Indian music distribution and monetisation platform OKListen and UK-based audio-only livestreaming platform Gramrphone have come together to give independent artists a means to engage with their audiences in a meaningful way in these challenging times.

Using Gramrphone’s high quality audio live-streaming tool and OKListen’s monetisation services, 9 Indian independent artists will host their very own live radio show and raise funds for a charitable organisation of their choice. Both, OKListen and Gramrphone, will match the revenue from ticket sales and donate the total amount, which becomes 3 times the ticket sales, to the organisation chosen by the artist.

The ticket price for each set is uniformly set at INR 100. OKListen and Gramrphone will cap their contribution to INR 5000 per show, but all the ticket sales (without any caps) will be donated. The livestream will be curated entirely by the artist - it can feature new tracks, unreleased music, best hits, track breakdowns and more.

“Gramrphone has always been a promoter and advocate of independent artists from India, and with the events of the last few weeks we felt that we had to do whatever we could to help. Thanks to our partnership with the folks at OKListen we will now be able to make that contribution.” said Ali Reza, co-founder of Gramrphone, on his partnership with the Indian music distribution company and their contribution to the efforts of those working towards COVID relief in India.

Here is the lineup and information about each individual set below.

OAFF

Kabeer Kathpalia aka OAFF is a music producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist born in Ahmedabad but working in Mumbai, India. For his Music for a Cause set, he will be playing unreleased tracks featuring collaborations with prominent artists for the first time, along with some of his top hits so far. Listeners should expect backstories, track breakdowns and some sick beats. OAFF will be donating to Milaap.org

Su Real

Su Real is a New Delhi-based DJ and music producer whose name has become synonymous with trap, hip-hop and global bass in India. For his Music for a Cause set, Su Real will go through some of his top hits that he has released throughout his career spanning over a decade, play loads of unreleased music, showcase some beats he has been working on and reveal some very interesting collaborations he has been working on.  Su Real has also listed a higher tier for superfans who can get access to merch for a higher ticket price of INR 500. Su Real will be donating to Give India.

Shakthisree Gopalan

Shakthisree is a prominent playback-singer and recording artist in the Indian Film Music Industry. Besides that, Shakthi is also a singer-songwriter, and has been releasing her original music independently and performing at live concerts through the years. Her Music for A Cause set is going to be about the independent music she has released over the years. She will be doing track breakdowns, performing a song or two and even bringing on some guests for her show. Shakthisree will be announcing the organisation she wishes to donate to soon.

Frappe Ash

Frappe Ash [Akshay Rawat], one half of the acclaimed Delhi-based rap duo Full Power is a songwriter and rapper. For his Music for a Cause set, he is going to take us through a selection of tracks that best represent his journey both as a solo artist and a part of one of the most promising hip-hop duos in the scene. Frappe Ash will be announcing the organisation he wishes to donate to soon.

Achint

Achint is a guitarist, composer and vocalist, and the founder of 3-piece band Rosemary. Most recently, he rose to fame for making the theme song for the web series Scam 1992. For his Music for a Cause set, he will take the listeners behind the scenes and through a screen-share, show a step-by-step, layer-by-layer breakdown of the theme song that went viral. Achint will be announcing the organisation he wishes to donate to soon.

Abhi Saikia

Abhi Saikia is an independent music producer and DJ from Guwahati, Assam, who founded the independent record label Rainforest Records in 2017. Through the label, he aims to promote artists making various styles of music in the North Eastern region of India. Abhi Saikia’s set for Music for a Cause will comprise of songs that he is most proud of, including his latest single ‘Aaxha’, the music video which got 200K views in a week. Abhi Saikia will be donating to COVID Warriors, Assam.

Sanjeeta Bhattacharya

Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is a singer-songwriter and actor based in Delhi, India. Her music weaves influences from RnB, folk and Latin styles with multi-lingual lyrics to create stories around myriad personal experiences. Her Music for a Cause set is going to include some of her best tracks, including the big hits she has been rolling out over 2020-21. Sanjeeta will be announcing the organisation she wishes to donate to soon.

Tejas

Tejas is a pop-rock artist from Mumbai. His music has brought together a community of people who appreciate that a singer-songwriter does not need to be defined by a single genre, but a variety of soundscapes that Tejas now uses to define his own signature sounds. For his Music for a Cause live audio stream, Tejas will be doing a rundown of his album Outlast, set to release on 3 June, 2021. Tejas will be donating to Ketto and ACT Grants.

Ankur Tewari

Ankur Tewari is a singer-songwriter, composer, music supervisor and poet. He was the music supervisor for the blockbuster Bollywood film Gully Boy which won him multiple accolades. For his Music for a Cause live audio stream, he will be doing a rundown of his biggest independent hits. Ankur will be announcing the organisation he wishes to donate to soon.