BEING KALI

SHE sings of the world, of nature, of those who suffer and survive, and of quiet love.

- ADITHI REENA AJITH

Her music has long asked difficult questions about humanity. But this time, Delhi-born singer-songwriter Aditi Veena, known as Ditty, turns inward, singing of her own life – of growing up kali (dark-skinned).

In our society, the word kali often slips out as a snide or insult, a reminder of how deeply colourism runs through our culture. With 'KALI', the title track of her latest eponymous album, Ditty pushes back against that attitude – one that has long dictated narrow standards of beauty while denying countless women the right to see their own skin as beautiful.