Carnatic music is the soul of Chennai, while it occupies a special place in the hearts of Chennaites, so does food! Known as Madras in its early days, Chennai has become a hub for commercial, economical and cultural growth for the region. The metropolitan occupants of the city include musicians, artists, actors and performers, among them are popular musicians Sathya and Mahesh Raghavan.

Celebrating their love for the city of Chennai and #FlirtWithYourCity campaign, both the musicians spoke about the things they love most about the city. Mahesh Raghavan said, “I love the crispy ghee rolls at Hotel SaravanaBhavan!” While Sathya exclaimed that he loves how the city is an open space, he said, “Recently, the temples have opened-up for music and no external barriers are there. Whenever you feel like, you can indulge yourself in music. My favourite places to jam are on the terrace or the beaches and also on the road. Yes, I have given public shows sitting on the road and it is quite an experience.”

When asked about his favourite things from the city, Mahesh said, “I love the fresh fruits as well as the fresh Vadas which are fried and are available on the streets. Sugarcane juice and coconut water are my favourite things to have. But Chennai for me, in one word, is filter kappi.”

On being asked about the music scene in Chennai, Sathya said, “It’s an experience one has to indulge in. Not many know that entire month of December in Chennai is dedicated to music and that wherever you go, you can experience Carnatic music. It is a special experience!”