Gudisai: Empowering Indie musicians in Chennai with open mic events and collaborative opportunities
Musician Siddhu Kumar of Joe fame invited Gudisai to appreciate their initiatives for the betterment of the indie music scene and has collaborated with them for one edition.
L TO R: Shyamala and Arun, From their previous editions
CHENNAI: Two buddies, Arun Vallalar and Shyamala’s mutual love for music encouraged them to come up with Gudisai. “If we part the name, it is Gud-Isai, which means good music. It was quirky, catchy and relatable to our idea. Anyone with good music can meet and collaborate,” starts Shyamala, managing director of Gudisai, a musical open mic platform.
Shyamala and Arun have been a part of various open mics across the city. But felt something was missing from the scene. “We listen to independent music often. Our mission is to provide a space for budding indie artistes to showcase their talents and also network with other artistes,” she says.
Gudisai has successfully conducted six open mic editions. “Instead of going to a label, indie artistes enjoy the liberty to create music without any restrictions. Our major goal was achieved as many artistes have launched their songs in Gudisai by collaborating with fellow musicians they meet here,” shares an excited Shyamala. Gudisai’s ultimate goal is to conduct a festival, bringing together renowned indie artistes and budding talents to meet the common audience.
At the end of each event, we express our appreciation with special goodies, creating lasting memories for both artists and attendees.
The team of Gudisai
Musician Siddhu Kumar of Joe fame invited Gudisai to appreciate their initiatives for the betterment of the indie music scene and has collaborated with them for one edition. “That was one of our successful events with 43 artistes performing at his studio,” she adds.
Of late, Chennai has seen a variety of open mics including queer open mic. What more is there to explore? Shyamala answers, “I think there is more to explore in indie exclusivity and it is yet to strike a chord with the audience. Apart from that, all genres of music should be given space. For example, there are separate concerts for gana and folk singers. I am thrilled that we were able to bring different genres under one roof.”
“As a woman, I know it is quite difficult to approach labels. But our platform is open to all. Spaces like these will help many women artistes to step into the industry,” states the 24-year-old. “Even in our editions, initial ones were dominated by men. After some time, women musicians turned up and were surprised to see the count rising for each edition. A few of the indie artistes of Gudisai are Manasa Jaishankar, Roja Aditya and Sneha, among many others,” she smiles.
The seventh edition of Gudisai is a two-day event, with Day 1 focusing on the open mic at The Artery, Royapettah and Day 2 will be a workshop led by vocal trainer Sachin Mannath at Tiva Academy. It will be a certified workshop for aspiring performers. “At the end of the event, we express our appreciation with special goodies, creating lasting memories for both artists and attendees,” Shyamala shares.
The two-day event will take place on October 26 and 27. For more details, head to the official website of Gudisai, Gudisai.com.