‘IPRS Antakshari’ on World Music Day

IPRS celebrates our beloved composers and songwriters with ‘IPRS Antakshari’ on World Music Day

India, 21^th June 2022: What better way to celebrate World Music Day than by playing the most loved musical game on the planet – the fun-loaded Antakshari? IPRS, the music copyright society representing Music Composers, Lyricists, and Publishers, given its penchant for innovation, has gone on to conjure a unique digital initiative, IPRS Antakshari, to commemorate the occasion of the World Music Day this 21st of June. The event is also a sincere attempt to give the gifted music composers and songwriters the due credit and acknowledgment they are insensitively deprived of at most times. This noble cause has finally evolved into a multi-dimensional digital campaign IPRS Antakshari. Backing and participating in the IPRS Antakshari are popular music creators like Vishal Dadlani, Irshad Kamil, Tanishk Bagchi, Kausar Munir, Mayur Puri, apart from a host of others on IPRS Instagram channel. The initiative will also witness a jingle composed by popular duo Bharat-Hitarth.

The popularity of Antakshari is so much a part of the Indian ethos that it is a multilingual phenomenon common across Indian households and with the Indian diaspora across the world. This game of music has been bonding friends and families for ages. To say that this delightful game is by now an integral part of the folk culture of India wouldn’t be stretching the truth. Hence, IPRS decided to celebrate the creators through Antakshari, as the game was born and fuelled by innumerable songs by musicians over generations.

The fun social media initiative will be a six-hour-long activity witnessing participation from our favourite music makers. The activity, open to all, calls for participants to continue the game on the IPRS Instagram page. For the songs mentioned during the online Antakshari, IPRS would add the songwriter and composer's names. Thus, the initiative is to acknowledge and give due credit to the lyricist and composer behind the songs and celebrate the music creators.

Talking about this initiative, Shri Sameer Anjaan, legendary songwriter and IPRS Board member says, “There is no better way to bring people together than music. And as a Copyright Society, we endeavour to create an ecosystem where the creators behind every piece of music are duly credited and remunerated. In a nation with a rich cultural heritage like ours, we must encourage one and all to acknowledge the music makers who devote a lifetime to create the music that fills our moments of joy and grief with life and hope. Through this initiative on World Music Day, IPRS aims to remind us that while music is an integral part of our life, we must not forget those who have gifted us these timeless melodies”.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO IPRS, says, “India is a thriving music industry, where music has played a significant role in bonding families, friends, and communities. Antakshari, the game of music, usually played during family occasions or gatherings, is both entertaining and nostalgic. On World Music Day this year, through IPRS Antakshari on our social media platform, we intend to highlight the importance of acknowledging the music creators who often miss a mention. As we continue our efforts towards upholding the rights of music creators, our “#CreditTheCreator” campaign launched earlier saw a significant change in the dynamics of how names of the lyricists and composers get mentioned during live/virtual performances.”