Will the Desi Vote be as potent as the ‘Desi Girl’ in the Midterm Elections?

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The Indian-American Vote via Roopa Mahadevan
Will the Desi Vote be as potent as the ‘Desi Girl’ in the Midterm Elections?

When she’s happy, sad – or really angry she sings! Indeed, music is the answer to all of life’s ills and for noted vocalist Roopa Mahadevan it’s also a way to motivate the silent desi community. Are all of us voting in this make or break midterm election? And if not, why not?

When one thinks of the power of the vote and its ability to change life for so many, it makes no sense to sit on your hands. Mahadevan came up with this jingle in a light-hearted way to make Indian-Americans think seriously about their right to vote and the utter necessity of doing so. What better way to use the hugely popular ‘Desi Girl’ tune to get out the Desi Vote?

In 2007, Roopa was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State to receive advanced Carnatic vocal training in Chennai, India under Suguna Varadachari, a senior guru of the Musiri Subramania Iyer tradition.She is the artistic director of the Navatman Music Collective and is also a performer with the Brooklyn Raga Massive.

She has music in her DNA but is also a graduate in Biology and Cognitive Science from Stanford University and works in public health policy. So what better way to combine her different worlds and create a fun jingle about the urgency of desis getting out the vote?

If she changes even one desi mind, that’s Mission Accomplished! After all, every sixth person in the world is an Indian! So please get out there and vote tomorrow!

Here Roopa Mahadevan gives us the back story of the Desi Vote Jingle!

Why did you feel it was necessary to make this jingle for the desi community? What do you think are the underlying issues with the desi vote or not voting.

I’ve long felt connected to many cultural/political issues – race relations, immigrant experiences, the well-being of LGBT communities, and public health policy, in particular. I’ve been thinking for a while about how to connect my love for music with these political concerns, but have always wanted it to feel authentic. In particular, I hoped this jingle would have an affirmative tone, as a potential respite from the divisiveness, moral grandstanding, and sense of dread that we’re seeing/feeling in our political culture right now.

I’ve heard a lot of political/cultural opinions shared at South Asian dinner parties, religious functions, and family gatherings – but it feels like these often remain armchair punditry (pun intended? hah). What would it mean to dive in and make ourselves a more integrated part of the American political community? To do this, I think we need to fundamentally recognize how our well-being is inseparable from that of other communities (esp. communities of color), the efforts of elected officials, the success of public service projects, and the gains of historical movements that have preceded us (e.g., civil rights, labor, women’s rights, and of course the organizing efforts of working class South Asians!). Voting is just one way to show gratitude and participate. The sizable number of South Asian candidates in this midterm election is a great sign of a change (see SAALT and Desis for Progress for specific names!).

How did you come up with the music and lyrics?

At first I considered coming up with my own tune. But a friend suggested I use a tune that already resonated with people. I wanted to choose something that might be recognizable by multiple South Asian communities (language, religion, class), and film music was an obvious option since it permeates so much of South Asian cultural life in India and the diaspora. “Desi Girl” from Dostana could easily be changed to “Desi Vote (!)” and the tune of Kannalane/Keh Na Hi Kya has the ethos of the pleading auntie that I wanted to invoke. Desi Girl has a danceable, upbeat party vibe to it, while the second song has more pathos – I see these two emotions often co-existing in South Asian culture and thought the transition between the two was a comedic opportunity as well.

Do you think the younger people are much more on board than older Indian-Americans and why?

While I don’t have the statistics on this, those familiar with voter turnout issues say that we need more voter participation across all age groups. I hoped my jingle would address the young and old too (although I think the auntie-ness took over, hah!). But I think South Asian communities “feel it” more now than ever before – the post 9/11 focus on terrorism, recent immigration policy threats, race/religion-based gun violence, shocking aspects of the Trump presidency, and the ups and downs of the economy, have had a role to play I think. I see how the #metoo movement in the states and in India has also activated an outspokenness and sharp desire for change in our communities.

What do you plan to do Nov 6th – besides vote yourself?

I’ve been participating in door-to-door canvassing and textbanking over the last few weeks. I hope to do a bit more in the next day, and then of course, pray that we get the voter turnout and results that are best for the country moving forward!

For help with finding your polling location, voting early, or receiving reminders: https://www.vote.org/ For info on key issues and candidates, here is a Midterm Election Voter Guide for South Asians: https://voterguide.saalt.org/