Why college bands will totally LOVE the Red Cable Tour — and what you stand to win

The One Plus Red Cable Tour will give student musicians across the state an opportunity to showcase their talents, win a prize money and a spot at the Global Isai Festival
Amitash Pradhan, Vijay Prakash and Shakthisree Gopalan, the judges for the finale
Amitash Pradhan, Vijay Prakash and Shakthisree Gopalan, the judges for the finale

This October 13, Chennai will witness one of the biggest music competitions for college students. Hosted by One Plus, the mobile technology company, the Red Cable Tour is a first-of-its-kind competition, a hunt for India’s finest musicians. The competition is open to independent artists and bands in Tamil Nadu who will compete for an opportunity to win prize money worth up to a lakh, an India tour and a chance to perform at the Global Isai Festival.

 
The categories include various genres like Rap and Hip Hop, Regional and Light Music (Film songs, covers and own compositions), Acoustic and Acapella and Rock and Metal. The finals will be held on October 13 at Lady Andal School, Chennai and will be judged by popular artists like Shakthtisree Gopalan, Vijay Prakash and actor Amitash Pradhan.

Shakthisree feels that the event would be a great opportunity because it's open to different types of music, all under one big umbrella. "I don't think there are enough avenues for, say a hip hop band or acapella band to take part in a competition that would give them such visibility. This is also a huge opportunity for independent musicians to showcase their talent. Again, I don't think there are enough avenues for independent artists and people who write their own songs to get into the mainstream. I feel like events like this could bring indie music scene into the mainstream. I really look forward to hearing what these bands have in store. I'm excited to hear the kind of music that kids these days are writing or are influenced by," she said.  

Shakthisree and the other judges will also be performing at the end of the finale. Speaking about how the growing independent music scene, she says, "When I was in college, I was part of a band called Off the Record. We would perform original music of the pop-rock genre. I used to write songs and the band gave me the flexibility to explore different soundscapes. After that, I was part of a band called the Pyjama Conspiracy, which was a little more experimental. We had so many original songs, but we didn't have the funds to record our own album. Now, of course, it's become a lot easier to record at the comfort of their home, and yet get good quality. You have a lot of indie musicians who are entering the film scene. Producers have also become a lot more open to collaborations. Sometimes, movies have songs by five different artists."

Actor Amitash, who hit the limelight with his role in the blockbuster Velaiyilla Pattathari (VIP) expressed his excitement on being part of the panel alongside the popular artists. " I look forward to enjoying fresh and new music. I am the only actor on the panel, and it's a big honour for me, because in my head I'm a wannabe musician," he said.

He added, "I think this event is a very good bridge between college-level talent and the mainstream music industry. It's very interesting that one of the biggest tech companies is promoting such talent. I've seen an enormous amount of talent and they deserve such a platform."

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