With Madras Week upon us, celebrations of the city’s spirit are coming in many hues. One of the most unusual ones comes from Amith Sivashanmugam, frontman of the rock band “White Lady”, who has composed a Tamil rock anthem for Chennai.
Originally composed by Amith in December 2015, the song celebrates Chennai’s indomitable spirit in the face of the floods that inundated the city. The song was written to raise funds for post-flood rehabilitation efforts.
Proceeds from the CD sales of Rs 30,000 were contributed towards educational scholarships provided by NGO Dream India for over 50 underprivileged children in flood-affected parts of Chennai and Cuddalore.
With Madras Day being celebrated on August 22, the band re-released the song with an accompanying video.
With visuals that transition from the embattled scene of the floods to a celebration of its rich and varied cultural landscape, the song is an ode to the city that always “stands tall”, of the “amazing city that is our pride.” In particular, the song focuses on the manner in which people across languages, religions and cultural backgrounds came together to help each other during Chennai’s most difficult crisis in recent times.