The iconic footwear brand, Converse India is on a mission to ignite the creative spirit across the nation with their new campaign, “Connect with the Unexpected” (CWTU). This initiative is a vibrant tribute to the rich and vast tapestry of Indian music, celebrating the power of collaboration, self-expression while defying convention.
The campaign delves deep into the underbelly of India’s music scene, spotlighting emerging artists. These upcoming artists are given a platform to collaborate and create four original tracks. Each track carrying a personal narrative, all the songs are filled with stories of struggle and unwavering determination. The resulting compositions are a testament to the power of collaboration, where unexpected connections spark innovation and push creative boundaries.
A melting pot of musical genres
At the heart of CWTU lies a unique fusion of diverse music genres. From the soulful strains of Hindustani Classical to the pulsating beats of Desi Hip Hop, the campaign embraces everything in between, including Multilingual Rap, Funk, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Pop, Beatboxing, and Indie. This creates a vibrant “melting pot” of sounds, giving birth to music that’s fresh, unexpected, and entirely original.
Celebrating free spirited expression
With the campaign’s message, “creativity thrives without limitations,” Converse India looked for artists who embody their brand’s ideology of free-spirited expression and uninhibited ambition. By putting these rising stars on the map, CWTU introduces their unique sounds to a global audience.
Artist Collaborations
The CWTU campaign brings together a diverse range of artists, each with their own unique style and background. Here’s a glimpse into some of the exciting collaborations:
1) Nanku x Karun: This electrifying duo united the innovative Indian Pop sounds of Nanku, a 24-year-old music maven from New Delhi, with the emotionally charged lyrics of Karun, a Delhi-born poet and songwriter known for his albums ‘Granth’ and ‘Qabool Hai’. This powerful blend of catchy melodies and introspective lyricism resulted in ‘Capital.’
2) Krameri x Dhanji: Krameri, a student of A. R. Rahman and a rising star with a constantly evolving soundscape since her debut in 2019, joined forces with Dhanji, an Ahmedabad-based rapper known for his vivid storytelling through rap verses (as showcased in his 7 mixtapes in just 3 years and the upcoming album ‘Ruab’). This promised to be a unique fusion of soulful melodies and hard-hitting rhymes as seen in ‘Express Ways.’
3) Pho x Bagi Munda: This collaboration brought together two powerhouses of the Delhi music scene – Pho, a multi-talented beatboxer, singer, and songwriter, who combined her artistic evolution with the raw energy of Bagi Munda, a Chandigarh-based rapper and visual artist known for his impact on the local hip-hop scene (evident in his album “Dusvipass” and his work with the UNDERPASS crew). ‘Huliya,’ the high-octane blend of soulful vocals and hard-hitting rap verses was the result of this collaboration.
4) The Siege x Aksomaniac: This collaboration between established and upcoming artists, resulted in ‘Her Vacation,’ an intriguing soundscape where soulful piano melodies met powerful rap delivery. The Siege, a Mumbai-based rapper with a significant influence in the underground hip-hop scene (showcased in his album “Bubble Car”), brought his raw rap narratives to the table while Aksomaniac, a talented engineering student and trained pianist from Trivandrum, injected his unique blend of R&B, Jazz, Blues, and Pop.
