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Singer Sona Mohapatra's Durga The Demon Slayer blends rock and traditional music
Updated On: 17 October, 2023 08:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram Iyengar
To celebrate Durga Puja and Navratri, singer-songwriter Sona Mohapatra’s latest take of the famed Mahishasura Mardini song captures the natural metal landscape of Durga’s mythical tradition in a new avatar
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The artwork for the single. Illustration/Aroficio
For many who mistakenly presume that Indian tradition lacks rock icons, the manner and nature of goddess worship in many parts of the country can be a surprise. As beautiful as pandals look in the days of Navratri, they are a reminder of the primal and longstanding tradition of female symbolism that runs through the subcontinent’s roots. It is no surprise then that the Indian rock scene has often turned to the Goddess — for symbolism, music or inspiration. The latest single, Durga the demon slayer by Sona Mohapatra travels that same road. It blends rock interludes, guitar play and layers it with a traditional vocal undercurrent to celebrate the famed Mahishasura Mardini chant.
Released under her label, Omgrown Music, the song is the latest take of the shloka written in the 8th century BCE by the saint-poet, Adi Shankaracharya. “I call myself Chandi’s daughter (one of the forms of goddess Durga),” Mohapatra reveals as she explains the song’s inspiration. For the singer, the chant naturally lent itself to the rock genre. “I feel the power in the mantra, it has a percussive element in its words and rhythm. It [the chant] builds up in terms of a sonic graph, and engulfs you. It comes down to the energy. The song hits the chakra in the centre of your body,” she remarks.
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