Music from the Fringes
Thattu Pattu intends to spark a renewed interest in music beyond the mainstream. The project supported the production of six music pieces of various genres, representing different music scenes, from tractor jazz to rap, organic electronica to neo-soul, and beyond.
As Thattu Pattu was conceived last year, during a time of unpredictable lockdowns and perpetually postponed concerts, the new commissioned music pieces have so far only been released on
thattu-pattu.com.
The live music showcase at Kälam will feature an introduction into the Thattu-Pattu project by Imaad Majeed followed by Sweetie performing an electronic live music set as well as a rap performance by Oj Da Tamil Rapper with visuals and beats by Bo Sedkid.
Thattu Pattu is initiated by the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka and curated and coordinated by Imaad Majeed poet, performance artist and music journalist in close collaboration with Dr. Sumudhi Suraweera, musician, ethnomusicologist and founder of Musicmatters school and Asvajit Boyle, electronic musician and founder of Fold Media, and Dr. Thomas Burkhalter, anthropologist, ethnomusicologist and founder of Norient.
Artist biographies
Sweetie is an electronic musician based in Colombo. It was upon attending a series of electronic music workshops at the Goethe-Institut in 2019 that his interest in live electronic music production was piqued. He was soon picked up and platformed by local electronic imprint Jambutek Recordings on their 2019 release “JBTKVA004” featuring his debut track “Junk”. Since then, he has explored genres such as microhouse, with some hip hop, jazz, funk and break-beat flair. Having just begun his journey when the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon Sri Lanka, he has yet to have the opportunity to perform live — a moment he is eagerly looking forward to.
OJ Da Tamil Rapper has been something of an enigma, hiding out in the hilltops of Nuwara Eliya where he tends to a farm. Having started out as a contemporary of Krishan Maheson, way back in the early 2000s, he never quite garnered mainstream attention. Nevertheless, he continued honing his craft, eventually sharing his music on Soundcloud. It wasn’t until the first KACHA KACHA in 2015 that OJ performed in Colombo, after more than a decade. Since then, he has collaborated with many artists, slowly but surely making his name known in the local rap scene. In 2020, he released "Naan Ezhuthita Kadhai", a song that speaks from the perspective of a Malayaga Tamil and the hardships faced by this community. Across his work, what is notable is his distinct lyricism and profound aptitude for the Tamil language that sets him apart. His voice is that of a poet.
Bo Sedkid, the producer alias of artist and filmmaker Muvindu Binoy, is a versatile musician, known as a beatmaker and more recently as a singer-songwriter. He has produced music for the likes of Q, 6ZN and Minol. His musicality is quite evident across the broad range of his output. His beats are distinct for their use of foley sound effects and sampling of Sri Lankan music. With 2020's “Full Moon Poya Day” EP, he pulled together the sporadic remixes released over the that year, where he revisited Sinhalese popular music from the past decade and recontextualized them into an alternative and contemporary sound. On May 13, 2022, he collaborated with Mirshad Buckman of Paranoid Earthling and Kasun Nawarathne for the protest song "PALAYALLA" that captured the spirit of the protest movement.
Back
