Meet Dharavi’s rockstars

Dharavi Rocks is a music band that had started as an education project by ACORN Foundation (India) NGO in order to use music as a medium for education. Since the kids from Dharavi had no prior formal training in music, the project was envisioned as a way to gauge how these kids would respond to music. Most of these kids have had an unfortunate childhood; most become breadwinners for their family from a very young age. This leaves a lasting psychological impact on them, which is why the ACORN team hoped that music may prove to be a good way to reach out to them.

At the beginning

Vinod Shetty, Founder of ACORN Foundation (India), shares, “We started off in 2008 by getting the visiting musicians and performers at BlueFrog onboard to conduct workshops with these kids. The kids were taught very simple songs and basic beats clubbed with group dancing that helped improve the vibe of the class. All of this together started taking place as a band that played percussion music.”

Since ACORN is also involved in the field of recycling and works in tandem with the rag pickers of the city; recycled plastic drums were used to create music. This way, the band started turning into an ambassador for reusing and recycling. Abhijit Jejurikar, who teaches music to these kids got a disciplined yet vibrant energy into the band. The kids eventually got hooked onto the music and even started to create their own tunes.

Onto bigger things

The band, for the first time, performed in front of an audience at BlueFrog and the talent was soon noticed by all. They eventually got roped in by various music and TV channels, clubs, private events by corporates and several others. Today, the band members travel around the country for performances and have just returned after performing in Hyderabad. Shetty adds, “The band has grown undoubtedly; we have also made it into a unique CSR programme that can be adopted by various corporates. The members have been performing all across India and so far have given around 100 performances, which has increased their morale and self-esteem.”

The band has 22 kids between the age group of 12 to 20 but as the kids grow up, they move out as they get busy with their lives. The NGO constantly invites new, younger kids into the band who are then mentored. This makes the band a ‘work in progress’ one. However, the older kids join in wherever they have time to spare. 

Nabi Ahmed Qureshi (19), also know as Guddu, who has been associated with the band for five years now, has a lot to say about his experience. He shares, “This band has changed my life completely as it has been such a great learning experience. Before I joined the band, I had no idea that there are various genres of music like jazz, hip-hop, Indian classical, etc. I only got to know about them after I started taking lessons from Abhijit Jejurikar. I learnt so much here, every day after work . By learning music, we realised how it worked as a de-stresser; it would simply make me forget my worries. Everyone has dreams and I had mine too, but since I grew up in the slums, I thought that I would never get the opportunity to live my dream and turn it into reality. But ACORN and the band have given me a huge opportunity to experience something unique and unusual.”  

The band has now become a platform for lesser privileged kids to show their talent and play with music. “This band has become a way to empower these kids as they don’t get such opportunities elsewhere,” concludes Shetty.