Writing Jazz Standards in Tamil to Feel Music in Mother Tongue: Harini Iyer of Tamil Jazz Collective

As Bad Bunny's virality from the Super Bowl event echoes around the world currently, what seems clear is how rooted in one's own heritage and culture always has an edge. In the context of the Indian subcontinent, there is not just a diverse musical culture but also a cross-cultural dialogue between regional influences.

However, at a time when the state of Tamil Nadu has been at the centre of its opposition to Hindi's opposition, the Chennai-based experimental music ensemble Tamil Jazz Collective has a different way to advocate for the regional language. At the centre of it is Harini Iyer, the lead singer, composer and producer who has been working with a rotating group of musicians, including guitarists, bassists, and percussionists, to move beyond the class or cultural divides by focusing on Tamil jazz, yet leaving room for collaborations that expand into Spanish and Portuguese influences. 

Speaking with Local Samosa on the sidelines of the India International Music Week (IIMW) Showcase Festival, in Mumbai, Iyer peels off the layers of the complexity involved in creating such a fusion that keeps up Tamil grounds high, even as it moulds into Jazz. Edited excerpts from the interview:

What does the process of changing words to mould them into Tamil jazz look like?

It’s not a direct translation. I, first identify the emotional core of the original song and then write Tamil lyrics with some help and proofreading from friends that fit naturally within the melody and rhythm. Tamil’s vowel structure and rhythmic flow often reshape phrasing, allowing the music to breathe differently while staying true to the song’s essence.

But lately, I have been working with Tamil lyricists and poets to improve the sonic experience and translate poetic references into relevant cultural ones in Tamil. For example, it was tricky translating, “It could happen to you” popularised by Chet Baker because it has a distinctive American reference of weddings in the Spring season when he sang, “Keep an eye on spring, run when church bells ring”, which, with the help of Tamil Indie artist Siennor, was translated simply to something on the lines of, “Be careful and watch where you go” which lyrically made sense in Tamil.

What Carnatic influences are found in your versions of the songs?

The concept of Tamil Jazz comes from the idea that approach notes change in Carnatic music, even if I were to sing the same melody of a Jazz tune. So, essentially, the melody itself changes a little. Additionally, I add gamakams adapted into Jazz phrasing and rhythmic ideas adapted from Tamil folk traditions. These elements guide the music subtly, shaping composition and structure rather than functioning as surface embellishments.

The first-ever solo I learned at Music school was from Chet Baker’s version of the Jazz standard, ”It could happen to you”. I now sing this tune, with Chet Baker’s trumpet solo in Carnatic swarams. My teacher, Lisa Thorson, encouraged me to add swarams to solos, and I remember for my technical piece exam, I sang Tania Maria’s “Yatra Ta” transcribed in swarams.

How did the idea of writing Tamil versions of jazz standards come to your mind?

I grew up learning Carnatic music, and even though I don’t believe it to be my strongest suit, I think and transcribe all music in swarams and alapanai. Writing Jazz standards in Tamil was my way of making jazz feel rooted, intimate, and accessible—allowing the music to think and feel in my mother tongue rather than remain a borrowed language. I have been listening to Ganavya Doraiswamy for the last 10 years now. She has an album of Jazz standards in Tamil called 'Aikiyam One'. So, it is not a new concept, but I believe I bring my own influences and experiences to make it different from what she does. She is a huge inspiration for the things I do musically.

So, how did your formative years, your native place and the inception of your interest in music influence you, ultimately?

I am from a city where music is deeply woven into daily life—through Carnatic traditions, Tamil film music, and devotional soundscapes. I learned Carnatic music over the span of 20 years in both Chennai and Mumbai, where I predominantly grew up. I later studied Jazz at Berklee College of Music for two years under Lisa Thorson, which expanded my musical vocabulary. This project was born from holding both worlds together and making sense of it as a collective. My first spark in music was when I sang the song 'Vaseegara' by Bombay Jayashree. I would sing it so often that my uncle had named me “Vaseegara Harini”!

What is the most technical part of this process?

Balancing Tamil lyrical clarity with Jazz harmony and rhythm. Aligning language, melody, and improvisation without compromising any element is the most technically demanding part. I find myself more comfortable improvising in Jazz as opposed to Carnatic music, but apprehensive since my Carnatic vocabulary in Manodharmam/ Improvisation is limited, so I compose my solos beforehand. My goal for the next few years is to get more comfortable improvising freely.

What does the IIMW Showcase Festival performance look like to you?

It feels like a listening space—an opportunity to present jazz as something rooted and local rather than distant. The focus is on intimacy, storytelling, and shared presence between the musicians and the audience.
In general, the worlds of both Jazz and Carnatic music are quite intimidating for many, and this makes it hard for many people to enter, as a listener and as a practitioner. I am just creating that light space for myself and others to practice and listen.

How has the response been so far, and how do you see the financial sustainability involved for the Collective? 

The response has been very encouraging, especially from listeners who feel newly included in jazz through Tamil. Or vice versa, since we gained a lot of love globally for our Tamil version of Take 5.... It was not just a new way of seeing Indian music through Jazz, but also a way of seeing Jazz through the Tamil language. There is a growing demand for Tamil jazz across festivals, institutions, and independent venues, which has helped us gain financial freedom....One big win for Tamil Jazz Collective and for me personally is that I have sung for two Tamil films in the span of the last 6 months. I was specifically reached out to for the way I sing Jazz Standards in Tamil. I must be doing something right!

What do you think of the market for Jazz artists in India, that too, in the experimental segment like yours?

While the experimental jazz market in India is still niche, it is expanding steadily, and audiences are increasingly open to culturally grounded, innovative work. Jazz vocals in Tamil Film music or even Bollywood were almost non-existent. We have had a few singers attempt to imitate, but most of what I have heard has only been bebop that always depicted a scene of a rich, yacht party or a similar dance setup. Jazz and Carnatic music are for the common man, and that needs to reflect better in India. Both are unapproachable and elite. Tamil Jazz Collective is breaking that.

Also, I remember falling in love with the walking baseline in the title track of 'Jaane tu Ya Jaane Na', composed by AR Rahman. But again, Jazz singers in the Indian Music industry are rare, and I can’t really think of a name. In the indie scene, many, but in the film industry?