CHENNAI: A soothing sound echoes through the age-old walls of DakshinaChitra as a crowd follows the musical notes to discover some of their favourite artistes starting their performances”. This is the core idea behind the experiential concert Follow the Sound, an initiative by the Madras Commune, according to their creative director Kashyap Raghuraman. The second chapter of this unique idea, in collaboration with DakshinaChitra, will be held on Saturday at various venues inside the heritage museum.
Follow the Sound has three artistes lined up — Otha Sevuru, a band from Chennai popular for their folk lyrics, Maalavika Sundar, an independent artiste and playback singer, and Vijaynarain, an popular name in the field of music.
Otha Sevuru, a band known for their independent music surrounding folk tales and unique style, talked about how the event will help remove the restriction of an artiste’s performance space. “Tamil culture, in general, has been a part of a performance and audience crowd only in the last 200 years. Before, music was always enjoyed together and out in the open. In Follow the Sound too, the artiste moves along with the audience, creating more interaction since there is no restriction of the stage and fourth wall to be broken,” says Pravekha Ravichandran, a band member.
Independent musician Vijaynarain is also geared up for his first moving concert. “I’ll be performing some of my unreleased songs along with some of my released original work,” he says, talking about how he’s venturing more into the independent music scene. “Live show ideas like this help you connect with your audience more and help you grow as an artiste. Especially in an age where social media artistes are abundant, I believe live shows are the purest way of connecting with your followers as far as independent musicians are concerned,” he notes.
In the concert, Maalavika will perform her first complete indie set. “As an artiste, it feels liberating to perform your compositions,” says Maalavika. “All these unique ideas help the industry a lot because I feel when a concert is announced, a lot of pressure goes on the artiste. Concepts like this will make it very easy for the artiste because, ultimately, the audience is coming for the experience. The concept sells by itself, and the artiste is a bonus.”
Follow the Sound was started as an event that helps the audience understand the music and surroundings equally, making it an experience rather than a regular concert. Places inspire Kashyap to create unique concepts like this. “The Pink Mood Boat Concert was also a similar idea that I got after living near the beach for a while. DakshinaChitra inspired me to bring in the concept of a moving concert here in Chennai,” he says.
In an age where art is becoming one of the most powerful tool in dismantling walls of differences, Follow the Sound tries to put forth innovation that can be incorporated into presenting art. “This idea is very new to a place like Chennai, where the performances of indie musicians are restrictive in terms of space. It usually happens in closed spaces like clubs and cafes. DakshinaChitra is the perfect venue for something like this because the campus is big and has nearly 40 to 50 types of trees,” says Pravekha.
Follow The Sound will be held on May 11 from 6 pm to 9 pm.
Tickets at: insider.in