MUMBAI: Toronto-based Tamil artist Shan Vincent de Paul is ready with his third studio album – and his most compelling project to date – Made in Jaffna and releases ‘Savage’, a single off the new album, on June 4.
Known to many for his razor-sharp songwriting, skilled rapping skills and strong visual aesthetic, SVDP has been at the forefront of the global South Asian arts renaissance in Canada and ‘Savage’ exemplifies why he’s regarded so highly in the world of hip-hop. Fierce and unfiltered, ‘Savage’ is a peak into Shan’s head and at his ambition.
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Written solely for personal artistic expression, to appease the rap head in him as he says, ‘Savage’ is his first of 12 singles to be released for the 14-track album. Previously released singles, the powerful ‘One Hundred Thousand Flowers’ and ‘Heaven’ featuring fellow Canadian Tamil artist Navz-47, are also part of the album.
Made in Jaffna will release on August 27, 2021 on the AR Rahman-led artist-centric platform and label, maajja.
“‘Savage’ was a purely cathartic creation for me where the expression took precedence over ‘accessibility’,” says SVDP. “I wanted to write an ‘anti-hit’, something that didn’t pander to any kind of audience, sound or trend. It was a gateway to tap into a darker side without having to keep up the facade of a glossy, perfect world that we often see on social media. The title is also a tongue-in-cheek reference to the term colonizers used to describe us for eating with our hands,” he adds.
Matching Shan’s vocal ferocity in the video is Paris-based hip-hop dancer and Bharatanatyam enthusiast Usha Jey’s choreography, whose hybrid mix of the two dance styles made her a social media star. Shot in Berlin, the video features two avatars of Usha, performing her trademark ‘hybrid Bharatanatyam’.
“Her style is so unique and innovative while perfectly capturing elements of the East and West,” says Shan of Usha, before adding, “I knew she had to be the star of the video when I saw her style. It was a perfect way to respond to the derogatory title of ‘Savage’ that was often used against us. I also wanted to take Bharatanatyam as far away from the realm you would expect it to be in.”
You can watch the video here.
The award-winning rapper has spent the last four years recording his most personal to date that releases later this year. Made in Jaffna is deeply centred around the themes of identity, perseverance and reconciliation, while putting SVDP’s lyricism and craftsmanship on full display.
