Not many have heard of underrated West Bengal guitarist Sharad Dipesh Diyali. But even though he’s not a viral Indian star, Diyali is a passionate musician who wants to use his guitar to change the world for the better. On January 8, 2021, Diyali released a song as a reaction to the turmoil that’s been happening across the world.
To give the song that extra push, Diyali enlisted the help of a living legend. Joining Diyali in the song is Carnatic guitar ace and legendary axeman Baiju Dharmajan, who has a short but sweet effects-driven part in the new guitar instrumental. As two of India’s most skilled electric guitar virtuosos collaborate on one track, the result is a truly epic meeting of Carnatic rock styles.
As for what the new instrumental means, we’ll let Diyali’s own caption on Justice speak for itself: “We live in a world where acts of injustice are witnessed consistently whereas justice is served occasionally. We read newspapers and watch news on our flat screens and get acquainted with the messy world outside, which everyday screams out for one word, “JUSTICE”.
Indeed, the music video for the song highlights the different real-world stories that inspired Diyali and Dharmajan to make this song. This includes stories surrounding teen mental health, transgender rights, rape and harassment, police brutality, war, racial injustice, and environmental tragedies.
As Diyali expounds further in the caption for Justice on YouTube, “The world needs justice amidst their everyday struggle, the world needs justice for the truth they uphold, the world needs justice for the right they stand on, the world needs justice to peacefully go to their bed. Let this instrumental speak for the voiceless. This music is dedicated to all the people out there fighting everyday for their rights and peace of mind. Let this music stand for equality, honesty, kindness, compassion, peace and righteousness.”
CREDIT: @sharad_dipesh on Instagram
Whether or not you share Diyali’s sentiments, what’s undeniable is that Justice is a shred fest for the ages. Diyali is a veritable supernova of blues-rock throughout almost every second of the over four-minute song. But at the two-minute and thirty-second mark, Dharmajan shows why he’s known as the God of Small Strings. With Laney amps in the background and Digitech pedals under his feet, Dharmajan proceeds to unleash a minute-long masterclass of Carnatic blues-rock. The solo is epic to say the least, as Dharmajan’s tone is perfect even as he ‘drops the bombs’ with high notes and pedal work at the end. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Diyali’s playful grooves and melodies.
Meanwhile, the artwork featured in the video was created by artist Rishi Raj Darn, who did a great job of capturing the grit and reality of the messages behind Justice. Arranged into motion by video editor Silas Gurung, mixed and mastered by Daryl Tshering Lepcha, and shot at the Hotel Monarch in Kalimpong, Diyali and Dharmajan’s Justice is a collective effort of artists who want to put positive energy out into the world.
