Mangalacharana, Tabla and Hip Hop Give Birth To Utkal Cypher

Mangalacharana, Tabla and Hip Hop Give Birth To Utkal Cypher

Have you ever wondered rap playing to the beats of Odissi? Well, now you can see it for real in a YouTube video by Urban Utkal and it is bound to give you goosebumps.

There was a time when Odia people hardly knew about rap music or any rapper. Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Run DMC were unknown names on the streets of Odisha. But today, with changing times and a completely new global music landscape the rap scene here has evolved into a creative and eclectic amalgamation of local and international flavours. With the emergence of popular rappers like Big Deal from Odisha, the scene is expanding and many talented Odia rappers have emerged. Digital platforms like Youtube and music streaming websites and apps are providing a global platform for desi talents like Urban Utkal. 

On 11 March, a rap video called ‘Utkal Cypher' was published on the new Youtube channel ‘Urban Utkal’, where a group of 8 Odia rappers are seen performing an Odia rap song. Although the rap includes some Hindi and English lyrics, the Odia lyrics have been integrated brilliantly. The rhythm creates a beautiful ambience when played against the divine sounds of Odissi’s tabla and sitar.

The group consists of Krishna Mistri aka Ustaad, Biswajit Ojha aka Chota Ojha, Tanmay Sahoo aka MC Tor, Durga Prasad Jena aka Mr. D, Swarup Das aka Sheraa, Anshuman Senapati aka Ansh, Brijnath Choudhary aka Bree J, Subham Das aka Sadhe 7.  

Inspired by legendary hip hop phenoms like Eminem, Tupac, Jay Z, Snoop Dog, 28-year-old Krishna has been rapping for over a decade now. He has a business which is the main source of his bread and butter, but his passion for rap has made him put together this team which includes young rappers aged between 20-25 years. He wants to take the rap scene of Odisha to the next level. He told My City Links, “Earlier, I have made rap songs for several other channels on Youtube. But this time I have started my new channel, which is called ‘Urban Utkal’. It took us two months to complete this song and the interesting part is its beats are sampled from Mangalacharana of Odissi music.” Ustaad is also known for his Rap ‘Jagi Utha’.

While Naham Raj aka Guru G has composed its music, the video has been shot and edited by Kanhu Beshra.