Beatboxers. Rappers. B-boys and B-girls. They will all be gathering at one stage this weekend, not only from Chennai but from all across the State. The eighth edition of The Sound of Revolution, a celebration of hiphop culture, will be taking place at Grand Mall this weekend.
There is a lot to look forward to: 50 rap artistes from India (mainly Chennai), Malaysia, Sri Lanka and France will be showing off their talent, as will 35 B-boys and at least four beatboxing squads. “The B-boying championship will be in the form of battles. B-girls will have separate battles,” informs MC Sanna, who is organising the event on behalf of Rap Machines by ADK. Rap Machines and Tupakeys are co-organising the event.
Says Nigavithran K, one of the rappers who will be performing, “We are all underground rappers here. The hiphop scene in Chennai has grown a lot in the past year alone. It will be interesting to see what happens.”
There is certainly a lot to look forward to; the festival has come a long way from its simple 2013 beginnings. MC Sanna reminisces, “That year, we held the event at a small jamming pad in Vadapalani. We had about five artistes, and 15 or 30 people in the audience. Now, our participants number at around 150, and last year’s edition at Alliance Francaise had an audience of more than 200 people.”
Some of the acts to look forward to are MC Sanna and Jack Styles (Rap Machines), Therukural, MC Bhaashi and Tupakeys. Others set to take to stage include MC Valluvar, Asal Kolar, Team Dynamix, Voltage B, Caff3ine, Raka Vee, Underdogz, Peace, Nanda Thara Local Pasanga, Elevated Pride and North Chennai Hiphop. There are also some DJs in the mix, including DJ Flame, DJ Sam Joe and DJ Ken. Another major highlight is a performance by ADK or Aaryan Dinesh Kanagratanam, a Sri Lankan hiphop artiste who has worked with musical greats of our time, such as AR Rahman.
The Sound of Revolution will be held on the roof of Grand Mall, Velachery, on February 22 from 9 am onwards. Rap slots are filled, but those interested in the bboy championships can register at the venue. Audience can walk in.