Bengaluru, August 24 – A group of city-based musicians and environmentally conscious citizens as part of We Are All Mad Here (WAAMH) – a mental health company, has composed a music video aimed at inspiring the citizens of Bengaluru to adopt public transportation and help decongest the city. ‘Make that Change’, composed by Kenishaa Francis, Musician and Founder, WAAMH and team is a representation of the old school Bengaluru vis-a-vis the modern, IT-driven and congested Bengaluru as it stands today. The video has been released on Kenishaa’s Instagram handle.
The music video is part of the wider ‘Bengaluru Moving’ campaign, which is aimed at highlighting the challenges of public transport in Bengaluru and the need for better first and last-mile connectivity while championing bus lanes, non-motorised transport (NMT) solutions and investment in urban transport infrastructure.
Shot in some of the iconic landmarks of the city like Church Street, Lavelle Road and Cubbon Park, the music video captures the essence of how Bengaluru truly adds magic to all who live here. Adding to the warmth to the video is the incorporation of classical dance form ‘Bharatanatyam’ as the makers believe that it has a strong connection with old school Bengaluru.
Talking about the music video and what prompted her to work on a project like this, Kenishaa Francis, Musician and Founder, WAAMH says, “I have always wanted to be a part of something that involved ‘Kannada’ and this song was the perfect opportunity for me to start work in that direction. Over the years, we have seen the consistent rise of traffic and pollution in the city. However, there is not much that we have collectively done to rid the city of this problem. In line with this, we wanted to inspire people to do their bit to rid our city from pollution and congestion. And it starts by embracing public transport.” She adds, “It is not a luxury, of course, it is convenient, reliable and affordable. To me, they are the way forward.”
Gubbi, the Kannada rapper and contributor to the music composition, added, “I use public transport quite often while travelling within Bengaluru. It is convenient and there is no hassle of finding parking in a densely populated city like ours. Through this video, we want to raise awareness around public transport and help people realize that they make a huge difference to the city’s environment by opting for public transport over personal vehicles.”
Matangi Prasan, Bharatnatyam Dancer, said, “Public transport should be affordable and accessible to all & is an indication of sustainable development. With climate change becoming an evident reality with each passing day, public transport is our best bet to mitigate its effects.”
Sharing their thoughts on the public transport system in the city, the team also added how it was not just the duty of BMTC, but everyone who takes public transport to ensure they adhere to the rules. With people slowly getting back on the roads 5 months after the lockdown was imposed, the team is confident that it will inspire citizens to give their personal vehicles a miss to adopt alternative means like walking and cycling.