A Drummer's Diary: Chasing Beats in Chennai
so here i am, jetlagged and slightly delirious, sitting in a cafe in chennai with a half-empty chai and a head full of snare rolls. the humidity's hitting hard-i just checked and it's 22°c and sticky as hell out there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. my sticks are in my backpack, my cymbals are in a taxi somewhere, and my brain is still on the last gig in delhi. but hey, that's touring life, right?
first impressions? chaos. beautiful, overwhelming chaos. horns honking like a jazz improv gone wrong, street vendors shouting in tamil, and the smell of filter coffee everywhere. someone told me that the best filter coffee in town is at this tiny place called *kaveri cafe near mylapore-said it'll wake you up faster than a double kick pedal. i'll take their word for it.
i'm here for the music, obviously. chennai's got this insane rhythm scene-carnatic percussion meets indie rock meets something i can't even name. met a local drummer last night who showed me this crazy kanjira pattern. said it's all about the wrist, not the arm. i tried. failed. but hey, that's the fun part.
if you get bored, bangalore and pondicherry are just a short drive away. or a very long bus ride if you're on a budget. speaking of which, accommodation here is cheap if you know where to look. i'm crashing in a guesthouse in t nagar that smells faintly of incense and old books. perfect for a sleep-deprived drummer.
weather's been...unpredictable. one minute it's sunny, the next it's drizzling like the sky's having an identity crisis. someone said it's the pre-monsoon tease. i just call it annoying when you're carrying a ride cymbal on your back.
food-wise, i've been living off idlis and dosa from street stalls. heard from a drunk local that the best ones are at saravana bhavan near egmore. apparently they serve them with a side of chaos and a sprinkle of gossip. i'll report back.
and the people? endlessly kind. a stranger helped me carry my gear up three flights of stairs just because i looked like i was about to collapse. said it's bad karma to let a drummer suffer. i'll take it.
anyway, enough rambling. here's a little map of where i am right now, in case you're curious:
and because i'm a sucker for visuals, here are a few shots i found online that kinda capture the vibe:
so yeah, that's the first 24 hours in chennai. messy, loud, humid, and weirdly inspiring. if you're a drummer, a traveler, or just someone who likes chaos with a side of chai, you'll probably dig it here.
p.s. if you want more on the local music scene, check out the hindu's friday review or ziggy's live music bar* on tripadvisor. both worth a look if you're into sounds that make your bones vibrate.
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/the-local-food-scene-in-perth-what-the-residents-actually-eat
- https://votoris.com/post/seasonal-weather-in-kinshasa-what-to-expect-throughout-the-year-the-real-deal
- https://votoris.com/post/bauru-thrift-stores-humidity-and-the-case-of-the-mystery-koala
- https://votoris.com/post/berlin-ghostly-vibes-glitchy-coordinates
- https://votoris.com/post/addis-ababa-a-vintage-thrifthunters-heatwave-diary