Watching Dhee have her hair braided by her grandmother in the video of her recent hit is bound to tug at the heartstrings of many women. It’s a subtle call to remember the beauty of your roots and to wear it like a medal.
In fact, it’s what singing sensation and former Sydneysider, Dhee, calls her new number: I Wear My Roots Like a Medal.
Armed with a unique voice that can now be recognised by every South Indian, Dhee has been wowing audiences just as much with her musical knowledge as with her impeccable fashion sense.
Who would have thought that the schoolgirl who spent most of her evenings wandering about in a place as mundane as Parramatta Westfields would find her way in the recording studios of some of the greatest musical talents in the Indian film industry?
That dream realised, Dhee has now transitioned into the Western Independent music industry through her debut album Jackfruit.
What’s evident is that the singer is undeterred by the notion of introducing her music to an audience that has so far been woefully unaware of her work despite her successes in South Asia. If anything, it is the honesty and the transparency in her lyrics that have been making her nervous.
“With playback singing, you’re singing from a script, but “Dhee” is not really there,” she remarks. “Therefore, there’s a lot of vulnerability in this album, which is mainly the thing that worries me.”
“Roots Song,” as Dhee lovingly calls it, is a number that is intended to make a statement both lyrically and sonically. A powerful Tamil folk song inspired sound introduces the song to listeners and anchors it in its central theme of ancestry and generational trauma.
When Dhee first encountered this sound, she was sitting in on a recording session conducted by her father Santhosh Narayanan who is also one of her biggest inspirations in music.
“The first thought that popped up into my head was that this was something that Beyonce would walk to live on stage,” she laughs.
Despite telling her father how much she loved the sound, it remained untouched, languishing away in some file, until Dhee was finally granted permission to use it. This sound was the genesis of the “Roots Song” as she spent the next few days recording the highly quotable refrain, “Now I got my foot on the pedal, so I wear my roots like a medal.”
Similarly, the music video for “Roots Song,” was also a product of chance, musical instinct, and teamwork.
“Obviously, we planned a lot of things, but some of the things which happened were so unexpected and magical. We intended it to be as close to real life as possible, but it’s kind of like I basically relived my mum’s childhood. My mum recognised so many people in the video and remarked on how she had experienced so many of the things that I was only acting out. It’s just amazing to know that I’ve been able to relive my mum’s life in some kind of way.”
In contrast, her first release, Can’t You Stay a Little Longer is an ode to homesickness. Whilst it has an ‘easy tune,’ and is supported by a music video resplendent with pastel colours, it is underpinned by a deep sense of yearning.
“This song came from a time when I really missed home,” Dhee describes. “I felt like I was on the move, constantly leaving people behind or seeing them leave, so that’s where Can’t You Stay a Little Longer came from. Then it naturally evolved into a song about the everyday things you miss when the person you love isn’t around.”
If there’s a trope that characterises Dhee’s work, it’s the romanticisation of rural and local communities. This is portrayed not only through her lyrics through references to “bicycle rides to tuition,” but also through her music videos, where scenes are often set in nature and where actors make faded saris look fashionable. This somewhat takes the edge off the heavier themes of intergenerational trauma which feature in her music.
“I didn’t want to put anything out there that would make people feel bad. I speak about the Sri-Lankan civil war and generational trauma, but I also want to show how there’s also hope for the future,” she explains.
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With the album being a work in progress for now nearly three years, it’s no surprise that all Dhee wants to do now is tour.
“The best feeling in the world is when people sing back at you and when they relate to the story you’re telling.”
Relatable moments are sprinkled throughout the music video of both her songs, such as having her hair braided by her grandmother as they both sit on the footsteps of their ancestral home. Scenes like these have occurred in the lives of hundreds of women, and Dhee’s recreation of this gives audiences the opportunity to vicariously experience moments which may have been lost in the recesses of their memories.
Dhee’s bravery to be vulnerable will define Jackfruit and make it an album which encourages listeners to embrace their roots.
READ MORE: Vidya Makan: In the room where it happens
