You must be living under a rock if you haven't heard the latest internet sensation, this time from South India. Kolaveri Di, sung by Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's son-in-law Dhanush, released a little over a week ago, has already garnered more than five million views on YouTube and more than eight million shares on Facebook.
Sung in what is now called Tanglish, a blend of English and Tamil, the profound lyrics are about heartbreak and failed romance. Kolaveri, literally translated from the Tamil, means murderous rage.
"Yo boys I am sing song, soup song, flop song. Why this Kolaveri Di, … or white skin-u girl-u heart-u black-u... eyes-u meet-u...my future dark", goes the song, which has gripped the imagination of much of India. Songs from the South rarely get recognised beyond the region with Bollywood Hindi music eclipsing much of the music market.
But even Bollywood royalty has also given their stamp of approval with actors such as Abhishek Bachchan giving his thumbs up on twitter with: "How cool is Kolaveri di!!! slamming it LOUD! Well done Dhanush and Aishwarya. big up guys!".
On Thursday, music maestro A.R Rahman voiced his support for singers who become instant online phenomenons online.
"It's good. It keeps you on your toes," said Rahman at a press conference in Dubai. He added that these days social media was taking over the traditional form of marketing and packaging talent.
"Today, nobody is going to go through the line of waiting. Yes, people don't get a filtered amazing talent - people have to search for some good talent - but it's a good thing," said the singer/composer, who is also from Tamil Nadu.
Rahman added that the quirky Kolaveri Di song proved that talent is now instantly recognised.
Stars such as Amitabh Bachchan have already taken to twitter to praise the number which has an interesting blend of English and Tamil lyrics.
"If you do something different then people notice it. People can never ignore talent," said Rahman of the song.
The two-time Academy winner will perform in Dubai on December 9 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. For details, log on to www.boxofficeme.com
