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In this episode, we sit down with Ramkumar Kanakarajan, better known to the music world as Kanaxx. As one of India’s most prolific and versatile drummers, Kanaxx’s journey is a masterclass in staying grounded while playing at the highest level.

From peeking through a hole in a brick wall in Besant Nagar to watch legends like Sivamani and S. Murali Krishnan, to sharing stages with Sean Roldan, Ganesh Kumaresh, and the Raghu Dixit Project, Kanaxx has seen it all. In this candid conversation, he opens up about the "flashy" early days of his career and his transition into a seasoned professional who prioritizes the soul of the song over technical flair.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Origins: Growing up in the musical hub of Chennai and how being neighbors with maestros like John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain shaped his subconscious.
• The Philosophy of the "Pocket": Kanaxx explains the fine line between playing for the song versus playing at it.
• The Professional Rigor: Why punctuality is his greatest prep tool and the meticulous work that goes into managing a professional drum kit.
• Stage Realities: Navigating "freak accidents"—from broken kick drum heads during competition finals to beaters getting caught in his pants.
• The Modern Spectacle: How the role of a musician has expanded to include stage persona, time-synced visuals, and creating an immersive experience for the crowd.

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Join us on Stage Matters as we sit down with Tenma—composer, bass player, and the driving force behind Chennai's most vital musical movements.

From his beginnings in a Pursavakkam church choir, soaking up jazz and the sounds of Anglo-Indian string players who worked with Ilaiyaraaja, Tenma’s journey is a powerful exploration of music as both an art form and a political act.

In this deep-dive conversation, Tenma shares:

• The Bass Awakening: How picking up a Yamaha bass for a school farewell, after years of singing, defined his path, and the moment a complex funeral performance revealed the true depth of music.
• The Cultural Vacuum: His frustration with the decline of Chennai's original music scene and the hyper-competitive, yet creatively limiting, college rock circuit.
• The Inseparability of Politics and Performance: Why the performance space in Chennai is still structurally exclusionary and how the fundamental problems of caste and gatekeeping stifle creative evolution and growth.
• The Militant Maestro: An exclusive look at the intense dynamics of running the 19-person Casteless Collective—a band that merged rock, rap, and Gaana music. Hear about the unconventional methods, including fines for "bum notes," he used to mentor diverse musicians and elevate their performance to a near-flawless level.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of music, culture, and social change. Tenma doesn't just talk about music; he talks about building a movement.

Tune in for a raw and insightful discussion on escaping the aesthetic status quo and finding the collective groove.

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In a truly unique and introspective conversation, writer, producer, and lyricist Siva Ananth (Ponniyin Selvan, Madras Talkies) joins Aravind to dissect the very nature of performance, blending personal history with deep philosophical insight.

From a nervous four-year-old on stage to his seasoned perspective on a film set, Siva explores his "complex relationship" with performance, attention, and the fundamental shift facing artists today.

• Stage vs. Screen: Football vs. Cricket: Discover the fundamental differences between the collective, improvisational energy of theatre (where co-actors are allies) and the isolated, technically perfect demands of cinema (where the actor must "switch on and switch off" on demand).
• The Director's Eye: Siva details what makes an exceptional performer: not just talent, but the intelligence and creative choices visible in a first impression. He shares his core belief that a director's job is to guide and choose the best performance, not to micromanage or teach acting.
• The Higher Purpose of Art: Moving beyond mere narcissism, Siva shares how the global COVID experience revealed the spiritual necessity of art—music, film, and performance—to sustain and enrich life, even when compared to life-saving professions.
• The Future of Human Value (The Final Question): The episode culminates in a profound discussion on the dawning AI age. Is AI just the newest tool (like digital color correction), or a threat to the inherent value of the human fingerprint on art? Siva argues for AI to be subservient to the artist, making the mastery of new technology simply the next essential human skill.

A must-listen for anyone interested in the soul of acting, the craft of direction, and the preservation of human creativity in a mechanized world.

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