Isaivani

Isaivani was born in Royapuram in Chennai in 1996 to Sivakumar D and Selvi.[1][2][3] Her father, a self-taught keyboardist, encouraged her musical ability and singing from a young age, encouraging Selvi to sing to Isaivani and her brother while they were in the womb.[3] Her performance career began at the age of six, alongside her father and by 2018 she had performed approximately 10,000 shows with him.[3] She began sing Tamil film songs and to cover gaana songs as a teenager because audiences responded well to them.[2] In 2017, gaana musician Sabesh Solomon contacted her and encouraged her to audition for a new band that was being formed by Tenma - this band became The Casteless Collective.[1]

By joining the band, Isaivani became one of the first professional female gaana singers in the world.[4] In addition she is a woman from a low caste, succeeding in a male, high-caste dominated genre of music, despite initial opposition from people who felt that gaana should be preserved as male-only artform.[2] The music she sings with The Casteless Collective is political: in 2018 they released 'Beef Song' in protest at the lynching of dalit people; in 2019 they released 'I’m Sorry Ayyappa' about the Sabarimala temple controversy.[2] Her presence on stage has led to other women coming forward as gaana performers.[5]

In 2020, Isaivani was recognised for her contributions to gaana music with a BBC 100 Women Award.[1][5][6] She participated in Tamil Bigg Boss Season 5.[7]