Toronto-based Tamil rapper Shan Vincent de Paul drops new single

Shan says he has written the track solely for personal artistic expression, to appease the “rap head” in him. “Savage was a purely cathartic creation for me where the expression took precedence over ‘accessibility’. I wanted to write an ‘anti-hit’, something that didn’t pander to any kind of audience, sound or trend. It was a gateway to tap into a darker side without having to keep up the facade of a glossy, perfect world that we often see on social media. The title is also a tongue-in-cheek reference to the term colonizers used to describe us for eating with our hands,” he says. Savage is the first of 12 singles to be released for the 14-track album, which is scheduled to release on August 27. Previously released singles — One hundred thousand flowers and Heaven featuring fellow Canadian Tamil artiste Navz-47 — are also part of the album.

Matching Shan’s vocal ferocity in the video of the new song is Paris-based hip-hop dancer and Bharatanatyam enthusiast Usha Jey’s choreography, whose hybrid mix of two dance styles have made her a social media star. Shot in Berlin, the video features two avatars of Usha, performing her trademark hybrid Bharatanatyam.

On Usha Jey’ s choreography, Shan says, “Her style is so unique and innovative while perfectly capturing elements of the East and West. I knew she had to be the star of the video when I saw her style. It was a perfect way to respond to the derogatory title of ‘Savage’ that was often used against us. I also wanted to take Bharatanatyam as far away from the realm you would expect it to be in.”

Made In Jaffna will be released on the AR Rahman-led artiste-centric platform and label, maajja.