DJ Karun Mahtani plays next to a coffee machine at Cafe Manana
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Chennai is boring,” announces Karun B as we try to find a somewhat quiet corner at Cafe Manana on March 9. It is 2.30 on a Sunday afternoon and Chennai seems especially hot. Yet, the sweat hardly impairs the vibe at this cafe in Anna Nagar which is hosting the second edition of its coffee shop rave. DJ Karun Mathani is playing Peggy Gou’s ‘Nanana’ and a crowd has gathered around the makeshift DJ console set up next to the coffee shop’s immaculate Sanremo F18 coffee machine.
As the beat drops, Karun and I end up swaying involuntarily despite being in the middle of an interview. Since 1pm, this coffee shop swaddled in the perfectly aesthetic Instagram pink and white, has transformed into a club. Instead of drinks, we are sipping on iced coffee and cold brew.
“Chennai is boring but we want to switch things up. The thing is, people are looking to do something different. I don’t drink or smoke but I enjoy socialising and meeting new people. There are not many such avenues in the city. That is when a rave like this at a coffee shop comes handy,” he says. Karun says “we” because his older brother Kavin (founder, Noma.ent) was the first DJ in the city to play afro house music at the first edition of the coffee shop rave in the city at Manana on February 8.
DJ Kavin plays to the crowd
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“I was in London last year and saw massive crowds outside a bagel shop. I decided to go in and ended up catching a set by a DJ there. I knew that Chennai needed this,” he says. Trisha Jain, the owner of Cafe Manana, says that she bought into the idea instantly. “When we began putting out posts of the event, there was a slow response in the beginning. However, the invite got quickly circulated in the last few days. We ended up having to refuse entry to a lot of people on February 8,” she says. Videos of the event ended up going viral and Trisha was flooded with requests. The second edition, hence, quickly came to be.
Today, there are three DJs, the entry is set at ₹1,500 including food and drinks. The crowd entails most people born after the millennium who are wearing sunglasses indoors and bobbing to sets akin to the Boiler Room (underground dance music events) ones we see online by famous artistes. I sip on the mango-passionfruit cold brew as the crowd collectively pines while singing Gotye’s ‘Somebody that I used to know’. The melodic song released in 2011 has a xylophonic beat and interludes that lend itself to techno versions. Quickly, an ‘uns uns’ beat takes over and the crowd loses itself. Everyone jumps and hands are raised. The party has been underway for a few hours now but it isn’t going to stop soon.
Crowds around food and drinks
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
As I take a break from observing on the floor, I spot Remmiya Mary Verghese and her husband Robin Babu hanging in the periphery, taking it all in. The couple tends to frequent Manana for their coffee. When they saw flyers for the event, they decided to leave their child at home with a nanny and dance the afternoon away. “We’ve been out of the party scene for a while now because we have a child. A sober party like this means that we get to catch up with all that’s new,” says Remmiya. Robin chimes in and says, “this is our time”.
Trisha says that sober parties are taking over. The youth in Chennai want to step out and meet new people but not necessarily drink. “Why do you think Anna Nagar’s food streets are crowded until 3am on a Tuesday night,” she asks. Karun says that while music is a huge draw, the idea of a space to say hello to new folk is huge. “We all have name tags. It helps,” he says. Karun runs Clocka, a run club that has been running together, while drinking coffee and networking and building friends afterwards. The brothers are planning a run and a rave later this month and are excited to see how many turn up.
Crowds on the dance floor
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Trisha envisions the creation of a community that doesn’t only listen to stale coffee shop jazz and the set pop playlist covers that tend to play at cafes. She would like for new sounds to take over while being inclusive. It is why she envisions it as a monthly event. “I want your uncles and aunts to come and dance at this rave,” she says.
As Kavin takes over the console to play house music, an elderly couple in a saree and a collared shirt and pants dining at the cafe’s first floor, walk out. They pause at the entrance of the event and peer in out of curiosity. I ask if they would like to watch. “It’s very dark for us. We may not be able to watch our step. But maybe next time,” the woman says, looking at her husband. “Next time,” he nods.
Published – March 12, 2025 05:09 pm IST
