Coke Studio Tamil Artists on ‘Embracing a Global Tamil Orientation’ with Latest Season

In February this year, Coke Studio Tamil season 2 dropped an unlikely collaboration – “Elay Makka” brought together singer-actor Andrea Jeremiah, Carnatic vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan and Tamil-Canadian hip-hop artist Navz-47, Tamil movie mainstays singer-producer Sathyaprakash and composer Girishh G.

It weaved together the distinctively resolute Tamil poetry with a Spanish hook sung by Jeremiah, with the song going from folk-fusion but dancefloor banger by the time the chorus hits. A lot of the YouTube comments for the video – which has 8.4 million views right now – were particularly taken by Subrahmanyan’s rocking it among pop and Tamil film artists on the track, trading in his usual white shirt and dhoti combo for a colorful printed kimono, gold-rimmed sunglasses and more.

Understandably, Subrahmanyan says he took away a lot of comments. “My favorite reaction was when somebody put a comment that ‘Sanjay uncle is very ‘drip.’’ I had no idea what this word meant, and I had to check it with my niece to clarify that it was complimentary!” he says.

Season two – which launched at the start of the year in January 2024 – brought back the likes of Subrahmanyan, singer-composer Sean Roldan (who served as curator on the music series) and rapper, composer and lyricist Arivu. With eight songs part of season two, what’s arguably changed between two editions is Coke Studio Tamil’s deliberate expansion of scope, reaching for Tamil audiences everywhere in the world and with star power like actors Vijay Setupathi and Aditi Rao Hydari turning singers.

Then, they also brought in international Tamil artists like Vidya Vox, Navz-47 and Yanchan Produced across songs. Roldan says about “embracing a global Tamil orientation” with season two. He adds, “This reflects the evolution of South Indian music, where language barriers are breaking, and audiences from various regions are embracing its richness. From mainstream themes like a song about [cricket team] CSK to deeper narratives, our open approach aimed to showcase the breadth of Tamil culture.”

Yanchan, who worked on the song “Nammaaley” with rapper Asal Kolaar and Girishh G, adds, “Being an Eelam Tamil kid from Scarborough and seeing a project I’m a part of get such a positive global response has really been special. I of course knew how big the Coke Studio brand was but I saw that first hand when I’m on the road in Canada and in the States and people from all sorts of walks of life are coming up to me about it with excitement.”

Girishh G for his part talks about getting a “fantastic response” especially from the Tamil diaspora in places like Canada, Australia and the U.K.. He adds, “We knew when we made the tracks that they would resonate with people who don’t understand Tamil as well. I get a few messages from non-Indians on Instagram who mention that they heard it on their community radio and ended up really liking the tracks.” At a recent masterclass held in Leeds Conservatoire in the U.K., the composer played both “Nammaaley” as well as “Elay Makka” and says British, European and Caribbean students in attendance “loved it so much.”

Roldan dueted with Aditi Rao Hydari for “Please Purinjukko” where the male lead is more traditional and the female lead “prioritizes her ambitions over romance.” Roldan recalls that some dismissed the song as “weird or woke” but he sees it as a “reflection of real-life dynamics.”

At the end of it, the universal message was embedded about the hardships one may face in long-term relationships. Roldan says, “I approach music with sincerity, avoiding manipulative techniques to engage the audience because I see them as intelligent and discerning. The success of a song depends on whether its theme resonates with people, and love is one such universal theme that endures because most people desire to love and be loved.”

As people go around guessing the formula and secret sauce that goes into making Coke Studio songs a hit, it’s safe to say that one of the aspects is often how the songs in the project walk the balance between artistic explorations, deeper lyrical themes and accessible, somewhat familiar music composition choices. For Yanchan Produced, that meant making sure the mridangam was “represented in a cool, different, tasteful way.”

Subrahmanyan credits Girishh G for setting “Elay Makka” up compositionally for the vocalist to just come in and do his job. The composer adds, “I think it is a mix of giving what the audience are already familiar with, along with something that completely surprises them, which is key to taking Coke Studio forward.”

Above all, Coke Studio Tamil stands out in that they genuinely seem to be digging deep into underrepresented communities from the state, be they linguistic, sociological and more. Roldan says Coke Studio Tamil “fosters the evolution of art forms, such as Carnatic music, through constant cultural churning.” Subrahmanyan adds, “I think Coke Studio has got that balance perfect where every section of the Tamil music gets its place and value showcased in such a beautiful platform, especially you realize that tribal voices hundred percent communities, as well as diverse art forms, are getting global recognition from this platform.”

Gopalakrishnan believes they are just scratching the surface when it comes to uncovering talent “hiding in plain sight.” He adds, “Coke Studio Tamil from its season one has made sure these communities get platformed. We’re only going to continue doing this in the future seasons.”