Footloose Blues Redux
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Update: Thanks for the clarifications, Su. The post’s duly updated to reflect your clarifications.
A couple of years ago, I had ranted (parts 1 and 2) about the disdain shown towards “massy” dappankuthu (and in general non-Hindi/non-Bhangra) type numbers by DJs and the “classy” crowd at dance parties both here in videsh and back home in India. But my personal experiences have mostly been outside Chennai, in fact outside India.
And those who know me will attest that, at times, I can be as “massy” as one can get, mostly in the (few) aforementioned dance parties that I get to go to. And most of the DJs I have seen in these parties, suck. One DJ even went as far as feigning loss of the mix CDs (they magically re-surfaced at the end of the party) that a couple of us had painstakingly created so that he has a mix of Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi numbers to play during the party. But that old post immediately came into mind when I read about the fiasco Radio Mirchi RJ hunt party at Dublin, the disco/night club at the Park Sheraton in Chennai.
I do agree with Su when she questions the attitude of Chennai nightclubs and their refusal to play Tamil numbers even if the majority of the crowd (in this case, almost the whole freaking team that was responsible for the original numbers in the first place) requests it. On top of all this, I think what Su went to, was in fact an “invitation only” party. Sad days indeed, if the guests at a private party don’t get what the hosts paid for, i.e. a good time!
I get pissed when I hear migrants from North India complain about the lack of a social life and a club scene down south. Let me put this question out there. If the few clubs that are there, (by playing only English/Hindi/Punjabi numbers) refuse to cater to the locals, why would the locals come to these clubs? If the locals don’t come, would the business model even work? I think with a major attitude change, Chennai clubs can attract more locals and therefore make their business model attractive enough leading to more clubs entering the scene.
I know that the culture police is out in full force sometimes, but if the majority takes a stand, would the culture police be feared as they are now?
ÜberDesi
capriciously_me http://
August 7th, 2007 at 10:52 amadhenna “And those who know me will attest that, at times, I can be as “massy” as one can get”….appo matha neram ellam neenga classy-nu nenappa???????
DesiPundit » Archives » Chennai nightclubs http://www.desipundit.com/2007/08/07/chennai-nightclubs/
August 7th, 2007 at 11:14 am[...] wonders why Chennai nightclubs don’t play Tamil numbers. I get pissed when I hear migrants from North India complain about the lack of a social life and a [...]
anantha http://superstarksa.com
August 7th, 2007 at 6:29 pmAatha: I am massy while being classy.
visithra http://visithra.blogspot.com/
August 7th, 2007 at 9:00 pmehhehehe - all i can say is come to kl - Ill show u how to party - if i can get a westerner hooked to indian music - you know how good it is ;p
even the english clubs play tamil music on n off ;p
I shall write a post to give you guys stomach burn later ;p
the so called elites, restaurants n hotels in tamilnadu are seriously screwed - they’re so embarressed by the tamil language - i often wonder if I accidentaly landed in the wrong state
tulipspeaks - MyBlogLog http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/tulipspeaks/
August 8th, 2007 at 5:42 amsu
August 8th, 2007 at 5:45 amThanks for the blog reference
I landed up in your blog space through Pri’s World and was quite surprised to see my name being listed in your post and then realized you had already sent me a comment 
Will def visit your blog. Check out my tamizh paatu blog
su
August 8th, 2007 at 5:47 amsome points though
the party was not a fiasco . i dont want to be misquoted since my good friend works in Mirchi and he got us the passes. it was not mirchi’s fault.
the party was a RJ hunt. it was not to celebrate the 100′th day of the movie.
Please be careful when you state facts since they can lead to ugly rumors
anantha http://superstarksa.com
August 8th, 2007 at 6:21 amSu: Post duly updated with your clarifications. The intent was not to mislead or spread rumors. Will check on your paatu blog
visit: I know you guys have *fun* in KL. And you have already told me that even, a couple of times
sanka
August 8th, 2007 at 11:59 amThe biggest culprits are the tamils. I think they are ashamed of being tamils. They should be screwed tight as well as the club owners. We malaysian tamils have so many clubs in KL. The tamil nadu tamils are just a bunch of losers .they are being trampled all over by the others .
Krish Ashok http://krishashok.wordpress.com
August 8th, 2007 at 12:06 pmHindi ? Musicaaa? Adhu Innaadhu? You mean Bollywood, where they went musically bankrupt in 1975 and currently they are remixing remixes of remixes?
But yeah. I am a comblete Chennai vaasi and not only do they not play Tamil music, the DJs mostly speak in a pseudo accent like they were trained in DJing by 50 cent himself. Ambadhu paisaa kooda theramaattaanga. The northie DJs that haunt/infest/infect/pervade/parasitize namma ooru remind me of the guy who sings “papa kehte hain” in the movie Chennai 600028, where our heroes look at him with a “wtf?” expression and kick him out before launching into “Saroja Samaan Nikaalo”.
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
August 8th, 2007 at 11:56 pmKrish Ashok: Heh.. btw, when Dublin first opened, (if I remember right) their first DJ was a Mallu. But yes, the pseudo accent is grating!
sanka: I think your angst is misplaced.
I think it is quite the opposite. I don’t think we Tamilians are too welcoming. But my point, again, given the closed nature of the society, the clubs are only shooting themselves in their feet by not catering to the locals.
vatsan
August 10th, 2007 at 1:58 amindha thollai nala dhaan naanga yaravoda room/mansion la thanni adipom. thanni adikachae indha english pattu kekka mudiyum, adhuku appalae wonly damil kuthu pattu!!
dublin/shublin/pasha/speed all total naansense, not suited for damils, wonly for the indhi/ashamed of being damil damils. no dappankoothu is played.
PS: i remember that dublin played a remix of o podu way back when the movie was released. but now they dont!! sad