Bringing streets of Chennai alive with music

CHENNAI: Vinnai Thaandi Varuveney read the title of the first song that Aravindha Krishnan Sriram penned when he was 19. He vividly reminisces taking it to his friend Nithin Vikash, whom he lost in 2022 in a bike accident.

But before that, Nithin ended up being Sanikelama’s composer of his first track. Sanikelama is Aravindha’s stage name. “I got named after my series of radio content I did on Instagram which went by Sanikelama FM 7.5,” narrates SK, also a name he goes by.

Now 24, he was one of those favoured souls with a melodious voice very young. He says, “I was adamant to choose an artform as my career path. For that, I learned to play the keyboard, made my presence and created an impact, if I may so myself, in all the cultural events at my college.”

Aniruth’s path to a musical realm also started young during his grade six. “I started with my Carnatic music lesson, which I pursued diligently for four years. Though I took a break from formal lessons, my passion for music never seems to have left my side,” Aniruth says.

He finds comfort in performing melodies and considers himself a storyteller at heart. Aniruth adds, “For me, music is more than performance; it’s about creating an experience. Through my songs and storytelling, I try to spread joy and connect deeply with my audience, making music a medium of happiness and connection.”

Aniruth is originally from Kalpakkam township, which is a close-knit community outside Chennai. He came to the city to pursue his graduation. Here, he discovered On the Streets of Chennai. Aravindha also stumbled upon On the Streets of Chennai during the pandemic. “Nithin played a major part in helping me discover my true calling. He was a predominant part of the community and asked me to attend their auditions,” Aravindha says.

On The Streets is a music community that aims to make the world a happier place by curating and performing on the streets. Their On The Streets Foundation is a public charitable trust consisting of young talented musicians, students and professionals who perform across the streets, parks, beaches, metros and other public places with a vision of making Chennai, the street music capital of the world.

Joining this community became a pivotal moment in Aniruth’s life. “Performing in front of large audiences is exhilarating and fulfilling. Seeing people smile, enjoying my music, and immersing themselves in the moment is very rewarding,” he says.

Aniruth finds the community to be a unique environment which also introduced him to a network of like-minded musicians. He explains, “These connections deepened my understanding of music, and from there, I ventured into cafe gigs and corporate shows, continually evolving as a performer and storyteller.”

Aniruth finds a brother in Aravindha, and they both are all prepped up to perform together for the first time today.

Audiences can expect fresh Tamil indie songs and a lot of humour which will be entertaining as well as very relatable. SK claims, “We will make the crowd ponder, ‘Is he telling our story? Is he talking about our friends?’.”

Come over and lend an ear to the tunes of Aravindha and Aniruth today, at Urban Square- Kathipara, from 7 pm to 9 pm.