This all-girls band is cool. They use kitchen equipment to create music

This all-girls band is quite unique in its use of kitchen equipment to create music. Chimta, belan, thali and oakhli all are used as musical equipment without the frills of a conventional musical instrument or a vocalist. Still their music leaves its listeners hooked. What's more, with the sole medium of its songs, this band seeks to fulfill its social obligation by spreading the awareness

It is not uncommon to associate a musical band with only men but this path-breaking female rock band is the first ever female mission rock band of India. With the sole medium of its songs, this band seeks to fulfill its social obligation by spreading the awareness of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ mission. Taking its contribution further the band has already sponsored numerous girl’s education.

“We always witnessed boys performing on stage as a band, girls if at all seen were always standing in a corner. This inspired me to assemble an all-women band and this is how the band came to life,” said its founder Dr Jaya Tiwari.

She added, “There can be as many women bands but ours is a one with a mission, we don’t perform to entertain, our presentation seeks to sensitize women and girls about their innate power and motivate them to use it. We believe with constant effort even stars are ours to achieve.”

This all women band is quite unique in its use of kitchen equipment to create music. Chimta, belan, thali and oakhli all are used as musical equipment without the frills of a conventional musical instrument or a vocalist. Still their music leaves its listeners hooked

This mission female rock band is called ‘Meri Zindagi’ and it came to life in 2010 with 5-6 female partners. The band envisions to make women aware of their abilities. Music enables the wider diffusion of a social message so the band works with the government and NGOs to popularize schemes and drives like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ ,1090, water conservation, CIFSA, vote-appeal, etc.

The band has given over 100 performances in UP and other states to millions in audience. It has performed over 60 mission songs with the message of women’s betterment, positivity and hope. The highlight, however, is its unconventional choice of musical instruments. The band has launched its album ‘Parwaz’ and is working towards second.

Dr Jaya Tiwari is the sole lyricist and composer of the band. She does all this while working in the kitchen — chopping vegetables or rolling chapatis. Jaya was musically inclined since her childhood but her family didn’t approve. Her father, however, supported her when she expressed her desire to learn music due to which she was able to found this band. Jaya also performed as a child artist thereafter working for several radio stations as radio jockey for years. Presently she heads the community radio and socio-cultural department at BBD.

A resident of Lucknow’s Gomtinagar, Jaya said: “We endeavor to inspire our audience with positive thoughts, our songs are inspirational and passionate. All our songs are based on social issues like woman empowerment, literacy and girl child welfare. Along with our music we even try extending physical help to people.”

She added: “We began by sponsoring four girls’ education and now it is extended to meets six girls. Me and my bandmates are confident of, one day, earning ourselves a chance to represent India on the international platform.

Band a mission, not an entertainer

Meri Zindagi was not created to entertain, but to achieve an explicit social aim with songs as means. Every girl child has an absolute right to life, to education. Only an educated woman can instrumentalize social change — with this exclusive thought operate the women of the band. In today’s high-strung life, it’s a struggle to get any message across so the band is performing a crucial service through its songs.

Launched online woman radio to provide women a media platform

From time to time the band also engages in newer activities. In 2016, the band launched an online woman radio station with the sole purpose of providing women across state, nation and even internationally a common platform to address and share their issues. Operated and managed by women, anyone can access it.

Feels good to be able to save daughters being a daughter

The band manager Niharika Dube who is also an RJ at BBD Community Radio, said excitedly: “It’s a matter of great pride that being daughters, we are able to spread the message of girl child protection. Our songs have far greater social impact than any speech, our songs move people to tears, our shows have witnessed unbridled audience participation from our female fans.”

Not boasting of a big change, Niharika admits though, “It’s a laudable change even for the girls to be able to find stage and sing with enthusiasm. Our songs are so moving and robust that they are sure to influence the audience’s mindset. Ours is an example that women can manage their band.” Meghna, a band member whistles, Laado is its youngest member. Besides Jaya, Utasvi Banerji, Purvi Malviya, Saubhagya Dixit, Meghna, Niharika and Laado are other bandmates. The strength of the band keeps changing but its performance runs always to packed audiences.

80% songs from the kitchen

Not fond of working in the kitchen, Jaya believes that in order to reach for sky one will have to forgo kitchen responsibility. Whatever time she spends in kitchen it invariably is used to either create songs or their tunes.

Jaya said: “While chopping vegetables, making tea, rolling or baking chappatis, sorting the kitchen out, I create 80% of my songs and even compose their music.” She reasoned, “Oakhli and Chimta symbolize that household chores are a woman’s strength not her weakness — what she needs is an opportunity to become aware of the fact.