‘Industry needs to tap talents beyond beauty standards’
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, actor Jiiva’s music label Deaf Frogs, launched their music video Tha Pop, which has its performances by the aspiring and inspiring girl pop band TNC. The band visits the office of DT Next to talk about the song and how women should be recognised for their talent and not beauty standards alone.
On location of Tha Pop
CHENNAI: Dressed in white t-shirts and lots of laughter, the girls of TNC band lit up our office premise. There is never a dull moment with this team that goes on and on about their song Tha Pop and what they stand for.
Taniya Ishwarya, Anjelene Antonette Bosco, Snekha Lakshmi, Cesily Sherine, Meha, and Yavna have come together as the first Tamil pop band who can rap, dance, write lyrics and also choreograph the dance.
“We started working on this since 2018 and today with the help of Actor Jiiva and Deaf Frogs, the limelight is on us. We are the first Tamil band, and we are here to take the Tamil music scene to the global stage, “ says Taniya Ishwarya, a lecturer by profession.
Cesily Sherine and Anjelene add that “We both joined TNC in 2019 when we met, Taniya who is our college senior. We then learned we’re all of the same age. Ever since then, we’ve been tirelessly working. We’re now bankers as well, and as three working women, we’re grateful to follow our passion”
The team reminisces on Deaf Frogs identifying them and producing the music video, which is now a huge break of sorts for TNC. “We landed this opportunity through one of our acquaintances in Deaf Frogs. Upon seeing our potential, Jiiva too was convinced. In his trademark tone, he told us that the label would take things forward with us,” says the team.
The Girls of TNC Band (Photo: Hemanathan M)
Snekha reminisces the day of shooting and says how they were accompanied by their parents.
Yavna says that she and Meha consider this as a major turning point in their music career. “We released a song and that didn’t garner the response we wanted. We could have called it a wrap to our music career on that day but TNC tapped our potential and here we are with Deaf Frog releasing our song on Women’s Day,” she smiles.
However, the team also feels that both the music and movie industry have to start identifying talents beyond beauty standards. “Women are already empowered. But there are other issues in the entertainment industry when it comes to female talents. We are not being accepted for the talent we have in us. People rather choose to nurture women’s talent based on skin tone and beauty standards. We hope this changes. Also, as a girl pop band, we want to take Tamil indie music to a global stage. Our language and our music are unique and it is high time that it needed worldwide attention,” they concluded.