Meesha Shafi – Hot Mango Chutney Sauce (Feat. Swineryy)

this song by one of pakistan’s best-loved artists is such addictive fun. first of all, any friend of mangoes is a friend of mine. it’s the king of fruits and the utmost south asian sensorial experience (hot mango chutney makes me think of brooklyn’s B K jani and their ‘mango jani’ – a spicy, sparkling mango drink concoction). secondly, i love that the song is mostly in punjabi, a beautiful language with a rich literary and musical tradition that’s invisibilized by urdu (the state’s national language, the language of culture and erudition, and all that). let’s not even talk about the long shadow cast over punjabi (and other regional languages) by english and its elitist colonial legacy. so, yes to punjabi and its colorful, spirited, humorous culture. finally, the singer/songwriter/director/producer meesha shafi is part of the #metoo movement in pakistan. she accused ali zafar, a popular actor/musician, of sexual harassment and ended up being sued by him for criminal defamation. so there’s a lot she’s saying here without really saying it and more power to her for hitting back. enjoy:)

#meeshashafi #metoo #iamwithher #mangoes #southasia #pakistan #punjab #punjabi #punjabisongs #punjabihumour #punjabiculture

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