No Punk About Us Without Us: Being Brown in the Scene with Shinesh Ramballi

Punk is always political. But how much weight does this statement hold when marginalised voices are the minority in the punk scene?Shinesh Ramballi, “local musician final boss” (his words), is a cool Indian bro, widely known as the guitarist in the band Lefokolodi. In this episode of Podcast for Change, Raeesah and Shinesh speak about what it is to be South African Indians in the white dominated punk scene. Shinesh shares his journey, from his early musical beginnings, to standing inside a music shop looking for people to join a band, to the wide success of Lefokolodi. They discuss the unique cultural and societal barriers that brown people face when entering the music world, and what it means to be your own representation.This conversation is a hilarious moment of sharing and genuine solidarity. Important takeaway: Lefokolodi are ordinary dudes and do not drive Ferrari’s.