Released on August 6th 2005 on the occasion of Hiroshima Day, the music video is being widely screened today all over the world, as part of campaigns, meetings, and protests against the crimes bring perpetrated daily by the American Empire.
In recent history, parts of Afghanistan were reduced to rubble while today, bombs continue to rain over Iraq. Further in the past, Korea, Indonesia, Guatemala, Cuba, Peru, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicaragua, (the former) Yugoslavia, El Salvador and other countries have also faced the war-hungry American empire.
While the question: 'Who's next?' is under discussion, a movement in Bangalore has taken shape in the form of a music video titled "America, America!" against the American war fever.
Each conquest of the American empire is covered by blatant hypocrisy. Oftentimes, the propaganda actually succeeds in diminishing our ability to see through the warp of lies and contradictions thereby weakening our resistance to it.
Mass media often falls prey to the propaganda and becomes a mouthpiece of official American war-speak.
To intensify global peace efforts, we need to challenge in wide and popular spaces, the liberal language of democracy and freedom being used to justify acts of aggression. This needs immense creative interventions on the part of anti-war campaigners.
Directed by KP Sasi and based on Kamaan Singh Dhami's anti-war song "American War Paar Da! (Check Out the American War!)," the 4-minute music video is a satirical but severe indictment of America's role in escalating world conflict.
Originally written following the post-9/11 bombing of Afghanistan by the USA, and developed to address the occupation of Iraq, the song comments on various aspects of the American empire -- its stockpile of nuclear bombs, its cozy relation with fanatical and dictatorial regimes, and in fact, the very notion of American peace and liberty.
The song is set to the tune of the popular Sinhalese song "Surangini" and has English lyrics and a catchy chorus in Tamil.
Dancing sometimes on Bush's shoulder, sometimes on the roof of Washington's White House, and sometimes in a colourful parade of children protesting against war, dancer Malavika Tara Mohanan embodies the indomitable spirit of resistance and satire.
In the music video, B Jayashree, Bangalore's well-known theatre director and playback singer, has sung the song, while activist and singer, Sumathi, has been part of the conceptualization and music production.
The camera work is by Sunil Kupperi and Sajan Kalathil, and Mustafa Deshamangalam worked as the assistant director. The music video was edited by Aditya Kunigal and the song has been recorded in Music Mint.
