The people behind Gaana.
Gaana grew within communities rather than through formal musical institutions. Local singers and performers carried the tradition through funerals, community events, celebrations, neighbourhood gatherings and street performances.
Its performers have historically included members of marginalised working-class communities. Their everyday experiences often become the material for their songs.
Gaana is inseparable from the city that shaped it.
Gaana originated and grew within the neighbourhoods of North Chennai, shaped by its streets, harbour, fishing communities and working-class life. Places such as Royapuram, Kasimedu and Vyasarpadi became important spaces for the form to grow and circulate.
The rhythm of everyday life...
Gaana is driven by strong percussion, colloquial Tamil and a conversational vocal style. Its sound is less about formal melody and more about rhythm, repetition, wordplay and storytelling.
Gaana is a record of everyday life, they sing about love, loss, friendship, money and struggle, politics and caste, humour, life morals, and even death
But Gaana doesn’t sound just one way
Gaana takes many forms, from
Attu Gaana, which adapts popular film tunes with new folk lyrics;
All Gaana, where the artist creates the tune, beat and lyrics;
Jigil Gaana, centred on pain, sorrow and intoxication;
Deepa Gaana, rooted in ancestral compositions and long-form ballads;
Marana Gaana, reflecting on death and mortality;
Hero-Glory Gaana, celebrating local working-class heroes.
Evolution of Gaana
Gaana emerged within Chennai’s working class settlements and was closely tied to funerals.
Chennai, 1700s and 1800s
Origin in Grief and Labor
It moved beyond funerals into streets and neighbourhoods, and thrived in informal settings.
Early 1900s
Underground Culture
The term “Gaana” was coined in the 1960s. It was passed down orally through local troupes and distributed via cassettes.
1940s-1980s
Gaana in the streets
Music composer Deva brought Gaana into Kollywood, making its raw rhythms and fast tempos popular.
1990s
Rise in Mainstream Cinema
2000s
Reclaiming the Stage
Independent stars emerged, seeking recognition and creative independence. Gaana expanded into celebratory events.
2010s
Revival and Social Activism
Formation of groups like The Casteless Collective fused Gaana with rap and rock to protest caste discrimination and social inequality.
2020s and Beyond
Digital and Inclusive Era
The genre continues to break glass ceilings, while battling persistent industry snobbery.
Gaana has moved from neighbourhood streets into mainstream culture...
But as it gains visibility, how much of its original context survives, and how much is reduced to a stereotype?
The music became a shorthand for a stereotype rather than a reflection of the communities it came from.
System Map
The change we hope to make
Help people move beyond simply listening to Gaana and connect with the artists, stories, and personal journeys behind it.
Create opportunities to experience Gaana and its community beyond the stereotypes associated with it.
Turn everyday public spaces into informal, accessible opportunities to discover and engage with Gaana.
A stigma that refuses to fade
Despite their talent and dedication, Gaana singers often face discrimination and are denied mainstream recognition due to the genre’s association with Chennai’s marginalised communities. This association perpetuates stereotypes and stigma, making it difficult for artists to gain wider acceptance.
“We don’t need sympathy; we need respect. Gaana is a part of Chennai’s culture and history. It’s time people saw it for what it truly is - an art form born from the soul of the city”
“Gaana has been alive for years together. It is our tradition and history, and our life stories are told in the form of music”
Otteri Gaana Gokul
Naaguran, Head of Tamil Nadu Gaana Association
Gaana has always been a way for communities to tell their own stories. But when those stories are represented from the outside, the context can disappear.
I grew up in an area where local singers and Parai artists once performed during festivals and temple processions, but I’ve seen these performances become increasingly rare. Hearing stories of how Gaana was celebrated during my dad’s college days made me realise how much it has faded from everyday life. This project is my attempt to reconnect with that part of Chennai’s cultural identity.
Why it matters?
“Gaana is basically a street art form, just like Hip-Hop culture. It is just poetry with rhythm, you don’t need chords to orchestrate Gaana songs”
“The mainstream cinema industry has milked the commercial aspects of Gaana culture and benefited from it. But it doesn’t give due respect to the art form or its artists, instead imposing derogatory labels that keep them stuck where they are.”
- Hip Hop Aadhi
An Indian rapper, music composer, singer, actor, & director.
When hip-hop emerged from Black inner-city communities, mainstream society often dismissed it as crude, noisy or temporary rather than recognising it as a legitimate art form.
The Parallel
Hip-hop faced a similar scenario in the 1980s.
Its wider acceptance grew as people encountered the stories, identities and lived realities behind the music
There is a gap between exposure and understanding.
This led us to ask:
How can we create spaces where Gaana can be experienced for what it truly is?
Celebrated by the mainstream. Still stereotyped by it.
Visibility doesn’t always mean acceptance.
Acceptance can begin with understanding.
People need opportunities to encounter it beyond the stereotypes surrounding it.
Stereotypes have shaped how people perceive Gaana.
Gaana has always been a form of self-expression.
Key Insights
The societal gap
The Interface
Onboarding Flow
Play
Stories
Events
Guiding Question
Because acceptance can begin with simply being exposed to something differently.
Bring Gaana closer to the public not as a stereotype, but as a living cultural practice.
How might we
What if Gaana could speak for itself?
Instead of presenting Gaana as a genre to be consumed, HMW create spaces where people can hear, experience and participate in the culture behind it?
Design Brief
To reimagine public seating for visitors, especially adults unfamiliar with or holding preconceived perceptions of Gaana, creating an accessible opportunity to rest, explore, and connect with its culture, artists, and personal stories through everyday interaction.
We don't aim to solve every challenge faced by the Gaana community. Instead, we want to take a smaller, more immediate step
Ecosystem Mapping
How does Gaana live within a community?
SOCIETY & STRUCTURES
INDUSTRY & PLATFORMS
Independent artists & collectives
Mainstream cinema
Music labels & producers
YouTube & streaming platforms
Live events & festivals
Brand collaborations
Social media & reels
Music journalists & critics
Caste hierarchy & elite gatekeepers
Mainstream media stereotypes
Anti-caste movements & activists
Government & urban policy
Police & moral policing
Classical music establishment
Global audiences & diaspora
Academics & researchers
Gaana
Artists & practitioners
IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY
Dalit & working-class communities
Local youth & fans
Slums & housing boards
Funeral rites & burial grounds
Families & elders
Street & neighbourhood stages
1
2
The two layered system
We approached this brief as a two layered system.
Introducing
The
corner
The Gaana Corner is a public space that brings Gaana into everyday life through music, stories, people and place. It transforms a familiar public shelter into a shared platform to discover, play, and experience the local voice of Chennai.
காna
corner
The
Digital Layer: Interface & Interaction
Physical Layer: Public Space & Form
The interface helps visitors discover Gaana through artists and stories.
We explored the installation as a public intervention, using seating and shelter to create an inviting entry point to Gaana.
Idle Screen
Choose Language
Choose a section
PLAY
Choose Instrument
Play
Rhythm detected/ Feedback
Loop and Play
Download creation
STORIES
Explore People of Gaana
Discover Gaana scenes
Artists on spotlight
Explore Gaana scenes in your area
Browse content
Consume content
Select a place/area
Explore stories from that area
Select artist/content
EVENTS
Choose event types/categories
Browse events
Event details
Listen/ View
Save/ Get directions
Home/ Choose a selection
User Flow
Information Architecture
Idle Screen
Entry
Main interface
PLAY
STORIES
PEOPLE OF GAANA
INSTRUMENTS
Thavil
Parai
EVENTS
Language Selection
Dholak
Discover Gaana Scenes
Location/ Area
Local Stories
INTERACTIVE PLAYING
Rhythm Feedback
Tap / Play
Loop & Play
Download Creation
Explore Gaana scenes in your area
Artists on Spotlight
Artist / Content
Artist Information
Content
EVENT CATEGORIES
Music Events
Stand-up shows
Plays
Concerts
Discussions
Event Deatails
Date/ Time/ Place
QR/ More details
Directions
EVENT LISTINGS
Welcome Screen
We wanted to capture the soul of North Chennai- its strong community spirit and vibrant expressive culture. Kannagi Nagar, a.k.a “Art District of Chennai” has a strong fishing-community presence, from which several Gaana singers have emerged. Its colourful murals and visual energy became a key inspiration for the visual language of our interface.
Rooted in the Local
When Gaana Left the Neighbourhood
Gaana is no longer heard only within the communities that shaped it. It now appears on film screens, YouTube channels, concert stages and in collaborations with contemporary artists.
Gaana in mainstream movies
As Gaana entered mainstream cinema, its sound was often tied to a familiar image of the “Gaana” man- unemployed, drunk, aggressive, or associated with violence. Often reducing the people and communities behind it to a stereotype.
Contemporary Gaana rap - Youtube
YouTube changed who could make, publish and be heard. Independent Gaana artists began blending it with rap, rock and electronic sounds, presenting Gaana through a different lens.
Arivu, Contemporary Gaana singer & rapper
Beyond the stereotype, contemporary artists use Gaana to speak about identity, caste, politics and everyday life- turning the form back into a space for telling their own stories.
Gaana isn't disappearing. It is adapting...
Form ideation
For who?
What is it?
Where?
Visitors, especially adults who may be unfamiliar with Gaana or may hold preconceived perceptions of the culture.
A public modular seater and interactive Gaana installation that combines seating, traditional instruments, and a digital display.
In public recreational spaces such as parks, beaches, and other high-footfall community spaces.
When
Why?
How?
During everyday public use, when people are resting, passing by, exploring, or looking for something to engage with.
To help people connect with Gaana through the artists, stories, instruments, and personal journeys that shape the music and its community.
Using rest as the entry point, visitors can sit, explore the instruments, and engage with the display at their own pace.
Ideation
Digital Display
Jali design
Instruments Dholak/Parai
Seater
The modular seater is designed for public recreational spaces, creating opportunities for people to pause, rest, and explore.
Designed for Everyday Spaces
The Gaana Corner adapts to everyday public spaces- beaches, malls, parks, community areas and more
Design Rationale
The installation combines contemporary public-space design with elements inspired by Chennai’s vernacular architecture and Gaana culture. Warm terracotta tones, curved forms, and Jalli patterns create a familiar, grounded character, while the interactive instruments and digital display introduce a contemporary layer.
3D Render
The form draws from familiar elements of Chennai’s public spaces, allowing it to blend naturally into the existing urban landscape while introducing a contemporary layer through its materials, form, and interactive elements.
We wanted the form to feel familiar as a seating space, while the jali creates curiosity and invites exploration. Its openness provides light, ventilation, visibility, and a sense of safety.
Park Benches
Earthy
Terracotta roofing
Jali work
Bus stops
Dimensions
Key Elements of the Installation
Watch Video
At a Glance
The Experience
A public seating installation to discover Chennai Gaana through interactive instruments and digital storytelling.
Intended Impact
Encourage people to look beyond the music, discover the artists and communities behind Chennai Gaana, and challenge the stereotypes.
Background
What happens when a neighbourhood’s identity becomes a stereotype?
What is Gaana?
Gaana is a form of urban folk music rooted in the communities of Chennai, sung in the local Madras Bhasai dialect of North Chennai. Its traditions are closely associated with working-class neighbourhoods.
Unlike formally taught musical traditions, Gaana has largely been passed on orally- through listening, performing and learning within the community.
It is music shaped by the lives, language and experiences of the people who perform it.
Visit to the Indian Music Experience
As part of our primary research, we visited the Indian Music Experience Museum to understand how music can be translated
into engaging, interactive experiences. This helped us observe how visitors interact with musical instruments, stories, and digital installations, and informed our approach to designing the Gaana experience.
We observed how games, storytelling, and interactive activities encouraged visitors to actively participate rather than passively consume information, which inspired us to make Gaana something people could experience and explore for themselves.
Gaana Dinesh, 34
Ezhumalai, 23
Gaana singer by passion
Gaana has always evolved with the people and places around it. Giving artists more visibility could help create new opportunities for the community.
There is still a lot of stigma attached to Gaana and the communities it comes from.
Sometimes, we feel so proud and happy to have been part of a song that we’re okay with people not knowing that it was our voice behind it.
Independent Gaana singer and rapper
“
The younger generation is discovering
Gaana differently, and that change is important.We want our music and our
stories to be seen, heard, and valued.
Voices from the Gaana Community
Gaana Guna, 31
Professional Gaana singer, TV Music show contestant.
Overview
The Gaana Corner Reimagining Public Spaces for Cultural Discovery
Overview
INDUSTRY
Experience Design,
Interaction Design &
Social Impact
CONTRIBUTORS
Sneha K & Nila
TOOLS
Figma · Claude Code · ChatGPT · Gemini · Vizcom · Canva · Procreate
DURATION
2 weeks
PROJECT TYPE
Relationship design
challenge
ROLE
UX/UI Design,
Spatial & Form Design, Experience Design
Gaana is gaining mainstream popularity, but its artists and communities remain overlooked due to limited visibility and persistent stereotypes.
Context
PROBLEM
A public seating installation combining interactive instruments and a digital interface to connect people with Gaana’s artists, stories, and journeys.
SOLUTION
Desirability
Feasibility
Viability
Creates an inviting public space where people can rest, explore, and connect with Gaana.
Uses familiar, durable materials and interactive elements that can be adapted to existing public spaces.
Can function as a modular installation across parks, beaches, malls, and other high-footfall spaces while supporting local cultural engagement.
How it can help the cause?
Future Scope
1
The installation can serve as a cultural platform, featuring new artists and community contributions. It could expand across public spaces, adapting content while keeping core interaction.
2
Visitors could leave anonymous notes, messages, or reflections for the artists, creating a more personal connection beyond the installation.
3
The experience could extend to social platforms like Instagram and X through shareable content, artist stories, and community-led trends, helping Gaana reach wider audiences.
4
The platform could create monetisation opportunities for Gaana artists and communities through performances, collaborations, merchandise, and direct support.
Respecting artist consent
Artists should choose what they share
and how their stories are represented.
Protecting personal stories
Personal information and sensitive
experiences should only be shared
with clear permission.
Avoiding stereotypes
Represent Gaana artists and
communities through their own
voices rather than assumptions.
Giving Credits & Ownership
Artists should be credited for
their music, stories, and contributions.
Building trust before collecting
Take time to build genuine relationships
instead of treating the community only
as research material.
Community benefit
The experience should create visibility
and opportunities for the artists and
communities, not just benefit the project
Trust, Privacy and Ethics
Learning Outcomes
Through this project, I gained valuable insights into designing child-centred safety experiences for user-generated gaming platforms. I explored how AI-driven detection can be translated into understandable, contextual, and actionable support while balancing protection with children’s autonomy and freedom to play.
KEY TAKEAWAY
04
Designing with Sensitivity to a Living Culture
02
Integrating Physical and Digital Experiences
03
Small, everyday interactions can spark curiosity and deeper cultural connections.
01
Building Trust Through Community Engagement
How it works?
User comes across the installation in public spaces
1.
Explores options and chooses how to experience Gaana
2.
Select an Gaana instrument to try
3.
Plays the interactive experience game
4.
Trim / loop, and download the creation
5.
Explores the city and the stories from the neighbourhood
6.
Listen to snippets of mainstream music and it’s Gaana artists
7.
Discovers upcoming events and ways to be a part of the community
8.
Leaves with new understanding and a more positive perspective on Gaana
9.
"A culture stays alive not only when its music is heard, but when the people and stories behind it are seen, understood, and valued."
The Process
Anchor
Making online play safer for children.
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