‘Ordinary people who sell flowers in market define Chennai for me’

The real charm of Chennai, for me, lies in the manner in which scores of flower sellers go about their business every day, especially duringthe festive seasons. I haven’t seen such a wide variety of flowers – Shenbagapoo, Malli, Kanakambaram, Sembaruthi, and others– that we get in the markets of Chennai in any other city. It is something that I love about the city. The flower sellers are always nice and always offer a little extra something to wear or keep in my puja room. They are nice across the board – whether one is a celebrity or not, says singer Chinmayi Sripada.

The ordinary, working class people have always proved that they can show great resilience during a crisis, as was seen during the floods, cyclones, and othernaturaldisasters that have affected thecity.

As a musician, I feel that the city hosts some of the finest musicians who specialise in a wide range of genres – folk music, Carnatic music, western classical, ghazal, semi-classical, and the unique and enjoyable Gaana. Every form of music also enjoys a great patronage, which again, is something that is unique to Chennai.

(As told to Udhav Naig)