The Tamil independent single 'Enjoy Enjaami' has taken the internet by storm and has become an instant hit because of its catchy tune and video. Produced by music composer Santhosh Narayanan, this song is a collaboration between singer Dhee and rapper Arivu.
The song was released on the YouTube channel Maajja, which was created by AR Rahman to launch and give a platform to independent musicians. The song not only received praise from actors and celebrities but also turned people’s attention to the growing presence of the Tamil indie music scene.
Here are a few Tamil indie music band suggestions if you jammed to 'Enjoy Enjaami':
1. Therukural
The album of seven songs from Arivu and OfRo was released in 2019. The theme of the songs include people’s fickle interest in social activism only because it is trending, the death of a young girl in the Thoothukudi shootings, and encouraging women to live their lives without paying heed to what everyone says, among others. The songs are raw, evocative and will push the listener to evaluate their own perspectives with regards to social activism and politics.
You can listen to the track ‘Snowlin’ from the album here:
2. Othasevuru
The duo Tharun Sekar and Pravekha Ravichandran founded the band during their college days. Their album Kodambakkathirku Munbu was released on Spotify in 2020, consists of six acoustic songs that range from the singers’ observations of people in Chennai and Madurai to encouraging people to travel and see the world. Calming, uncomplicated and light-hearted, these melodies are the perfect listen to beat the blues.
You can listen to the track ‘Meesakaara Maarimuthu’ from the album here:
3. Kurangan
Founded by Kaber Vasuki and Tenma, the band released its first album Kurangan Era on Spotify in 2019. The songs by the duo can be classified as pop-rock and there is no specific theme that the band sticks to. However, the songs are introspective and range from discussing personal relationships to the illusion of freedom.
You can listen to the track ‘Vasanam’ from the album here:
4. Kelvikuri
Kelvikuri is a multilingual octet band based in Bengaluru which primarily covered songs and released its debut composition titled 'Nangooram' in 2020. The carnatic fusion song is inspired by the song 'Jog Falls' composed by Praveen D Rao and deals with the theme of what anchors people to something they love.
You can listen to ‘Nangooram’ here:
5. The Casteless Collective
Founded in Chennai in 2017 by Tenma, the band’s current lineup consists of 19 artists who specialise in gaana, hip-hop, rap and folk music. As the name suggests, the band’s music is political and talks about the inequality that the caste system propagates. The Casteless Collective has released about 35 songs and one of its members Isaivani, the only woman in the band, has been recognised by the BBC for her contributions to a field that is largely dominated by men.
You can listen to the track ‘Jaibhim Anthem’ here:
6. 'Nee Podhumey'
Released in 2021, this single is a collaboration between Shakthisree Gopalan and Akshay Yesodharan. This love song is the duo’s first collaboration and has been produced by Shakthisree Gopalan herself.
You can listen to the song here:
7. 'Pagal Iravai | Maraigirai'
The melody was composed by Pranav Das and released by Behindwoods in 2019. The music video, which is a love song, stars the composer and Zaira Backer while the lyrics were written by Thava Kumar and sung by Adheef Muhamed.
You can listen to the song here: