"We have been singing songs of the people, their problems and their struggles. The current circumstances, the issues ranging from price rise, the land question and unemployment to the wars in various parts of the world demand such songs, such protest music and reflect the people's struggles against them," said Parcham's director Kajal Ghosh.
Born in the early 1980s, the group has released four cassettes of over 40 revolutionary songs -- 'Aman ke Hum Rakhwale', 'Halla Bol', 'Jal Rahi Hai Zindagi' and one in the memory of noted theatre artiste Safdar Hashmi. They were received well and continue to be in demand even today.
But soon the struggle of daily life caught up with them though they never abandoned the idea of bringing out another album of protest songs.
The latest album comes after a gap of 20 years but Ghosh says they plan to make it a regular event now on in their effort to carry forward the legacy of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).
"We formed the group 33 years ago but after some time everyone got busy with their lives though the group never broke up. We kept meeting and performing but we felt that now was the time that we should bring this album and we plan to make it a regular affair," says Ghosh.
The new album contains eight songs, seven of which have been translated collectively by Parcham. The translations are of well-known songs from all over the world.
They include Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind, Paul Robeson's 'Ol' Man River', the Cuban song authored by renowned revolutionary and nationalist Jose Marti, 'Guantanamera', Salil Chowdhury's 'Bhor ke rahi' and Faiz Ahmed Faiz's famous 'Darbar-e-Watan'. (MORE)