CHENNAI Joined the The Creative City Network of UNESCO 31 October 2017

CHENNAI

Joined the The Creative City Network of UNESCO

31 October 2017

64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by Director-General, Irina Bokova. They join a Network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network attracts growing interest from local authorities.

“These new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network” declared the Director-General. She added “The cooperation framework proposed to foster candidate cities from the Africa region – a UNESCO Global Priority – has been a true success with 9 African cities now joining the Network.”

The new 64 UNESCO Creative Cities are:

• Alba (Italy) – Gastronomy
• Almaty (Kazakhstan) – Music
• Amarante (Portugal) – Music
• Auckland (New Zealand) – Music
• Baguio City (Philippines) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Barcelos (Portugal) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Braga (Portugal) – Media Arts
• Brasilia (Brazil) – Design
• Bristol (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Film
• Brno (Czechia) – Music
• Bucheon (Republic of Korea) – Literature
• Buenaventura (Colombia) – Gastronomy
• Cairo (Egypt) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Cape Town (South Africa) – Design
• Carrara (Italy) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Changsha (China) – Media Arts
• Chennai (India) – Music
• Chiang Mai (Thailand) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Chordeleg (Ecuador) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Cochabamba (Bolivia [Plurinational State of]) – Gastronomy
• Daegu Metropolitan City (Republic of Korea) – Music
• Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – Design
• Durban (South Africa) – Literature
• Frutillar (Chile) – Music
• Gabrovo (Bulgaria) – Crafts and Folk Art
• [City of] Greater Geelong (Australia) – Design
• Guadalajara (Mexico) – Media Arts
• Hatay Metropolitan Municipality (Turkey) – Gastronomy
• Istanbul (Turkey) – Design
• João Pessoa (Brazil) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Kansas City (United States of America) – Music
• Kolding (Denmark) – Design
• Kortrijk (Belgium) – Design
• Košice (Slovakia) – Media Arts
• Kütahya (Turkey) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Lillehammer (Norway) – Literature
• Limoges (France) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Łódź (Poland) – Film
• Macao Special Administrative Region, China (Associate Member, UNESCO) – Gastronomy
• Madaba (Jordan) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Manchester (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Literature
• Mexico City (Mexico) – Design
• Milan (Italy) – Literature
• Morelia (Mexico) – Music
• Norrköping (Sweden) – Music
• Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Panama City (Panama) – Gastronomy
• Paraty (Brazil) – Gastronomy
• Pesaro (Italy) – Music
• Porto-Novo (Benin) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Praia (Cabo Verde) – Music
• Qingdao (China) – Film
• Québec City (Canada) – Literature
• San Antonio (United States of America) – Gastronomy
• Seattle (United States of America) – Literature
• Sheki (Azerbaijan) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Sokodé (Togo) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Terrassa (Spain) – Film
• Tétouan (Morocco) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Toronto (Canada) – Media Arts
• Tunis (Tunisia) – Crafts and Folk Art
• Utrecht (Netherlands) – Literature
• Wuhan (China) – Design
• Yamagata City (Japan) – Film

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries.

While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies.

Within the framework of the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, the Network provides a platform for cities to demonstrate culture’s role as an enabler for building sustainable cities. 

THE CHENNAI

CHENNAI

Selected as UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, 2017

Applicant : Mr. Karthikeyan D, IAS, Special Officer, Commissioner, 16 E.V.R, Greater Chennai Corporation,Ripon Building, Chennai-600003.

The preparation for the application was done by Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi which is the Nodal Body for ICH in India.

  

CHENNAI

The General Presentation of City:

Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu is the cultural gateway of Southern India with rich legacy of dance, music, theatre, folk and traditional arts. Originally known as Madrasapattinam, a fishing village in the north of Fort St. George, it is located on the Coromandel coast off the Bay of Bengal. It was a trade route for Greeks, Arabs and Romans and still continues to be one for the rest of the world. Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan area, has the third largest expatriate population in India and with an estimated population of 4.9 million. Chennai has the foremost music academy and has wrapped with music studios, television channels, film studios, radio stations, auditoriums and open spaces. It has a diversified economic base anchored by automobile industry, software services, hardware manufacturing, health care, financial services enriched with heritage of cottage industry of making various music instruments for which the estimated total economic growth ranges from $58.6 to $66 million (PPP, GDP); expected to increase to US $100 billion by the year 2025. The Greater Chennai Corporation is the oldest surviving municipal corporation in India. Chennai is the only city cover by more than 350 music connoisseur forums to present and evaluate different music systems of India, giving scope for music education and research through various academic centers.

Role of Music as a driver for action in development:

Creation of music and musical instruments has been pivotal to the rich history of Chennai where the first music industry emerged. However, there are developmental challenges faced in relation to infrastructural requirements. Most prominent music organizations have their own performance spaces which require latest technical modifications in acoustics, facilities of Sound/Lights/Projection etc. Owing to inadequate patronage, financial assistance, limited transportation facilities, irregular power supply, the city is reeling under the need to attract more tourists and music lovers from within the country and abroad. Establishment of Professional institutes for technical training, Audio Studios for recording, digitization and documentation, could be initiated, in turn generating employment. Local government bodies  can initiate the development of already existing spaces like parks and beaches in an aesthetic manner. Providing platform for performances for sustainability of livelihood, encouraging individuals for research and support to cultural organisation for organising workshops and interactive sessions may lead to an increased viability of the art at an international level.

What will be the impact :

With the stated apellation, Chennai will transform itself into the Music capital for Indians. Numerous music organisations hold concerts throughout the year conducting competitions for youngsters to promote the unique musical talents adding to its cultural ethics and values. The nomination would bring better employment opportunities for studio-technicians, instrument makers, advertisers, sponsors and facilitators of  art, music, media and film-music industry and take the ancient musical heritage to an international level granting access to traditional musicology worldwide. Alliances with various international forums aim at making Chennai emerge as a Mecca of Music, thereby, enhancing cultural tourism.  

How was the process:

With the directions of Advisory Body on ICH, India, Chennai was finalized to be nominated as a creative city of Music. Presently, there are functional cultural organizations connected to music in Chennai. Several workshops, interactive sessions were organized involving some of the leading musicians, dancers, musicologists and dance critics not only from the world of music but also from associated subjects like language, history, sociology, architecture, dance etc to enumerate the challenges faced in the city along with the needs of the community. The group represented the academia, civil society, youth and the city's governing body. The local administration, philanthropists, promoters who were involved in collating the information for the preparation of application came up with initiatives and plans for the city and suggested methods to overcome the challenges, both, long term and short term. Instituitions and individuals will get connected to an international creative circuit.

The assets of Chennai :

The origins of music, art and culture in Chennai dates back to more than 6000 years. The patronage for music began in the form of gurukulam (institutions) which is still an enlightening practice, where the students settled themselves in their Guru's (teacher) home and study music. These gurukulams later got institutionalized into formal academies. The epic Silappadikaram is considered as a treatise on music and dance. Historically, all kinds of musical expressions found their connoisseurs in the paradise of Chennai. Training of music is considered important from the very young age as it influences the overall personality.

In the numerous musical events organised in Chennai, the contribution of films, videos, stage concerts, the back-end support of sound technicians, catering services, stage designers, programme sponsors, advertisers, documentation experts, film personalities, presenters and instumentalists play a vital role which also require the engagement of labourers. News channels, newspapers and other media wings are also encouraged to take part in concerts of various types such as classical and folk. Choir singing, teaching of music and instruments are the various means of survival for the ordinary folks.This very niche creative sector contributes an estimated economic supplement of 20 Million USD P/A, including in its fold the musical festivals business from associated elements, Human Resources etc. Instruments industry - 6.4 Million USD, Events - 332000/- USD, Allied industries - 9.6 Million USD. The city has close to 350 cultural enterprises.

Folk music artists from various communities of, both, rural and urban areas shall be benefitted by this endeavour of nomination of the Chennai as the people belonging to the tribal communities, nomads and laborers are engaged as musicians, instrumentalists, jugglers at the various celebrations and festivals carried out at the temples. Ordinary people are bestowed the opportunity to perform, demonstrate, lecture, teach and learn by themselves with the support of high ranging audience with their own accompaniments and supporting staff. The manner in which the life of common people is intertwined with music ensures not just livelihood but also as a means of relaxation.

A National Seminar on different Musical Formats was organized by the Department of Indian Music, University of Madras. The event was a means to promote research activities in Indian Music. An acclaimed and time testified music competition and audition system was conducted by the All India Radio, Chennai. The artistes selected were awarded appropriate grades and broadcasting concert opportunities were offered to them. Lecture demonstrations and workshops on various themes on Music were conducted by institutes like The Music Academy, Mudhra, Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha, Carnatica, Arkay Convention Centre, Tamil Isai Sangam, Rajah Annamalai Mandram and others throughout the year. The Annual conferences organized by The Music Academy during the December Music festival is worthy of special mention. 

Playing host to one of the largest annual cultural event consisting of several festivals together, performed by more than three-hundred artistes on stage, Chennai hosts festivals like Pongal, Rama Navami, Shivaratri, Navaratri, Vinayaka Chaturthi, etc. The floating festival in Mylapore is popularly celebrated with concert performances of popular and budding artistes. Another popular festival is the sixty-three Muvars festival that includes colourful procession of bronze statues of the 63 Saivite saints carried through the cities of Chennai. This is conducted in the Tamil month of Panguni every year. The Kapaleeshwar Temple in Mylapore celebrates the Thyagaraja Brahmotsavam for 10 days. This festival is known to attract pilgrims from far and near. The Vaggeyakara festivals, a 3 day event held in the month of April every year at different venues features compositions by the Trinity composers.

Government sponsored programmes of degree and diploma courses of music exist in the Madras University’s Music Department; the Government Music University’s Degree Programme in Folk, Classical and Instrumental Music; Kalakshetra Foundation’s Diploma in Music Programme and Under Graduate and Post Graduate Programmes in Queen Mary’s College and MGR Janaki College. Non-Governmental programmes have short term workshops and lecture demonstrations in hundreds of schools, slums and fishing villages. Svanubhava is a non-governmental initiative for face to face interactions with musicians catering to about a thousand children at a time. Rhapsody is choir music for the uninitiated reaching thousands of children. A.R.Rahman’s K.M. Music Conservatory for advanced musical tutelage of all genres, Madras Musical Association’s music classes, the Madras Music Academy’s Diploma in Music and Brhaddhvani Music Centre, music classes in several hundred private homes are the few mechanisms to promote music.

A classical music aspirant attaches himself or herself to one teacher he or she calls the Guru and lifelong learning takes place with the student residing in the Guru’s home many times and doing household chores as a barter for the education received. There are institutional arrangements available in the Government sponsored programmes of Degree and Diploma Courses of music in the Madras University’s Music Department, the Government Music University’s degree programme in folk, classical and instrumental music, Kalakshetra Foundation’s diploma in music programme and under graduate and post graduate programmes in Queen Mary’s College, MGR Janaki College. Non-Governmental programmers have short term workshops and lecture demonstrations in hundreds of schools, slums and fishing villages. Svanubhava, Rhapsody, Nalandaway, K. M. Music Conservatory, Madras Musical Association, The Madras Music Academy, Brhaddhvani and music classes in several private homes ensure lifelong learning.

The Music Department of the Madras University offers PhD in Music. Kalakshetra Foundation offers Resident Fellowship, the Music University offers research facilities. Several leading professional musicians have students who have given up lucrative positions in the corporate sector to become full time musicians and receive advanced individual mentoring. Brhaddhwani, Rhapsody, also offers several programmes. Innumerable schools of music by private institutions of professional musicians in all genres of music and there are musicians who have become professional music correctors and voice culture mentors. The Music Academy has more than 20,000 hours of digital music archives. The Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University is a prominent Research Centre strives for the development of Music and Fine Arts and for the advancement of learning and promotion of research, documentation, publishing of audio and video recording, popularizing all branches of Music, Fine Arts and Performing Arts.

Chennai is a musical hub for a number of recognized institutions and centres that promotes music such as Music College, Kalakshetra Foundation, University of Madras, Queen Mary’s college and so on. Institutions like The Music Academy Madras, Narada Gana Sabha, Krishna Gana Sabha, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Tamil Isai Sangam are recognized spaces and centres for creation, production and dissemination of activities, goods and services in the creative field concerned. At the professional level, Dakshinachitra heritage centre has a course for Arts Management; Prakriti Foundation conducts festivals for sacred music and experimental music. Language centres like British Council, Goethe Institute and Alliance Francaise have constant collaborative programmes. The Sanmar group has taken over an exclusive music and dance magazine and sponsors music programmes. The automobile company TVS is sponsors The Madras Music Academy. The textile giant Nalli Silks have sponsored innumerable performances.

The beach front fishing villages are now venues for classical music promoted by musicians of T. M. Krishna group. Needless to say that a major chunk of musicians are women. There are more than a hundred public spaces for classical music performances while the schools and colleges, spaces like the Kalakshetra foundation, the Madras Music Academy, the Narada Gana Sabha, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Bharatheeya Vidya Bhavan and numerous other spaces are venues for concerts. Temple spaces, youth hostels and colleges are used for free concerts for the public. Small and aesthetic spaces are mushrooming all over the town. All these institutions are spaces dedicated to the practice, promotion and dissemination of music.  Religious festivals are conducted in road corners and they become temporary venues where large group of people attend music performances.

Kalakshetra, a pristine institution for Art and Culture in Chennai, works towards making the education in arts accessible to children from economically backward sections of the society with the aim of nurturing awareness, appreciation and sensitivity towards music. 60 students from 3 schools were brought to Kalakshetra campus to give an experience of watching practice and rehearsal sessions in progress.

A large Tamil cultural event called Chennai Sangamam by the Tamil Maiyam and the Department of Tourism and Culture of the Government of India, is organized with the intention of rejuvenating the old village festivals, with music and artistes.

The Urur-Olcott Kuppam Margazhi Festival is an event that opens art and the artistes to new audiences and different environments. The Vizha is an effort to use arts to heal social tensions and serve as a bridge across cultures, communities and genres.

Svanubha is a festival conducted exclusively for music students. It is hosted by various schools and institutions of performing arts. The schools cooperate with organizers to conduct lecture demonstrations, concerts and interactive sessions with the students. It is a unique festival aimed at increasing awareness of the music among school students.

The Hindu November festival is a preamble to the December Music Festival and features concerts of various genres such as Korean music, Jazz music and Fusion Music. The diverse nature of the programmes brings together artistes in India and all over the world.

The December Music festival is a mega event which has gained immense recognition in the last century. Large participation from the NRI artistes is prominent. Local event are sponsored from the corporates and banks, and individual businessmen play a vital role in conducting the events. The local government aid with traffic regulation and manage the crowd that flock the musical events.

The main professional organizations called the Sabhas (institutions) including the Madras Music Academy provide space and platform for musicians to access the common public. Most of the public performances during the December music season are conducted by Non-Governmental Organizations including the Madras Music Academy. These have had a huge impact on the music loving public of Chennai and the musicians who constantly strive to perform at such venues. Professional organizations like A.R.Rahman’s music conservatory mentor brilliant young musicians. Television music competitions are constantly throwing up extra ordinarily talented young musicians. All India Radio has had a huge impact on the public. Film music of course is ever present in daily life of almost everyone in Chennai.

The State Tourism department has joined hands with the music sabhas (institutions) to market the December Music Festival through the ‘Enchanting Tamil Nadu’ campaign. The Government has initiated a joint venture to promote tourism in collaboration with hotels and tour agents. Industrialists, entrepreneurs and company executives have set up the Chennai International Centre to boost art, culture, music, theatre and creative thinking. Most of the organizations offering musical experiences award a title to an extraordinary musician during the December Music season. Most musicians aspire to achieve one of those titles. The competitions conducted by the organizations are extremely popular and the winners of the contests are given prime slots in the festival.

There are various awards, scholarships and grants given by the Government and other institutions to encourage and facilitate artists in the city. Other than the music festival in December which is attaining the status of an International festival there are music programmes that are conducted throughout the year especially during important religious festivals like Navaratri, Gokulashtami, Ram Navami etc. The temples in the city also play a major role in organising such programmes. Performances in alternate venues in the form of chamber concerts with aesthetic settings are contributing to growth of a niche audience for music. There are festivals like the ‘Chennai Sangamam’ which is a large open Tamil cultural festival aimed at promoting old-village festivals and rural artists. This festival is organised by the Tamil Maiyam and Department of Tourism and Culture of the Government of Tamil Nadu with the venue being open spaces like the beach, parks, colleges, schools etc.

Institutions like Max Mueller Bhavan and Alliance Francaise invite musicians and performers from all over the world to perform and collaborate with musicians in Chennai. Music composer Ilaya Raja produced an oratory on the ancient Tamil work Thiruvaskam with the Budapest Symphony. The Cleveland cultural festival is organized with musicians from Chennai. The festival is specially covered by a Television channel Jaya TV. There are quiz programmes where audience win some music compact disks during these performances. Musicians like Aruna Sairam have performed with Gregoric chants and Bombay Jayashree has performed with Helsinki Symphony Orchestra; Ravi Kiran has composed and performed with several orchestras abroad. There is constant experimentation going on with different facets of music like percussions and rhythms, string instruments and other musical journeys conducted by musicians themselves.

A major dance drama production called “Saraswathi Antharvahini” was premiered by Kalakshetra foundation. This production had music composed by the famous violinist R.K.Sriram Kumar and the very well known Mridangam percussionist Arun Prakash. This was presented at Singapore’s esplanade. The Ramayana series was also revived. Special music was recorded for the same. Well known violinists Lalgudi G.J.Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi composed music for a major dance drama production choreographed by Sangeeta Isvaran. Several productions have been supported by musicians. When Kalakshetra revived the textile traditions, musicians sang compositions that complimented with rhythm. Natya Darshan conference of Karthik Fine Arts society gave a challenge to artists to work with theatre artists, musicians and folk artists with choreography. Several such initiatives have been implemented.

The academic collaboration between Kartik Fine Arts, Chennai, and SIFAS, Singapore, a 63 year old leading Indian arts institution was set up for the development and promotion of young artistes, aptly called Isai Sangamam (Confluence of Music). The collaboration involves the two sabhas (institutions) providing concert opportunities for artistes to perform during their respective music festivals year after year. Collaboration between the Chennai School of Music Therapy and the IMC University of Applied Sciences, Krems, Austria is committed to developing Music Therapy catering to the health care profession. Consultancy, therapeutic care and professional training is offered by this school. Indian Raga is an education start up founded at MIT with a mission to provide access to authentic music education. It operates in major cities in North America and India of which Chennai is one, where a holistic approach to learning music, with focus on presentation and performance and collaboration.

Crafts 2013, an exhibition-cum-sale of handicrafts from across the country organized by The Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Artisans Welfare Association, Srushti included the display of semi-precious stone jewellery, wood and stone carvings etc. The city of Chennai serves as the base for the Tamil film industry that hosts major film studios including AVM productions. There are 120 cinema screen and multiplexes. More than 100 Tamil movies are made in a year by the Tamil film Industry whose sound tracks dominate the music scene in the city. Chennai also stages many Tamil plays in genres such as mythology, history, drama and political satire. In addition to the common Tamil language plays, English plays are also popularly conducted.

The City has a good earning to serve Music.

I. The city believes children are its future and its intangible cultural heritage needs to be passed on to the future heritage makers in intangible ways. Through its collaborative project with government schools, arts and music would be the vehicle used to develop a sense of self-importance and individuality, encourage self-expression and stimulate imagination among disadvantaged children through its programmes. The objective is to help kids achieve through arts because arts experiences offer children opportunities to imaginatively, explore, express and communicate ideas, feelings and experiences, critically reflect upon and find personal meaning by engaging the senses, feelings and imagination, engage in creative problem-solving, develop creative talents through spatial, rhythmic, visual and kinesthetic awareness, develop self-awareness and understanding of their own and others’ cultures, values and attitudes, expand life skills such as conflict resolution, negotiation and teamwork and acquire knowledge, skills and learning essential for success in further study of arts.  This initiative is to use participatory art forms as its core content to facilitate communication, aid creativity, help in self-discovery and develop social responsibility among children. The main theme of this initiative and intervention will be on cleanliness and need for segregation of waste as to reduce the organic waste received in the city’s dumps to make living a little more livable.

II. Create a space for professional musicians to interact with architects, builders and other creative professionals to understand the growth of the city and what needs to be done to create habitats that answer to the sustainability needs of the city. A conference in the first quarter to brain storm and a conference in the second year to look at the progress and a conferences in the next two years to consolidate will be undertaken. The city will allot a space for such an initiative.

III. A road-show. Musicians will compose music on the city and the needs of the city for sustainable growth. These compositions will be made available to the public through a road show, compact disks and social media. Students will write poems about the city and its problems and possible solutions. These poems will be tuned by the musicians and they will train students in singing them. These workshops with citizens will happen in spaces in the North, East, West and South sections of the city. This will be presented in the local public spaces created in collaboration with the local governing bodies and citizens for the designation which will later become permanent alternative spaces for discussions and musical performances on the city. The finale will be a mega performance on the Marina beach where plans for the city will be presented by the winning project designs done by architects, musicians and children in collaborative groups.

Initiatives, programmes or projects aimed at achieving the objectives of the Network on an international level:

1.       Initiatives to organise National and International Seminars, workshops and Lecture-Demonstrations on the diverse topics of Music among the creative cities of Music. Artists, performers, scholars, researchers and musicologists to be encouraged to share their studies, initiatives, new creative achievements in their cities/countries, association and application of music in other fine art and literature practices. Exploration of new avenues of music performance, Creation and application, thematic folk music concerts among local states/cities/countries, exploration in choral, devotional and computer generated music or algorithms. Sharing the experiences and methodology of applying music practice with the under developed and differently challenged sections.

2. International Festivals of Music, Dance and Choreography for showcasing the diversity in music, popular, successful musicals and related industry trends at Chennai and in other creative cities of music. Many music lovers from country and abroad may visit in the month of  December in Chennai when city celebrates Music with around 65 active and vibrant venues, everyday for the entire month. In next four years it may increase more venues, more visitors, more artists participations, more investments and economic growth. Exchange programmes through collaboration of musicians, architects and enviromentalists will be done through travel and social media and a plan for future development presented to the local government and to the citizens for consideration.

3. Cross cultural initiatives : Workshops on understanding, composing, creating, sound and music patterns/effects, operating music and sound controlling systems, music documentation and creating local music museums, background music, applied music therapy practices in old homes, asylums, government schools, musical instrument making workshops, creating music booths/chambers  in the city of Chennai. Creative projects in the underdeveloped areas of the city to initiate new ideas to generate avenues and professional assignments in the field of Music by incorporating it in Social celebrations, occasional/special events. Local community based Choir groups may be  established, low budget Radio Stations, string instruments ensemble(specially violin) and percussion ensemble may be designed as collaborative projects. The government body, Kalakshetra will be restoring its traditional Kuttambalam theatre and the project will look at this theatre as an example for ecofriendly theatre space. Musicians will compose music on this theatre and the creative interactions will happen at Kalakshetra which has recently planted more than two hundred indigenous trees in which several musicians take part.

Chennai city is the abode of several cultural assets that owes its existence to its rich heritage. The city imparts prolific opportunities in the field of arts and music, in various styles in terms of classical music, folk music, dance, drama, theatre and film music which are the main source of entertainments. Centres of learning and academic institutions promote activities for the cause of performance, research and teaching of all sorts of music. The great Gurus (Teachers) impart the core values in their respective musical traditions. The city comprises of innumerable architectural structures like the Kapaleeswarar temple, Parthasarathy temple, Marundeeswarar temple etc that host a number of performances annually, especially during festivals. There are more than 350 cultural institutions, more than 25 auditoriums, more than 35 music shops and 15 instrument makers spread all over the city. As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Chennai tops ten cities in the world to visit in 2015.