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Bijuriya Chamke

by Bijuriya

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1.
I have Indian ancestry Can’t you tell from my bindi? My daddy is a Trini! I’m also white and Frenchy Bonsoir Québécoise mommy! Yeah, that’s my family history I’m on a quest for learning The different parts of me A layered onion bhaji My indianness has benchmarks In shapes of question marks And that’s when lightning sparks! I’m gonna do drag! To shock, ignite Empower and delight I’m Bijuriya! (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) Make art, connect, Engage and reflect I’m Bijuriya! (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) Before the wigs and lipstick I’d always been artistic With flair for sound and music To cultivate this passion I sought an education Which led to composition Yeeaah I’m a trained composer Jot music notes on paper As if my ears don’t matter From chamber to symphonic It felt so academic It felt so Eurocentric So how about drag? To shock, ignite Empower and delight I’m Bijuriya (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) Make art, connect, Engage and reflect I’m Bijuriya (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) Bijuriya, Bijuriya, Bijuriya Chamke! That means: Lightning strikes! Queers of my descent I wanna represent But I feel so insufficient... Half-white half-brown, I’m a musical clown No desire for a crown Storm’s a-brewing I’m a thunderbolt Reminder: Drag is a revolt!
2.
How Many Ks 03:56
(Kishore Kumar, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kailash Kher, KK) OK, ok, ok ok, KK  ‘Kay   ‘K’ is a common letter catapulting star power Bollywood’s obsessed with that mystical letter  Maybe it’s the power of Indian numerology Add up ‘em letters to control your destiny       (yeah) Karan swapped a C for a K in Koffee It’s all about astrology, not KKK supremacy But lucky number lucky letter ain’t the trick If you want success just go nepotistic  How many Ks, How many Ks How many Ks can you take There’s power in that letter  (Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan) Two Kapoor sisters with double-K initials But Bebo needed more, she just can not accept rivals Found herself a nawab and dumped the cute one with the dimples Leveled up her K game from doubles to triples   Triple K initials: none of the 3 Khans could Although they self proclaim as King Khan of Bollywood Strutting their stuff like there never was a Genghis Macho Chocolate Heroes Conquering the Box Office     How many Ks, How many Ks How many Ks can you take There’s power in that letter   (Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Kirron Kher, Kajol)   Katrina’s repping for the firangis  While Kalki’s a frenchy, but also born-desi (Bonjour!) Kirron is all versions of your mommy, your aunty,  Loving but conservative, supportive of the BJP   Kajol: mononymous powerhouse (iconic!) Beautiful monobrow, barely any lipstick Kangana’s short a K, but if she had more, YIKES  She’d spew more nonsense and get more likes.   How many Ks, How many Ks How many Ks can you take There’s power in that letter (Kalpana Kartik,  Kamaal Khan,  Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Kunal Karan Kapoor, Krishna Kumar, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Kunal Kohli, Kabir Khan, Kader Khan, Kalyan Krishna, Kama La Mackerel, Kareem Khubchandni, KarmaSutra, Kamani Sutra, I love you k k k k k k k k k Kiran)
3.
(Intro - not on album version) Let me tell you about curry It is not a singular entity Let’s clear up misconception Curry’s a complex concoction Brown people are also a mixture With subtleties in flavour Beware of claims to authenticity Being Desi is NOT about purity Curry’s a mix It’s always been a mix A dash of this, a dash of that Coming together, Coming together, mmm Curry’s a dish Spicy and delectable Soak it up, Scoop it up, Soak it up, Scoop it up Curry’s a mix It’s always been a mix A dash of this, a dash of that Coming together, Coming together, mmm Curry’s a dish Spicy and delectable Right hand finger-licking So you wanna learn to play sitar? But they only teach guitar? Your whole life was whitewashed? Turn your brownness up a notch Cuz curry’s a mix It’s always been a mix We still add taste Even though we been displaced We gotta fake it til we make it But we make when we break The myth, the fiction Of just one nation Don’t essentialize me kuti Try and label my identity Try and pinpoint my ancestry Try and guess my family history Ouin chu queb, brune, franco Un bijou, un joyau Ch’tune queen d’la diversité (HEY!) Pitchez-vous su moué! Is there a blemish on your brownness? A cage around your queerness? They say you’re not authentic? Well we ain’t monolithic. Curry’s a mix It’s always been a mix But people will conflate And segregate But the powders come together From the cumin to the pepper, To the chili to the turmeric, To the fenugreek to the garlic To the salt and coriander Curry’s a mix It’s always been a mix A dash of this, a dash of that Coming together, Coming together, mmm Curry’s a dish Spicy and delectable Soak it up, Scoop it up, Soak it up, Scoop it up Curry’s a mix It’s always been a mix A dash of this, a dash of that Coming together, Coming together, mmm Curry’s a dish Spicy and delectable Right hand finger-licking Chorus Don’t essentialize me kuti Try and label my identity Try and pinpoint my ancestry Try and guess my family history Ouin chu queb, brune, franco Un bijou, un joyau Ch’tune queen d’la diversité Pitchez-vous su moué! Pa ni da Pa, NI ni da Pa, — ni Ma GA ri– Ma GA Sa
4.
Bewildered by my culture I felt like an imposter Is Bollywood the answer? I watched a million movies I built an expertise In repertoire and cheese I recognized my genes in the faces on the screens I thought I’d found my queens But they use fairness creams Live the capitalistic dream And… I kinda hate mainstream I’d rather do drag To shock, ignite Empower and delight I’m Bijuriya! (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) Make art, connect, Engage and reflect I’m Bijuriya! (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) I went on an adventure Compelled by my ancestors From India to Indenture It took me on a journey Where self-discovery Met with music artistry I learned to play Carnatic Connected to that music Melodic and majestic I sang Ni Sa Ri Pa Ga Ri In Kalyani and Thodi Quite superficially... You wanna do drag? To shock, ignite Empower and delight I’m Bijuriya! (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya) Make art, connect, Engage and reflect I’m Bijuriya! (Bijuriya Chamke, Bijuriya, Bijuriya)
5.
Geeta 04:50

credits

released June 26, 2022

Lyrics and vocals: Bijuriya
Music: Bijuriya, Gabriel Ledoux
Producing: Gabriel Ledoux
Final mix and mastering: Steven Doman
Album cover: Jonathan Goulet
Mastered at Studio Le Nid

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Bijuriya Montreal, Québec

Bijuriya is a drag queen inspired by her South Asian culture. She's appreciated for her proud, festive, wacky and critical outlook on Bollywood and other elements of Desi culture. On-stage and in her music, Bjiuriya is a dazzling thunderbolt of energy and quirkiness. She's half-brown, half-Québécoise, and she explores her cultural roots by teetering between tribute, parody and critical thinking. ... more

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