Sid Sriram, the voice of Adiye, Thalli Pogathey, Ennodu Nee Irundhaal and several other hit South Indian songs, in collaboration with the legend himself, AR Rahman, is all set to take namma ooru by storm with his performance at Fandom, Gilly’s on February 15. Performing his debut album Entropy, this 28-year-old is looking forward to bringing people into his world.
In a chat with Deccan Chronicle, he lets us in on his early life, love for music and experience of having collaborated with Grammy award-winning singer, composer, producer, AR Rahman.
Sid says, “Each song in Entropy is like a snapshot to a point in my life delving into the emotional textures and memories that I associate with each point. Each song deals with deeply personal memories or points of introspection that were both profound and overwhelming. When the production, recording and mixing of each song was complete, and I sat down to assemble it all together, I took a step back and realised that the album is like a map that documents the ebb and flow of my life. I don’t think anything in life moves in a linear fashion, and working on this album allowed me to embrace the importance of being present in the moment. Musically, this album is a cross-section where all of the influences who have sculpted my artistry come together. R&B/Soul, my Indian classical roots and ambient/alternative electronic music all clash vibrantly to create a unique sound.”
Sid Sriram was born in Chennai and subsequently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area with his family when he was one. This duality of cultural roots has been integral in forming Sriram’s personal and artistic identity. Sid comes from a long lineage of Carnatic (South Indian Classical) musicians with his mother, Latha Sriram having started a Carnatic vocal music school in Fremont, California in the early 90s. Having noticed Sid’s deeply intuitive inclination for music at a very early age, she started teaching him when he was three. He performed on stage for the first time later that year and fell in love with the stage instantly.
Having gotten the opportunity to work with his guru, Sid says, “Working with AR Rahman Sir is always inspiring. I think his magic captivated me when I first heard the Roja album. Everything from the melodies, to rhythmic movements, sonics, all of it made me feel something pure. My first interaction with AR Sir was via email. I’d sent him a cold email with some links to my original music. I never expected a response but he shot me back an email, it was surreal. I recall the first time I entered his studio, he had me sing one of the original R&B songs I’d sent him and some Carnatic music. A few months later, I got the email to record Adiye from Mani Ratnam sir’s film Kadal. The song was ground-breaking in that it brought together Tamil folk music with blues, it had never been done before. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction into the film music world.”
Sid is currently focusing on the Entropy tour in India for this month and North America in March. Parallelly, he is slowly starting to conceptualise his next project.
