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Indian rapper Arivu to perform at UCSC South Asian Studies Centre
Arivu's strong anti-caste discrimination message is especially essential given that the California State Legislature enacted a landmark bill last month, SB 403, prohibiting caste discrimination.
Event poster / (Image - UCSC)
Arivu, the well-known and ground-breaking Indian rapper will host an intimate outdoor performance at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s (UCSC) Quarry Amphitheatre presented by the UCSC Center For South Asian Studies (CSAC) on October 7.
Arivu will lead members of his Ambassa band at the UCSC event, an attempt to combine Western elements of hip-hop, beatboxing, and rock with indigenous sounds of Folk, Gaana, and Oppari. "Ambassa's mission is to showcase the need for justice in an increasingly divided India, through the transformative as well as rousing powers of music," said Anjali Arondekar, founding director of the Center for South Asian Studies at UCSC.
The Arivu performance, according to Arondekar, is a high-profile opportunity for the CSAS to emphasize its dedication to justice, with a special appeal to UCSC's undergraduate community, which includes a substantial number of students of South Asian origin.
The event is made possible by the generosity of philanthropists Kamil and Talat Hasan, who have provided fundamental support for the CSAS, as well as the CSAS's Anuradha Luther Maitra and Thomas Kailath Program Endowment, which is also donating to the concert. Trustees of the UC Santa Cruz Foundation include Kamil Hasan and Anuradha Luther Maitra.
Arivu, real name Arivarasu Kalainesan, gained worldwide recognition for his collaboration with singer Dhee on the hit Tamil song "Enjoy Enjaami," which has garnered half a billion views on YouTube.
Arivu was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone's August 2021 issue, where it was stated that he was "the voice of socio-political hip hop, smashing records and defying social norms." According to the magazine, he is "the Tamil artist (who) has scorched a path out, raising his voice against systemic injustices." With songs like 'Anti-Indian,' 'Kalla Mouni,' and 'Sanda Seivom,' Arivu has established himself as a prodigal genius with the courage to speak truth to power.
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