Gaana has been part of Chennai’s musical landscape for over two centuries, emerging from the city’s working-class neighbourhoods as a form of expression rooted in everyday life. Its colloquial Tamil, infectious rhythms and raw storytelling have made it a distinctive musical form, one that has carried stories of friendship, family, work, celebration, loss and struggle.

But while Gaana has increasingly found space in independent music and mainstream cinema, the genre remains closely tied to the communities and experiences from which it emerged. Gaana Maalai, an evening of music and storytelling at DakshinaChitra, aims to bring some of those voices to a wider audience. Organised by DakshinaChitra Museum in collaboration with Atti Culture, the September 26 event brings together four emerging independent Gaana artists - Kelithee, Urban Thozha, Gana Apelow and Gana Francis.

For Kelithee, a contemporary Tamil independent artist, singer and lyricist who blends Gaana with hip-hop and urban sounds, the connection between the two forms comes naturally. “Gaana is quite close to rap, with the words and rhythms. So, I keep the Gaana feeling in the words and use it in hip-hop kind of sounds,” he says.

At its heart, he believes Gaana’s strength lies in its ability to make ordinary experiences into music. “Gaana talks about everyday things. There is friendship, family, hard work and small happinesses,” he adds. That everyday quality is also what makes the genre accessible to younger listeners, particularly as independent music finds new platforms online. Kelithee has noticed how social media has changed the way Gaana travels. “Since songs are on social media, young people can share them, make reels and the song travels fast. It is helping more people listen to Gaana,” says Kelithee.

But while Gaana has increasingly found space in independent music and mainstream cinema, the genre remains closely tied to the communities and experiences from which it emerged. Gaana Maalai, an evening of music and storytelling at DakshinaChitra, aims to bring some of those voices to a wider audience. Organised by DakshinaChitra Museum in collaboration with Atti Culture, the September 26 event brings together four emerging independent Gaana artists - Kelithee, Urban Thozha, Gana Apelow and Gana Francis.

For Kelithee, a contemporary Tamil independent artist, singer and lyricist who blends Gaana with hip-hop and urban sounds, the connection between the two forms comes naturally. “Gaana is quite close to rap, with the words and rhythms. So, I keep the Gaana feeling in the words and use it in hip-hop kind of sounds,” he says.

At its heart, he believes Gaana’s strength lies in its ability to make ordinary experiences into music. “Gaana talks about everyday things. There is friendship, family, hard work and small happinesses,” he adds. That everyday quality is also what makes the genre accessible to younger listeners, particularly as independent music finds new platforms online. Kelithee has noticed how social media has changed the way Gaana travels. “Since songs are on social media, young people can share them, make reels and the song travels fast. It is helping more people listen to Gaana,” says Kelithee.

For Urban Thozha, who has worked across Gaana, independent music and projects such as Coke Studio Tamil, each space has offered a different perspective on the genre. “Gaana has taught me to be honest with my music, while independent music has given me the freedom to experiment. Working on Coke Studio also showed me that Gaana can hold its own alongside any kind of music,” he says.

Yet taking Gaana to newer audiences also raises questions about what happens when it moves away from its original setting. The language is an important part of that connection, says Urban Thozha. “When people hear Tamil, the song becomes closer to them,” he says.

There is a risk, however, that audiences may hear the rhythm without understanding the story behind it. “Sometimes only the beat travels and the story stays behind. People will dance, but they do not know why the song was written,” he says.

Gana Apelow, whose performances are known for their energy, sees the difference between performing Gaana in its original surroundings and presenting it on a formal stage. On the street, the audience is part of the performance, he says. “On the street, the people are very close and they sing with me. On stage they are far, so I have to work harder to bring them in. I sing about my area, friends, small everyday things, jokes, festivals and people I grew up with. Anything in life works as a subject,” Apelow tells DT Next.

That breadth of subject matter is something he wants audiences unfamiliar with Gaana to recognise. “Some people think Gaana is only loud and fun music. But it is not. It has sad songs, funny songs and songs with real meaning,” he says.

Gana Francis has seen Gaana move from independent music into mainstream cinema, and says the creative process differs between the two. “Alone, I write what I feel and finish it. In films, there is a story and a scene, so I write for that situation. Both are good. Only the way of working is different.” He also feels the genre’s growing presence in cinema has helped it reach a wider audience. “More people listen now and the recording quality is much better. Our audience has grown, and that has helped many singers,” shares Francis.

For that growth to continue without losing the character of the genre, Francis believes the artists and their experiences need to remain at the centre. “Give Gaana singers more stages and the credit they deserve. Let the language remain the same and let the real stories continue to be heard. That is what keeps Gaana connected to where it comes from,” concludes Francis.