Tamil Brahmin weddings don’t usually involve song and dance, or stick to good ol' tradition if they do. Take a second, and try to fathom rockstars at a Tam Brahm wedding. Okay, now. What if I tell you the bride and groom were the rockstars at their own wedding? That’s exactly what Akshaya and Sriram, who met in Detroit and bonded over a mutual love for heavy metal music, did.
The Dulhan Brass Band, first featured on Marigold Tales, was helmed by the bride and groom and debuted to a flabbergasted audience. Draped in a traditional blue silk saree, gold jewellery and jasmine flowers in place, Akshaya was no coy bride, belting out heavy metal songs. And Sriram played the drums in a veshti. So, were the folks okay with it? “We presumptuously told them we were going to perform and they were just happy we were showing some interest with the wedding prep.”
Akshaya and Sriram met in the US when he and his friend, who used to jam together, were looking for a singer to complete the band. For them, performing at their wedding made sense because the band was what brought them together.
In theory, Akshaya says, they were far from a brass band, “but we wanted it to sound very local and traditional.”
For the couple, it was quite something to play to an audience at a Tam Brahm wedding. “I have to say, the astonished faces of Tam Brahm sexagenarians and septuagenarians when we played progressive metal in traditional wedding attire was the best part of the wedding,” says Akshaya, adding, “We wanted to keep the attire traditional. Tradition is hipster!”
Their audience did try to go along with the new script as far as they could. “They all promptly clapped after each song. It was so cute! They were definitely taken aback with the growling. There was no response during those parts.”'
Sriram quips, “They're used to celebrating a glowing bride, this time it was a growling bride they celebrated.”
Read more at Marigold Tales, a wedding inspiration site for South Indian brides. All images courtesy: Coffee Stains