Dead Bhuttos

Democracy is the Best Revenge [EP] (2017)

Johnathon1069

Punk rock, like many genres of music and styles of art, is at its best when it’s a reaction against a stimulus in the world of creators. Be it emotional strife or political strife, when something moves an artistic mind it tends to result in that same mind creating some of its best work. Enter Dead Bhuttos, a hardcore punk band from Lahore, Pakistan. In Pakistan the Bhotto family is a prominent political family in Pakistan, holding leadership positions in the Pakistan People’s Party since its foundation in 1967. Zulkifar Ali Bhutto would serve as Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 until 1977 when he was removed in a bloodless coup. He would later be hanged, as the result of a controversial trial, in which he was found not guilty of murder but still sentenced to death. I will save you all a more extensive history lesson on Pakistani politics, there is a lot of interesting information related to this though. As one might imagine, given their name and where they reside, they have plenty to react against and they do so with some of the more raw hardcore punk I’ve heard in recent years. Please note, while I’ve included song titles in both languages, I have quoted the English translations of the lyrics for brevity’s sake as there is a bit more to unpack here than with a band touching on American political issues.

The first song on Democracy is the Best Revenge, is called “Pakistan ka matlab kia?” this translates to What is the meaning of Pakistan? The lyrics are adapted from two poems by Habib Jalib, who was a famed Pakistani poet who was a left wing activist, and deal with the Muslim identity as well as the political systems that exist within Pakistan. While I, unfortunately, lack the understanding of these systems and the effects they have on Pakistan’s people to go into great detail, when the chorus of “What is Pakistan? I do not know. I do not believe.” You can sense their absolute frustration with their homeland, even if you don’t fully understand the socio-political causes of it.

The title track is about the aforementioned Prime Minister of Pakistan, once again I lack the needed knowledge on some fairly complex political issues within his administration to say whether the song is take a pro, anti, or down the road look at Bhutto’s time as Prime Minister. It also features the last speech of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, I am not certain if this is the last speech he gave to the UN Security Council regarding how France and Britain were hesitant to recognize Pakistan as a sovereign nation, or the final speech he gave before being executed. However, much like the last track included a reading of an excerpt from the Communist Manifesto, the sound clip adds to the song overall by providing some depth and sonic texture that wouldn’t otherwise be there.

The closing track, “Taqwacore Ko Miss Karao,” which translates to Forget Abot Taqwacore. For those not in the know, Dead Bhuttos features members of the band The Kominas who were featured in the documentary Taqwacore. It almost seems like Dead Bhuttos are further distancing themselves from this musical movement after The Kominas also began to have issues with the umbrella term.

For years I’ve heard music is a universal language, and frequently dismissed it as a tired cliché of sorts. This band however, showed me that it very much can be. The only reason I know what these songs are about, is the band took the time to translate the lyrics. I also wasn’t, and am still not fully, informed on many of the issues they touch on. However, their anger and frustration was obvious and as cathartic for me to listen to as any band I’ve heard where I speak the language and understand the socio-political dynamics of what the songs are about in full.