{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Isaivani | image = | native_name = இசைவாணி | native_name_lang = ta | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1993}} | birth_place = Royapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | genre = Gaana | occupation = Singer | associated_acts = AIADMK }} {{Short description|Indian gaana singer (c. 1993-)}}
'''Isaivani''' (Tamil: இசைவாணி; born 1996) is a gaana singer from Chennai, who performs with The Casteless Collective. In 2020 she was recognised for her achievements with one of the BBC 100 Women Awards.
== Biography == Isaivani was born in Royapuram in Chennai in 1996 to Sivakumar D and Selvi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Muralidharan|first=Kavitha|date=2020-11-26|title=The girl who has made it big in the male-dominated world of gaana|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-girl-who-has-made-it-big-in-the-male-dominated-world-of-gaana/article33184869.ece|access-date=2020-12-19|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2020-12-18|title=Isaivani: The pathbreaking woman gaana singer now on a BBC Top 100 list|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/isaivani-the-pathbreaking-woman-gaana-singer-now-on-a-bbc-top-100-list/story-ujmqvb5kWOB3ejUkEkGGeL.html|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Joseph|first=Raveena|title=The Casteless Collective: Being a woman gaana singer|url=https://www.thelede.in/tamil-nadu/2018/01/07/the-casteless-collective-being-a-woman-gaana-singer-by-raveena-joseph|access-date=2020-12-19|website=The Lede|language=en}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Her father, a self-taught keyboardist, encouraged her musical ability and singing from a young age, encouraging Selvi to sing to Isaivani and her brother while they were in the womb.<ref name=":2" /> Her performance career began at the age of six, alongside her father and by 2018 she had performed approximately 10,000 shows with him.<ref name=":2" /> She began sing Tamil film songs and to cover gaana songs as a teenager because audiences responded well to them.<ref name=":1" /> In 2017, gaana musician Sabesh Solomon contacted her and encouraged her to audition for a new band that was being formed by Tenma - this band became The Casteless Collective.<ref name=":0" />
By joining the band, Isaivani became one of the first professional female gaana singers in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-24|title=Gaana singer Isaivani of The Casteless Collective on BBC's '100 Women 2020 list'|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/gaana-singer-isaivani-casteless-collective-bbcs-100-women-2020-list-138339|access-date=2020-12-19|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref> In addition she is a woman from a low caste, succeeding in a male, high-caste dominated genre of music, despite initial opposition from people who felt that gaana should be preserved as male-only artform.<ref name=":1" /> The music she sings with The Casteless Collective is political: in 2018 they released 'Beef Song' in protest at the lynching of dalit people; in 2019 they released 'I’m Sorry Ayyappa' about the Sabarimala temple controversy.<ref name=":1" /> Her presence on stage has led to other women coming forward as gaana performers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|date=2020-11-23|title=BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-55042935|access-date=2020-12-19}}</ref>
In 2020, Isaivani was recognised for her contributions to gaana music with a BBC 100 Women Award.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Shaheen Bagh's Bilkis Bano, TN Singer Isaivani in BBC's Top 100 Women for 2020 List|url=https://thewire.in/women/bilkis-bano-isaivani-bbc-100-women-2020|access-date=2020-12-19|website=The Wire}}</ref> She participated in Tamil Bigg Boss Season 5.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-04|title=Namitha, Isaivani, Abhishek Raaja and more: Meet the contestants of Big Boss Tamil 5|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/namitha-isaivani-abhishek-raaja-and-more-meet-contestants-big-boss-tamil-5-156086|access-date=2021-10-24|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref>
==Television== {{BLP unsourced section|date=October 2021}} {| class="wikitable sortable" style="background:#f5f5f5;" |- style="background:#B0C4DE;" ! Year ! Show ! Role !Channel !class=unsortable| Notes |- | 2018 || Singing Stars || Contestant |Colors Tamil||Finalist |- |2020 |Tamilargale Tamilargale | rowspan="2" |Guest |Kalaignar TV | |- | rowspan="2" |2021 |Vanakam Tamizha |Sun TV | |- |Tamizha Tamizha |Herself |Zee Tamil |Episode; 112 |- |2021-2022 |Bigg Boss Tamil Season 5 |Contestant | rowspan="2" |Vijay TV |Evicted Day 49 |- |2022 |Bigg Boss Tamil Season 5 Kondattam |Guest | |- |2022 |BB Jodigal (season 2) |Contestant |Vijay TV |Evicted Top 7 |- |}
== Tamil album songs == {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !album !Song !Music director !Notes |- |2024 |Jamaya Kamaya |"Jamaya Kamaya" |Bennet Christopher |Album for Giant Music India |}
== References == <references />
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Category:21st-century Indian women singers Category:Singers from Chennai Category:1996 births Category:Living people