Naren Mathew, the lead vocalist of the five-member band ‘The Pandavas’, was caught amidst a flurry of activity at the launch of the group’s new song, Ennodu Va Tamizha .
The song, which attempts to mobilise youngsters to vote, was launched at Grand Mall, Velachery, on Friday evening.
With election fever having plagued everyday conversation, the band confesses to having had no choice but to engage with the issue through their music. Being first-time voters themselves, it was the potential power of the country’s youth in shaping the nation’s future which compelled them to compose the song, say the members.
The song was composed and shot over nine days. Karthik, the band manager, said that initially the concept was simply to perform the song at different colleges and cultural events. It was only after they got an overwhelming response that sponsors stepped into the picture.
According to Naren, the timing was all-important. “We could have launched it earlier or even after the election, but the message of driving young people to exercise their franchise would have lost meaning. The fact that elections are just a week away makes all the difference,” he said.
The band members are all fresh graduates, creating music with a message when they get the time. Their next songs are going to be about Chennai traffic and poverty in India.
