The mode of music consumption has evolved over the years. From the music box of the 1800s and gramophones that gathered people in a common place, to cassette tapes, boomboxes, Walkmans, MP3 players, and iPods that gradually made listening a more personal experience, every technological shift changed not only how music was heard, but also how it was shared.
Yet, long before app-curated playlists, jams, and algorithms, songs travelled through conversations — recommended by a friend, discovered through a neighbour, or played aloud for everyone to enjoy. In an era where listening to music is a solitary activity, two city-based communities have come together to facilitate and revive that culture of collective discovery, share obscure finds, and tell the stories behind those songs.
Coming back this weekend for its second edition, Paatu Kaatu, curated by Iktaraa and Thiruvizha Chennai is a space to showcase a song(s) that one has discovered as a music lover. “We discover a lot of things in our day-to-day life. Skills, songs, small ways to do things that might make life a bit easier or better than how we learned it. If we share it, it can make somebody else’s life also slightly better. And music is one thing that we want to start this ideology with, that sharing even the smallest things matters a lot,” says Aadhi of Thiruvizha Chennai.
Elaborating on the concept, Damodharan from Iktaraa explains, “It’s a place to share things that you’ve found, that you’ve discovered. It’s always more fun to see, ‘Hey, what has somebody else discovered that I don’t really know?’ It’s an opportunity to find new music. And for somebody who’s sharing, it’s an opportunity for them to showcase an artiste or a piece of music that they found interesting, but just isn’t that popular.”
At its core, Paatu Kaatu is an attempt to challenge the notion that musical discoveries must remain exclusive. Aadhi says, “When we discover a song, we have this notion that some things are good only when it’s exclusive, only when few people know about it — like a song is a particular group’s identity. So we want to bring such songs out in the open so that people can learn, and discuss them.”
The first edition, held in late April, saw the participation of around 25 attendees, gathered at Musée Musical Auditorium, each carrying a song that held personal significance. What unfolded was less a listening session and more a collective archive of memories, obsessions and discoveries. Among the many stories that emerged then was one centred on ‘Dhesayum Ezhandheney’ from Jigarthanda. A participant spoke about their fascination with the lyric, “Mogathin theraiyae velakki paarka thunivum illa, saayum pagala kuthichu paaka osaram illa”. The attendee had long been curious about the meaning behind the lines and eventually got the opportunity to ask the songwriter, singer Pradeep Kumar, about it.
Recounting the story at the event, they shared how Pradeep recalled being in the hills one evening, arriving just late enough to miss the sunset. Determined to catch one last glimpse, he moved to the edge of a cliff and leapt, hoping to see the fading sun for a few moments longer. “When I jumped, I did manage to catch a little bit more sun,” he had told them. What appeared to be an abstract lyric was, in fact, rooted in a fleeting real-life moment — a revelation that transformed the way others heard the song thereafter.
The organisers say the anticipation for such stories remains the most exciting aspect of the event. Participants are free to introduce songs spontaneously, often leading to unexpected conversations and discoveries. For Damodharan, it is also a reminder that recommendations from people often carry a depth that algorithms cannot replicate.
In the second edition, the organisers hope more people will come not just to listen, but to contribute. After all, as Aadhi puts it, “It is just taking things back to a place where people recommend songs to you rather than something recommending songs to you based on its own perceived notions and experiences. It’s a person. We’re going back to the times when people show us what they’ve discovered and show us what they would like us to enjoy.”
The second edition of Paatu Kaatu is set to take place on the evening of June 20 at Musée Musical Auditorium. For more details and registration, check out @iktaraa_music or @thiruvizhachennai on Instagram. The event is open to all.