Do songs such as Gracias a la vida by Violeta Parra, Blowin’ in the wind by Bob Dylan or Hum dekhenge by Faiz Ahmad Faiz address you differently? When listening to a protest song, can you feel the blood rising up your veins? If yes, Anatomy Of A Protest Song, the first episode of a series aimed at inspecting the intersections of music and resistance, will catch your eye. Our host Bhanuj Kappal welcomes us into the conversation with a rather cheeky song that celebrates beef-eaters across the world. The beef song by a Telangana-based protester was composed at a time when the current government was hoisting the cattle slaughter ban in the country. Once we catch the refrain, “Beef is the secret of my energy,” we know we are in for a fun ride.

The episode discusses the power and poignancy of protest songs with Dr Sumangala Damodaran, a professor of economics and developmental studies, and musicians Ronid Akhu Chingangbam and Tenma. Damodaran says the fact that a song found in activism holds water through decades and becomes popular even amongst people who fail to comprehend it in its original language is because of a combination of tune and lyrics. She points out how the power of the written word helps a song-writer’s thoughts resonate with another generation.