Truth Hurts

After the somewhat dying down of the ‘hot in here’ buzz, ‘Addictive’ by Truth Hurts has been making the rounds. The debut album ‘Truthfully Speaking’ from Dr. Dre protégé Truth Hurts entered the Billboard 200 chart in August at Number Five, selling more than 89,000 copies. Truth Hurts has been nominated for Best New R&B/Soul Or Rap Artist. ‘Addictive’, a remix which attempts to fuse eastern and western culture. Lilting strains of Indian music are heard in the background; “thora resham lagta hai…thora sheesha lagta hai.” Eastern culture is all too visible in the video. Eastern ethnicity upon our western counterparts. Globalization indeed.

However this piece is not about the sequined tops or the mehndi-decorated hands or even the gota-covered dupattas. Yes, dupattas with gota. Mock surprise perhaps? Or perhaps not.

It was coming. From George Harrison going to India to learn the sitar from sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, to Madonna’s mehndi in her video ‘Frozen.’ From kurtas to pashmina shawls and from khussas to kolapuris. The bricks were slowly being shifted. The cement scraped at, carefully, cautiously. Not to disturb the treasure within.

Eastern culture being the treasure. Precious and semi-precious stones. Looked at, admired and then adopted. On the other end of the seas we had discarded this treasure. Well, perhaps not entirely. We have only now begun to appreciate it. Only Now. After ‘Indian chic’ became hip in the West. But of course the latest fashion trends are always observed in Paris and Milan. We in the East must only then follow suit.

Ironic. Our indigenous culture is now being imported.

Watching ‘Addictive’ hurt. Yes, it did. Our culture being embraced by ‘foreigners.’ Watching the ease with which they carried it off. Is nothing sacred anymore? Motis, cholis, gota even our thumkas and jhatkas…things, which are held so close to one’s heart. Things taken for granted. But loved all the same.