Climate Emergency Mixtape, a multilingual album, addresses environmental issues and climate change

From water scarcity to the destruction of the Aravalli, six artistes from across India capture environmental issues in Climate Emergency Mixtape

Updated - September 29, 2026 06:14 pm IST

The artistes behind Climate Emergency Mixtape

The Climate Emergency Mixtape is a multilingual album of six rap songs that address environmental issues and climate changes affecting society.

Six artistes from across India have penned songs in their regional languages and will perform them at The Humming Tree on October 1.

Kali, a Bengaluru-based artiste weaves a unique blend of hip-hop into the rhythm of Kannada. His song ‘Neer Kodu’ (Give Water) addresses the city’s water scarcity, decreasing greenspaces and increasing temperatures every year.

“I believe, next summer, listeners will relate to this song differently. It will make them realise how the previous summer was better and how we have neglected our land.”

The Sollisai Sistahs from Tamil Nadu will be performing ‘Veppa Marathadiyila’ (Under the Neem tree), a Tamil-Kannada rap fusion. The song focuses on how climate change affects the marginalised and minority communities.

Sung by folk artiste Rani and rappers Abisha and Kavya, this song brings forward voices that go largely unnoticed in city scapes. Abhisha says, “In rural areas there isn’t enough awareness regarding climate change, and these are the very spaces that are most affected. That is why this song focusses on representing remote spaces and their struggles with climate change.”

Rapper Alkma at a concert

Devanshi is a 19-year-old sociology student and rapper from Maharashtra. Her song ‘Nisargacha Kaayda’ (Law of Nature) talks about the environmental conditions in the State. The song incorporates various accents from different regions of Maharashtra, including a “raw version of Marathi” to reach remote audiences, and covers issues of deforestation, soil erosion and farmer suicides. “I have also spoken about how we treat animals,” adds Devanshi.

Naveen Koomar from Delhi, will be performing ‘Vann Katte’, a rap song with hints of Ragini, a Haryanvi folk music art form. The song focuses on the destruction of the Aravalli range. “My ancestors lived in the lap of the Aravallis and as a child, I used to travel to my village for the holidays. Back then, I could see the mountains from the terrace of our house, but over the years, that view has been blocked by buildings that have replaced the trees,” says Naveen. “As a child, I felt as I grew taller, the height of the mountains seemed to decrease. I wanted to represent that in my song.”

Also from Delhi is Alkama, an 18-year-old independent rapper, who says, “When I was asked to write a song on the environment and nature, I knew I had to address the climatic conditions of the city. Though this is the first time I have undertaken this topic, I believe it is my best project till date.” Her song, ‘Nasht Environment’ focuses on the various aspects of Delhi, with a special focus on south-east Delhi.

The sixth artiste, Gamak Sinha hails from Mumbai and her song ‘Soil’ which releases on October 1, will also be performing at the concert.

Brikesh Singh from Asar Social Impact Advisors, one of the organisers of the concert, says, “Bengaluru as a city has always taken a stand on important issues, whether at Sankey Tank or the recent protests at Lal Bagh. That is one of the reasons we chose this city for the Climate Emergency Concert.”

The Climate Emergency Concert has been organised in collaboration by Youth Ki Awaaz, Kraantinari, Asar Social Impact Advisors, Folksoul, and the Climate Culture Collective.

The Climate Emergency Concert is scheduled to take place on October 1, at The Humming Tree. Tickets priced at ₹499 are available on Skillbox. More details on youthkiawaaz.com

Published - September 29, 2026 05:44 pm IST

music / Bengaluru / The Hindu MetroPlus

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