For Kerala musician Alex Immatty his songs are a means of protest -OxBig News Network

Rock musician Alex J Immatty takes his music very seriously. It is more than entertainment or a hobby; he uses it as a tool for a change or at least to create awareness about the need for change. The Thrissur-based musician’s latest song, ‘Karuppaanu njangal’ (meaning we are black), recently released on YouTube, questions colourism, the bias against dark skin, and metaphorically asks why black is problematic.

“That is the beauty of democracy — you can protest. And I am exercising that right through my songs,” Alex says. The song, which has a distinct blues feel, showcases his individualistic style.

This is not his first song of protest. One of his first such songs was ‘Ente roadum…’, which was a critique of the condition of the roads in Kerala. “I was inspired by something I saw — a mother and son walking down a potholed road, and a bus whizzing past. I could not help thinking about how precarious the plight of pedestrians like them is. One wrong step, they would fall on the road and in all probability would have gotten run over by the bus.” 

Although written and rendered more than a decade ago, he says, it is still relevant especially since it is raining and the roads are in a bad condition. “My songs are politically-driven. It is not directed at a political party or ideology. I have no malice towards anyone nor do I stand for a political party. I just want to show the mirror to the powers that be. I am doing it for society. The pathetic condition of the roads in Kerala and social conditions led me to compose the ‘Ente roadum’ song and the other songs. It is not just society and infrastructure, I criticise myself as well and the chauvinist in me in my songs like ‘Aval paranju panchasara’ and ‘Ari venthodi’.”

He counts musicians such as John Lennon, Chris Rea, the two Bobs — Marley and Dylan, and John Fogerty among his inspirations. “Their songs of love and peace, and against social inequalities, the establishment and wars had a deep impact on me.” He has experimented with genres such as reggae, rock, blues, swing rock, and tribal folk.

It is not just politics in his songs. Alex is part of Thrissur-based rock band, Anjuvilakku. Before that he was part of the late 1990s band Rockwag, has been an associate of Jassie Gift and a rookie drummer for the band Avial. He works as a music trainer for the band of Sahrdaya College, Thrissur.