‘We can fight hatred with creativity’: Petter Wallenberg

Love is Love is not just a single for Swedish music producer Petter Wallenberg. It’s symbolic of a glimmer of hope for the LGBTQ community in India. A collaboration with Sushant Divgikar, who is the country’s first gay celebrity drag queen, a star of night clubs and TV shows. The video also features Dancing Queens, India’s first transgender dance group, who are part of the hijra community. “So, in one single music video, both extremes of Indian society are featured. I loved getting access to worlds most people will never get into,” Petter explains. The musician states that the track has been received with open arms. “What makes me the happiest is all the response from regular people, how much joy it brings. Music can empower people. I love that!” he enthuses. On June 14, he will also release an album Rainbow Riots India. Excerpts from an interview…

What led you to creating the album? 

I have founded Rainbow Riots, an organisation where I create artistic collaborations to advocate for equality for LGBT people around the world, especially in places where it’s illegal or controversial to be gay. I decided it would be interesting to try doing something in India. I started writing and producing the album featuring India’s first openly LGBT singers and dancers. I want people to see that we as LGBT people are everywhere, in every culture. But, ultimately, we are human beings. And like all humans, we need love. Because love is what? Love. And love always wins. 

Apart from Sushant and Pragya Pallavi, which other artistes feature on the album?

I have also collaborated with India’s first LGBT choir Rainbow Voices Mumbai consisting of over 30 singers from all over India, and Tropical Marca, India’s first queer rapper who is also an avant garde drag queen. I wanted to mix my musical roots of Western club music, rap, pop and soul with Indian styles — Bollywood sounds and classical.

Peter with Sushant Digvikar

Did you fear backlash for your work and music?

I receive hate mail and death threats all the time. It’s been like that all my life. As a gay man, you are constantly seen as less of a human. But this won’t stop me. I hope my work with Rainbow Riots shows people that we are all connected, across every border. We can fight hatred with creativity and by sticking together. Sometimes we move mountains simply by daring to be who we are.

What else are you working on currently?

More singles and music videos. I will be in India to stage a concert with my collaborators from the country at South-East Asia’s first queer film festival, Kashish this month and also invite them over to Sweden in August, where we will perform at Stockholm Pride. They will be the first queer Indian singers and dancers to headline an international Pride stage!