Culture
Songs from `home'
RANJINI RAO
|
American kids of Indian origin are humming Hindi, Tamil and Telugu limericks, thanks to pioneering efforts by Meera Masi.
|
EXTERPRAISING DUO: Sheetal(left) and Sonali of Meera Masi.
IN an age where ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) children are listening to hip-hop and rock on iPods, it is rather unusual to hear them recite limericks in Hindi. The credit goes to Meera Masi — no, she's no real life auntie of any one ABCD child, but belongs to them all. Conceptualised and created by two NRI sisters in California — Sheetal and Sonali — who drew inspiration from their own lives, Meera Masi is a company that produces story books, alphabet and rhyme CDs in Hindi, to help pass on the rich Indian heritage to clueless, yet curious ABCD children
The need to blend
When Sonali Herrera left her older siblings in Mumbai for California in the late 1970s with her parents, she was bemused about her heritage, like most children in these shores. Even though parents do everything they can to keep their culture alive, children are often confounded by the need to blend it with Western trends. And these days, the influence of Bollywood is far too intense on these young minds, which doesn't really help them hone their Hindi skills, beyond goading them to croon and sway to a ritzy Kareena Kapoor number.
On the other hand, Sheetal Sahni-Singhal, Sonali's sister, schooled at Welham Girls School in India and spent her summers in California. She had to battle separation anxiety, but was able, at the same time, to get a good grasp of her Indian roots before she eventually migrated at the age of 16. And then came the days of high school horror, but with the support of her parents and a strong resolve, she found ways to fit in. She began an international club at school, and started teaching Hindi at a local Chinmaya Mission Balvihar centre. And although her influence did rub off on her little sister, it wasn't easy for Sonali to take to learning the script.
Fulfilling a need
Now, with children of their own who are striving to strike a balance between the two cultures, Sonali and Sheetal got together and discussed the dearth of "desi" literature that would appeal to little minds. And thus the concept of Meera Masi was born.
Meera Masi, says Sonali, was "initiated by need and conceived with passion", and its mission of "Creating Curiosity" has created ripples in the industry, through a range of fun, high-quality products, like the Khushe Manao Series, and the Varnamala Geet Chart.
Another whopper is a book called, Diwali: Khusheyon Ka Tyohaar, which is all about the festive spirit of Deepavali. The company has also distended its services linguistically, in the DVD series titled "Laddoo the Elephant", in which Laddoo brushes the vocabulary of children through playful rhymes and simple, everyday words in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
The sisters are confident about the quality of their products, and aver that their children have taken to them rather well. "Our children are our main focus group; if they are not into it, we don't create it," they add reflectively. According to Sonali, her daughter is very excited about the prospect of learning a new language in a cool, fun way, with so many colourful illustrations and rhythmic songs drawing her attention. "At the moment she switches back and forth between the Varnamala Geet CD and the Diwali CD in her CD player. It's amazing how she can listen to it over and over and over and over again without tiring of it. I'm just glad that now she has Hindi CDs that she can mix in with her English ones," Sonali says.
Sheetal's three-year-old, Mohan, is no exception. "He simply loves to hear me recite the rhymes from Khushe Manao — he especially lights up for `Chhote Mote Makade' and `Khushe Manao', the title rhyme," she beams.
When asked to pick out the one USP they believe has made them popular with children, the sisters point to the vibrant illustrations, which rouse a sense of friendliness and curiosity. For instance, the characters' clothes and activities will seem familiar, yet strange to them. "That's where their curiosity will create further dialogue about their heritage. We all know that a child's favourite question is WHY?" Sonali says.
Rave reviews
Meera Masi has already received rave reviews in the U.S., and has donated a pile of books to pre-schools and day-care facilities. Libraries and schools have begun stocking up its products, and it's only a matter of time before schools in India follow suit. "We have received international enquiries, and we really want to establish ourselves in the U.S. before formally expanding our international presence," Sheetal says.
With the orders pouring in, the sisters are raring to go for more. "Our future plans include an expansion of the Laddoo DVD series, among other books and CDs. We also plan to explore another Indian language, either Punjabi or Gujarati," they declare, with conviction.
Well, waah-waah and balle-balle to that!
For more information, visit: meeramasi.com
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
