It takes courage to revisit years of trauma, seek help to heal, build resilience and bring poetry out of it. But when you share it with silent sufferers, it can inspire them to step up and speak up without the fear of being suppressed. Here’s a work that adapts some of the poems penned by survivors of domestic violence into a song. And, it promises to be your musical companion and offer solace under all circumstances.
An initiative by The International Foundation for Crime Prevention & Victim Care, Ezhundhu Va is a single composed by Revaa and produced by SNS Productions. Released officially on December 10 by singer Dhee, the artwork featured in the four-minute video is from PCVC’s project Redrawing Resistance — a collection of paintings, photography, poetry, and videos from South Asian women survivors of violence, their families, and their artist allies.
“The song has been a platform for our survivors to share their lived experiences with the world. Redrawing Resistance is a project that we’ve been seriously involved with, for many years. With this, our goal is to create a safe space for survivors and their allies to document their journeys through a violent situation and the resilience it takes to deal with domestic violence. Art is therapeutic, and it will help in their process of healing and dealing with the trauma,” details Swetha Shankar, director of Client Services, PCVC.
PCVC’s annual art exhibit, which showcases the artworks of survivors, was on hold last year due to the pandemic. This year, the exhibition went virtual, and the works are available on their official website. “The art workshops went on even during the lockdown. We touched upon themes like living under a roof with a perpetrator during the lockdown. The pandemic, if anything, has added to the existing challenges faced by the community. With the project, we also wanted to emphasise our 24*7 hotline so that anybody in dire need gets immediate help,” notes Swetha.
Sharing her thoughts, Shreya Nagarajan Singh of SNS Productions says, “I had interned with PCVC 15 years back during my college days. I respect the work they’ve been doing. So when the project came my way, I was also particular about selecting a female composer for the song, and Revaa turned out to be my natural choice. The song hopes to highlight and support women-led creative professionals in the space. We will be joining hands with PCVC on more art installation projects and outreach programmes soon.”
Revaa instantly agreed to the project because “it was for a good cause. I got to work with like-minded individuals. When I skimmed through the lyrics penned by these people, it got me emotional. The verses were minimal, organic, and touched your soul. It was a big learning experience for me. I wanted a tune that was positive and motivating. And, it turned out to be one. I hope this inspires more women to come forward and demand their rights,” she shares.
A few seconds into the song, and it goes ‘Ezhundhu Va, Kanmani... Ezhundhu Va, Kalangividamal...Ezhundhu Va... (Rise darling...leave your troubles behind, rise).’ The rest is for you to experience. The song will be available on all the listening platforms.
If you are a woman or a queer person in crisis, call the toll-free number 1800-102-7282 during an emergency to access immediate, timely, and non-judgmental help.
Meet the team
Music: Revaa
Flute: Kiran Kumar
Recording studio: Nadabindu Recording Studio l Singer: Keerthana Vaidhyanathan
Recording engineers: Vishnu Namboodiri, Asst by Naveen Kannan l Guitars and bass: Godfrey Emmanuel
Mix and master: Abin Pushpakaran Blu Academy