Following her debut book of poetry If They Come For Us, Chicago-based poet and screenwriter Fatimah Asghar is back with a new collection. Co-edited with Safia Elhillo, Halal If You Hear Me is an anthology of poetry from Muslim writers who identify as women, queer, genderqueer, nonbinary, or trans. Kajal caught up with Asghar shortly … Read More
The multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Cat Mahatta describes her music as “electronic space pop r&b,” and through that music she hopes to create a dreamscape where folks with marginalized identities can live and dance in exhilaration. Her new music video, “Hymn to Dudes,” pairs ethereal beats with forceful lyrics about independence and non-conformism. The music swells … Read More
Pallaví dropped her latest music video “Identity” this month. In the video, Pallaví (aka Fijiana) tackles the erasure of Indo-Fijian culture in mainstream discourse head-on. She pulls themes of marginalization and appropriation into a powerful song that simultaneously criticizes systemic oppression and celebrates the nuances of her community. The video is full of brown femmes … Read More
Coinciding along with the summer solstice, the sun visits sensitive cancer this month. For three days the sun seems to almost stop in the sky at its northernmost point as it passes over the tropic of cancer. The rules the masculine while cancer is governed by the feminine moon. Cancer is symbolized by the self-protective … Read More
The steady drizzle and wet clothes did not stop the march of saffron and black-clad men on State Highway 12 in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. Many wore flimsy chappals while others walked barefoot. In an effort to stay dry, they covered themselves with tarps made from upcycled Cliff Bars and Spearmint wrappers. This is the Kanwar … Read More
South Asian food is more than consumable. It is an emblem of the cultural migrancy brought to London from around the world. The rich and homegrown flavors grown in gardens from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean, are carried overseas by the diaspora with as much strength as there is … Read More
Raveena followed up her May 31st release of Lucid with a video for the single “Stronger.” Directed by filmmaker Danika Kleinknecht, “Stronger” vacillates between visceral depictions of trauma and the airy, bright vibe reminiscent of Raveena’s previous videos. The video cuts back and forth, as the song does, between images of Raveena as a powerful … Read More
Bad Brown Aunties is a podcast by two artists, social justice advocates, queer South Asians, and long term friends Thanushka Yakupitiyage and Rage Kidvai. The pair interview prominent people of color, queer, and trans folk from within their New York community about identity, art, culture, and social justice with an emphasis on the “aunties” and … Read More
The video for Joy Crookes’s “Since I Left You” starts with a close up on the singer’s face. Behind her, clothes are billowing in the wind, and the shot quickly changes to her sitting with her arms around a young boy. As the video continues, Crookes doesn’t move from this room, which she modeled off … Read More
Welcome to Gemini season! Ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, Gemini’s are known to be versatile thinkers. Fueled with energy and social interaction this period strays away from the practicalities of life. There are a few major aspects occurring astrologically this June, the first of which will be a New Moon in Gemini on … Read More
