. She draws inspiration from the works of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, a symbol of equality and freedom. Somdatta is also a Bharatanatyam Dancer trained under the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, an institution spearheaded by Dr. Mallika Sarabhai.
What has inspired ‘We Rise’
Somdatta said, “I work in the field of Dance Movement Therapy and my population of interest is ‘Women with Trauma’. My experiences witnessing the oppression of women resonate strongly with unspoken and repressed trauma especially stored in the bodies of the victims. I have drawn inspiration for this work from dialogues with survivors and victims of domestic violence. ‘We Rise’ delves in not only the darkness surrounding the victim of domestic violence but also celebrates the resilience of survivors. The song is a restoration of the self and a lost identity. A dialectical relationship between darkness and light has been explored in this song and the journey toward healing has been depicted through movement. This work reflects the hope, courage, and strength of survivors across the world and connects to the universal implications of domestic violence and abuse on women across the world.”
