Darjeeling tea, India & Hip Hop “Machas with Attitude”

Yes, Tea Trade is a community of tea lovers, a social network for Camellia Sinensis fans. That doesn’t mean that everything here has to be about tea. However, since I love the leaves, many other things I think about, and enjoy, have a connection to tea. So while sipping on an excellent cup of Darjeeling, my thoughts turned to India. And music. I love listening to music, while writing or browsing the interwebs. I also like learning more about the cultures of the countries our tea comes from. Not just ancient Chinese traditions, but the modern ones each country has too. In my quest for tunes to entertain me, I searched for “modern Indian music.” That led me to a whole new world of music I knew little about. Here’s one find, a music video of a South Indian Hip Hop/rap/pop band from Bangalore. “Machas with Attitude” also known as MWA.

I didn’t know anything about India’s Hip Hop scene, let alone it’s underground one. I think these guys are pretty good actually. Not only musically talented but clever too. One of them is a researcher at The National Center for Biological Sciences. Apparently “Smokey” (left) might be getting a patent in Biotechnology. Great; bright and musical. Now let’s just hope these guys drink tea.