From film songs, Therukural album to single music track, Arivu has been penning lyrics emphasising on the politically sensitive topics of Tamil Nadu, despite facing controversies for most of his works.
“I have been writing songs with a political message as there is a need to write such songs. I think it is my responsibility to write about the social issues that bothers the people. I will never use my art form irresponsibly at any cost. I am not here to just write simple romantic songs; I am here to write songs that will make a difference in society. Even If I get a chance to write a love song, I will think of ways to infuse my feminism beliefs in it. I can say that I have an inconsolable cry within me to write songs with strong social content.”
While many appreciate his courage to write and perform political-loaded songs, Arivu says that he is just responsible, not bold.
Listen to Arivu's interview in Tamil
“Enjoy Enjaami” Arivu’s interview – Part 1
“I cry every day in silence when I read stories of people dying because of inequality in the society. While the death of my brothers, who are victims of caste issues in my country tears me apart, the passing away of George Floyd terribly impacts me as well. Societal issues across the globe concerns me, affects me and reminds me to write responsibly. I had mentioned Snowlin (A 17-year-old girl, who was shot dead by police during the anti-Sterlite agitations in 2018 in Thoothukudi) and Asifa (An eight-year-old girl gang raped and murdered at Indian-administered Kashmir in 2018) in my previous compositions. Wherever minorities are being crushed in my country, wherever lives are being politicised, where people see caste even if someone is dying-- there I need to write! For this, I really don’t need courage, pain is more than enough to pen powerful songs. I am a painful artist; I write and sing with pain in my heart.”
Love for Oppari
Source: Arivu(Supplied)
Enjoy Enjaami has a heart-wrenching oppari (a folk genre sung at funerals) bit in it. Arivu has been exploring this genre, which he says is his favourite, by visiting innumerable oppari artistes across Tamil Nadu and documenting the art form. “
During my growing up years, I was intrigued by oppari which used to be haunting. When a member in our family dies, relatives join together and sing oppari. The significance of this genre is that it holds the grief of the funeral. From anger, love to frustration, oppari holds all emotions in it. It's a remarkable tribal culture where mothers sing and give a send-off to the dead. I gained the confidence in Oppari singing after my research work.
Singing is innate
Not only writing lyrics, Arivu sings and performs, too. He says that he hasn’t learnt any proper singing lessons by attending the formal music classes.
“My grandmother, who sings oppari beautifully, has never learnt music in her life. Farmers who sing on the fields, have never taken any music lessons. I sing by just listening to these natural singers. I personally feel that for the working class, singing is innate and it is natural.
“I didn’t get a chance to listen to film songs in my growing up years as there was no television at home. All I heard was my villagers’ folk songs, choir renditions at the churches and devotional songs played at temples. The song can be of any musical form but speaking about people through my songs is more important to me than singing.”
Listen to Arivu's interview in Tamil
“Enjoy Enjaami” Arivu’s interview – Part 2
It all began here
During his high-school years, Arivu started writing poems and songs about the social issues he witnessed around him.
“As a teenager, I vented out the unexpressed pain, which was caused due to societal inequality, in my poetries. Also, my parents were part of an organisation, Arivoli Iyakkam, in my town where they used to sing societal awareness songs across many villages. The books related to the Arivoli organisation helped me understand the social issues.”
First break-through
Source: Arivu(Supplied)
While he was actively performing for filmmaker Pa Ranjith’s revolutionary music band, Casteless Collectives, the director gave him an opportunity to write lyrics for a song about the significance of land for Rajinikanth starrer Kaala.
“Someone like me who hails from a family of landless labourers, lyrics of my debut song, Urimai Meetpom, were nothing but my real-life experience. we were not treated equally by the society and we were not allowed inside the temples and certain houses due to the prominence of caste inequality. This discomfort in my heart was the driving force to pen lyrics for the song in Kaala.”
Recent film song Vaathi Raid from Master, which was written and sung by him, has a line, "Karpi Ondru Ser '' (educate and unite), which was social reformer, Dr BR Ambedkar's vision.
"Dr Ambedkar is not just an inspiration to me; he is like a Godfather. He wouldn’t be knowing that Arivarasu Kalainesan would be born in a Dalit household one day but he had written about all the rights required for me to survive in this society. His decisive role for Dalit rights is Godly, he will be inevitably there in all my works."
Arivu says that he doesn't believe in writing lyrics of film songs that artificially praises women. "I personally feel that we need not praise women, just treat them equally, they will be at peace."
The Enjoy Enjaami
“Enjoy Enjaami’, which was made in collaboration with singer Dhee and music composer Santhosh Narayanan for AR Rahman's Maajja, wasn’t written in one single day. It was penned by recollecting my years of personal experience. My journey to Sri Lanka where my ancestors worked in the tea plantations, my innumerable oppari shows, contributions to castles collective band, work experience with Santhosh Narayanan and director Manikandan, all these life experiences collectively helped me to pen lyrics for Enjoy Enjaami. I wanted the song to celebrate nature and unity. As the song has socio economic life theories people across the globe could relate to it. The universal concept in the song has an in-depth political message too."
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