Santhosam: A trans-cultural exploration of happiness

Priya Ragu

By Shanna Sivakumar

I originally kept an eye on Tamil-Swiss artist, Priya Ragu, for identity reasons—after all, it is rare to find South Asian singers in the R&B scene, let alone a Tamil artist. The best part of Ragu’s music is her seamless incorporation of traditional South Indian singing and instruments with Western music genres. And in October of this year, she released her second studio album titled “Santhosam” (transl. Happiness).

Santhosam is jam-packed with a mix of genres. Track 3, “One Way Ticket,” has a disco-retro feel to it that reminds me of Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night.” Her 5th and 6th songs on the album, “Black Goose” and “Let Me Breathe” are standout tracks about police brutality and communities continuing to persevere in the face of police-sanctioned violence. Track 4, “Hit The Bucket,” is my personal favorite, an afro-beat track mixed with South Indian musical elements.

The last track on the album, “Mani Osai” (transl. the sound of ringing bells), is sung entirely in Tamil. The lyrics sing of the beauty of Tamil culture, people, and our land. Priya Ragu is Eelam Tamil, an ethnicity that has roots in Sri Lanka. Her parents fled Sri Lanka during the Sri-Lankan Civil War—a term that belittles the genocide of Eelam Tamils—and settled in Switzerland. To come to terms with such a rich culture that continues to fight to exist and try to encapsulate its essence through music is a difficult feat. Through Santhosam, Priya Ragu has perfectly blended her Eastern culture with her Western society.