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Why Enga Area Ulla Varadhe?
Why Enga Area Ulla Varadhe?
Enga area ulla Varadhe (Do not enter our area) is a line of a song from the film Pudupettai, which means do not enter our area. The reason for me to choose tis line as my title for the page is because, currently Gana songs have been adopted by the Kollywood film industry and making its way into pop-culture. Thus the line expresses the feeling of independent platform for the Gana culture. Gana has been existing for a long time but it lacked recognition. Amongst Gana there are several types of Gana songs such as Marana Gana, friendship Gana, Social issues Gana. Marana Gana has been the practice for Dalit communities of North Chennai to sing at the funerals by praising the dead. These songs were not represented the way they are supposed to be in Pop-culture.
YouTube has played an important role in making some songs viral for example ‘En Maima peru thanda anjale’, ‘Gumbalaga suthuvom’ which also brings the question if these are the real Gana traditions. They have always strived to get recognition, but in today’s scenario the cringy love breakup songs, songs objectifying and demeaning women have been taking over. This is picked up by the film industry and the Gaana culture has been falsely portrayed in popular culture. The commercial films that are produced hold at least one Gana song just to promote their films.
Gana is a beautiful genre of Music, it should be accepted the way it is produced and not judge it based on who produce it. It should be respected as just a form of an art. They should be given the independent platform so that they can sustain by their own identity and not through the mixing of Kollywood and Gana Music.
- Kavya B
Start Music!
Start Music!
In Hindi Gana means to sing, it is possible that the term can be borrowed. No specific instrument is used for the rendition of Gana except for some accompanying percussion. Therefore, the word Gana here seems to refer to the voice itself as an instrument. The use of Gana, ganam, referring to singing, is also found in older Tamil writing. Gana music was originally part of the death ritual of Dalits, called Marana Gana and it was sung in front of the house where the death had occurred or even in front of the corpse alone. The main agenda to perform in front of a house that witnessed death is to keep the people awake from sleeping the entire night because from the ancestral days it is said that the dead body cannot be left alone. It is from that death ritual Gana became a separate genre of performing arts. It is a music that is mostly performed on the seashore, harbours, streets which is accompanied by a percussion instrument called Dholak.
Interview of Madras Miran
Interview of Madras Miran
Q1: How long have you been in Gana singing?
A: I have been part of this culture for the past 7 years. I love singing gana songs.
Q2: What do you think about Gana entering Kollywood industry?
A: Gana always has been a part of films, but now again it has gained popularity. Thanks to PA Ranjith, director of Kabali he took an effort to bring the recognition to us. We like it, but they do not pay us enough.
Q3: Do you think Gana should be an independent platform?
A: See honestly! We want recognition and also money that's when we need their help, otherwise after once we are flourished maybe we will stick to our genre.
Q4: Why Gana songs recently became famous?
A: Some of the boys who make videos on YouTube became famous overnight, but that is not Gana, nowadays anything and everything becomes famous. Gana in those old days singer Gana Deva used to sing beautiful songs. We mostly use to express our feelings such as oppression, happiness, sadness, etc.,
Q5: Do you think Gana Should emerge as an independent platform?
A: Yes! but in the beginning we are requiring some support, we write a lot of songs related to social issues they don't become famous, but some entertainment songs reach the audience very fast. Hence, we seek industry support, but otherwise we are striving to get an individual identity to ourselves and our community.
In Which Part of Chennai do you see this culture?
In Which Part of Chennai do you see this culture?
Gana seems to have been inclined by a few Tamil music traditions relating to death rituals such as Oppari (lament), Maradi Pattu and Aravana Maradi Pattu, sources said. Different aspects of these traditions have been incorporated into the Gana genre. Various influences have moulded Gana, particularly songs of Siddhars, songs composed by the 18th/19th century Muslim mystic Kunankudi Mastan Sahib and the Christian composer Vedanayakam Pillai (1826-1889), tunes of Islamic songs and, of course, Tamil film music.
Initially it was originated in North Chennai called Vada Chennai, the gana singers used their slang in the songs and expressed their views.
Gana is a result of musical and lyrical influences from various faiths and traditions. It is also said to have received influences from some north Indian traditions, probably qawwali. Although Gana is basically an oral tradition, it has taken in ideas from written lyrics of film music, making this a wonderful blend of both. Gana songs are very adaptable in form, and many musicians make changes in the lyrics during rendition. Musicians render well-established Gana songs and they also compose their own songs. In fact, most Gana musicians are composers themselves.
Young boys who want to become professional Gana singers begin their learning process at the age of 05 or 06. Like in many Indian traditions, they learn by observing and listening. It is only after a period of time that they are accepted as performers, after which they form their own Gana groups. Men usually perform Gana although there are some women musicians, too. They earn anything between Rs.2,000 and Rs.5,000 for an all-night performance.
Percussive accompaniment for Gana paatu is provided by some commonly available household items such as a steel pot or even a matchbox. Of course, musical instruments such as the dholak and the tabla are also used. Although the music itself is related to mourning, it is not always depressing. The singers enjoy by composing funny songs that mock government, college students etc., In fact, the cinema industry in Tamil Nadu has picked up this recent trend of adding one Gana song atleast in their films to capture the attention of the audience as the mass audience consume more commercial Gana songs on You Tube, Tik Tok and other platforms. Gana singers have utilized the social media platforms in an effective way. These platforms allow this hidden music to come to mainstream and get them lots of opportunities in the industry.
When Camera can capture their other side...
When Camera can capture their other side...
Photos Credit: Kavya B
Their Bread and Butter...
Their Bread and Butter...
Video 1.mp4Video Source and Editing: Kavya B
Gana singers have been involved in various occupations such as coolie, fishing, auto drivers, business, boating etc., Since Gana originated in North Chennai; fishing is the major occupation in places like, Rayapuram, Kasimedu, Vyasarpadi. The families here are well prepared and lives in fear always as their husbands, sons or even brothers who go for fishing may return back or no one is aware of what happened to them.
When I asked a fisherman if anybody so far gone for fishing has never returned, he replied with a smirk “Ah many! There has been no count, what can be done, we are used to this. This is the life of a fisherman, we were born on this seashore, brought up in this ocean and we will die in this ocean itself”.
This video explains how a life of a boatmen and fishermen depend on each other. The background song is a byte from one of the Gana song dedicated for the fishermen.
Petta Rap...!
Petta Rap...!
The streets get life through their music, it is very relevant as the streets witness their hardships and thus share their problems.
The streets get life through their music, it is very relevant as the streets witness their hardships and thus share their problems.
This song is regarding the boys friendship and their loyalty. They gather for each other despite the troubles and hardships they face.
This song is regarding the boys friendship and their loyalty. They gather for each other despite the troubles and hardships they face.
Video Credit: Kavya B
video 4.mp4
Photo Credit: Kavya B
The lyrical content of Gana songs is diverse. They are born out of the struggles of these Dalits when they reinvented their life in the slums of Chennai. This is the musical expression of Chennai’s most unheard community. But the problem is that people from middle class and upper class view this form of music as a cringy, local, and low class music which is completely judged because of the singers and their statuses. In order to eliminate this kind of difference the history of the music and the practices of the music should be highlighted. They should also reduce the practice of demeaning women in their songs which is a recently emerged practice amongst young boys. These demeaning songs are mostly composed by singers who writes songs for love break-ups, soup boys etc.,
The language used in Gana songs is typical “Chennai Tamil” that they speak and use lots of slang words that blend into their songs, they also sometimes use Telugu, Hindi and English words flawlessly blend into the lyrics. If we disengage from our trained idea of linguistic complexity, we will find within these words the most thoughtful and the most banal emotions of man expressed in the simplest way.
Photo Credits: Kavya B
There are different genres apart from death within Gana culture itself like love, sex, trust, friendship, politics, environment, social issues and many more. These are made with so much interesting lyrics sometimes controversial too, but these songs bond people of same community and the unity amongst the people increases. The music is just not rhythmic sound but also energetic beats that will make your feet tap and makes you feel dance. Boys and girls don’t differentiate amongst themselves when it comes to Gana songs, there is a woman who is practicing this culture o singing gana songs for funeral since her husband passes away, She said that “My husband used to ask me to sing whenever he used to be bored as he is also a gana singer, but now he is not there but his songs always remain within me”. Thus, from small children to old aged people everyone come along to tap their feet for this amazing musical treat.
Gana music began travelling beyond the boundaries of a death ritual from the late 1980s. The popularity of the music created a need for products. The recording age had arrived, and Gana musicians used that to propagate and promote their music. This also allowed for the outside world to realise the potential in Gana. Naturally, Tamil films became most captivated by this form.
Where are you, Appa?
Where are you, Appa?
video 2.mp4Video Credits: Kavya B
This is a song dedicated to fishermen community by Rizwan from Kasimedu. The lyrics of this song reflect his feelings towards his missing father. He questions his mother to tell him about his father and praises his mother that she is the one for him to depend on. He also says that even though we are not sure if father is alive or dead, you still remain as a widow in the eyes of the world. He craves to know who is his father is, but still lives in denial that his father is not there around. Nobody knows if the father is alive or dead, in the initial stage they hoped for him to return but as time moved on they come to a level to accept that he is gone yet with a little hope of his return.
This is a song dedicated to fishermen community by Rizwan from Kasimedu. The lyrics of this song reflect his feelings towards his missing father. He questions his mother to tell him about his father and praises his mother that she is the one for him to depend on. He also says that even though we are not sure if father is alive or dead, you still remain as a widow in the eyes of the world. He craves to know who is his father is, but still lives in denial that his father is not there around. Nobody knows if the father is alive or dead, in the initial stage they hoped for him to return but as time moved on they come to a level to accept that he is gone yet with a little hope of his return.
The Voices that want the Gana Voices to be heard...
The Voices that want the Gana Voices to be heard...
Gana songs opinion is one of the opinion by a student Suraj, he says that he loves the songs as their lyrics hold very strong messages and convey real time issues. He also adds that the boys singing together is an wonderful experience and the friendship within themselves.
Birasobann from Srilanka explains why he likes the famous song 'vazhameenuku vezhangameenuku kalyanam'. He says that he loves the fact how singer associated two fishes and explains the entire process of marriage celebration just.
Rhett parker from Australia heard Gana songs for the first time and he explored its history. Thus, he shared his views.
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the people who helped me complete this page. I would like to acknowledge all the Gana singers who helped in keeping me educated about their Gana culture. I would also like to acknowledge my father to fetch me the right sources and guide me through the city Chennai. I wholeheartedly thank all the singers to provide their precious time and accepting my invitation to co-operate for the page.
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