The best of Tamil independent music set to come together this weekend for an exciting music festival in Chennai

Chennai’s indie music scene is set to come alive this weekend with the Oii Oii Tamil Alternative Music Festival. Featuring a stellar lineup of homegrown talent, including Sam Vishal, Iyena, Santhosh Balaji, Amina Rafiq, San T, Othasevuru, Urban Thozha, A-Gan, MC Devesh, and Arivu, the festival promises to be a celebration of independent Tamil music. Ahead of the event, we chatted with some of the artistes about their excitement, the evolution of Tamil indie, and what they hope to bring to the stage.

The artistes first explain how they’re planning to make their set a distinct experience for this particular platform. Rapper MC Devesh says, “I’ve always been about experimenting with rap, and this performance will be no different. I’ve mixed a few unexpected styles and sounds, pushing the boundaries of what rap can be, especially in Tamil. I’ve been working on new flows, and the energy I’m bringing to the stage is something I haven’t done before. It’s going to feel fresh and different, even for me. I’m aiming to take the audience on a journey they don’t expect.”

For rapper San T, representation of his home city and his group is going to be the focus of his set during this festival. “This time, I’m performing solo, which is a new experience for me, since I usually do so with my group, Thara Local Pasanga. However, I’ll be representing my hometown — Tiruvannamalai. I will be blending our local sounds with modern beats, while also using this set to highlight the roots of our music. While it will be raw and authentic, it will also have some new twists in how the music reaches the audience,” he tells us

Prominent rapper Arivu also joins in to discuss the evolution he has witnessed in the independent scene. Calling it “interesting and healthy”, the musician shares that artistes now blend Tamil genres with Western musical sensibilities. “For example, the lyrical aesthetics of Gaana (a genre), which is one of the important identities of Chennai, is being used in hip hop/rap songs as bars, which is now a crowd favourite. Likewise, the traditional lament art form, Oppari, has broken its chains to be sung by the masses when blended with other Western genres,” he says.

The artistes also share what they anticipate the festival atmosphere to be like. “I anticipate it to be vibrant, rich, and energetic, filled with young minds rooting for the original musical expressions of Tamil Nadu,” highlights Arivu. San T is most excited to witness the celebration of the Tamil indie music culture. “I’m expecting a vibrant, energetic atmosphere with a lot of love for Tamil independent music. What I’m looking forward to most is seeing how people connect with my solo performance,” he says. MC Devesh also expresses, “I’m expecting it to be electric! There’s going to be so much energy, especially with all these different artistes from different backgrounds coming together. I’m looking forward to the crowd’s reaction to my new projects. I’ve been pushing myself, and I want to see if they vibe with the direction I’m taking. It’s going to be something memorable for sure.”

Tickets start at INR 999. September 14, 4 pm onwards. At One Paramount, Porur