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Chennai among top music hotspot cities
On a global list of cities which are music hotspots, Chennai has been ranked 32 scoring 6.36 out of 10, according to a study by Israel-based event technology service SeatPick
Chennai: On a global list of cities which are music hotspots, Chennai has been ranked 32 scoring 6.36 out of 10, according to a study by Israel-based event technology service SeatPick. Chennai has a thriving music culture, the study says, being the birthplace of the late violinist Lalgudi G Jayaraman and home to the alternative rock band “the F16s”. The top spots are occupied by London, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Synonymous for its classical Carnatic music, Chennai has produced doyens of vocalists including M S Subbulakshmi, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer even before the era of Jayaraman.
What is intriguing about the study in Chennai is that though it is popular for its vibrancy during what is colloquially known as the margazhi (a Tamil month) season in chilly December where the calendar is full with music and dance performances across the city, the arts space coexists with the indie band of four men, the F16s. They have a massive following in the past decade for their classical rock band format, whom American singer Sameer Gadhia in his podcast Point of Origin, described as those who rebel against cultural expectations.
The study analysed global cities known for their music scene to establish the best cities for music lovers to visit. Chennai is credited with having 68 music venues, such as the Idam Arts and Cultural Space, according to the study.
Varanasi, ranked 49 with a score of 4.23 out of 10 is the only other Indian city which has made it to the list. Varanasi has four music festivals, including the Mahindra Kabira Festival and the legendary composer Ravi Shankar hails from here.
While London is the top global music hotspot, the highest number of Musicians come from New York. The study suggests that fans of Vinyl records should head to Tokyo, which has the most record stores at 224.
