Hard times definitely bring out man’s instinct towards creating happiness. In these dark days, musicians have taken the initiative to pour the intention and intensity of hope in their art. And just the way it is widely believed, nothing creates hope the way love does.
Singer-songwriter Nikhil D’Souza brings to us one song, ‘People’, sung in both English and Hindi. The singer aims to spread the notion of togetherness; we are one, and it’s about time we started loving each other.
Today, Nikhil also released a music video to go along with the Hindi reprise version of the track. Its premise featuring an elderly lady going about her life juxtaposed with two kids playing in the neighbourhood wearing a face mask is instantly uplifting and charming.
There’s nothing too novel about the song, but it is delightful. Upbeat, sprightly and buoyant with optimism, D’Souza advocates for the “one world” mentality while strumming some sunny chords. Lyrically, this is a track made for a perfect sing-a-long.
Though the original English is borne of his wordsmithery, the Hindi verses have been penned by Pinky Poonawala, Akshit VS and Akash Shukla. They repeat the same sentiment, but with the added advantage of the intimacy that Hindi is likely to offer to a majority of Indian listeners.
These unprecedented times of self-isolation and fragile living deserve, if nothing else, a few breaths of brightness, amidst daily anxieties and uncertainty. Nikhil seeks to provide that but also, balances out the positivity with a solemn reminder that we would probably be doing better if we spent more time cultivating harmony and helping each other out.
Musically, the track reflects the sparkle that seems all but lost, in times of global despair. It brings forth a song-by-the-campfire quality that will, hopefully, hold us out until we can sit by actual bonfires and drink rum without the barrier of the Zoom call.
