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Besotted by koodiyattam
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There is so much in common between Mexicans and Indians, like chillies in their food, learns K. Pradeep
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Photo: H. Vibhu
Mizhavu lover Mexican scholar Antonio Prieto specialises in performance, gender and border studies
A not-too-tall man, with a big moustache, in a big sombrero, a colourful poncho, cigar at one end of his mouth and perhaps a Tequila bottle in one hand is the image of a typical Mexican. Antonio Prieto, tall, clean shaven, with sharp, peering eyes su
rely does not fit into this ‘typical Mexican’ image. Not surprising at all for we cannot really talk of a ‘typical Mexican’ anymore. In a situation where everyone is in truck with a host of different cultures, where differences in cultures begin to blur and barriers begin to fade, the contemporary Mexican image is no longer that of a Santiago.
Erosion
And as a cultural scholar Prieto is seriously concerned by this fast erosion of Mexico’s indigenous heritage. “The Spanish conquest of Mexico and three centuries of colonisation destroyed our civilisations that were rich in monumental architecture, art, and studies in various subjects. That one defining moment in history killed most of our indigenous population. By the time we got independence, in early 19th century, there was a mixing of various cultures. Today only 10 per cent of Mexico’s population is indigenous, the rest is heavily diluted,” says Prieto who specialises in studies in subjects like performance, border, Latino and gender.
As a result of this dilution Mexico has lost much of its traditional art forms. “We have some dance forms and nothing else. In neighbouring Guatemala there survives Rabinal Achi, a Mayan theatrical play. It is the only surviving example of pre-Hispanic tradition. In 2005 it was recognised as one of the masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. Everything else, including the lifestyle today is, influenced by various other cultures.”
One reason that India fascinates Prieto is that here, despite years of colonisation, indigenous and traditional art, culture and heritage, have all survived. “My first brush with India, especially South India was when I did an under-graduate thesis at the New York University on theatre anthropology. It was on indigenous traditions in Asia, especially in India and China. My readings on South Indian art and culture fascinated me. I watched a lot of videos on them.”
Prieto’s association with Kerala was when he saw a short Kathakali performance at a theatre festival in Mexico organised by the embassy. “I was stunned. From then on it has been a pursuit to learn more about Kerala’s art forms. Koodiyattam was what impressed me. In 1993 I spent four weeks in Kerala on my three-month trip to India. At Natana Kairali, in Irinjalakuda, for the first time I saw a ‘live’ Koodiyattam performance. On that visit I also saw Tholpavakoothu, even staying with the artistes.”
Though Koodiyattam has had numerous foreign scholars, Prieto must be the first Latin American to show keen interest in this art form. “For me Koodiyattam is much more sophisticated than Kathakali.
What is really mind-boggling is the technique of ‘pakarnattam.’ The fluidity with which one character changes into different others, creates with subtle movements and gestures the backdrop and mood is simply amazing. Westerners often dub all such forms as primitive, but can their theatre survive without props, make-up, background etc?”
Prieto who was director of the Performing Arts Research Center in Yucatan before he resigned his post, will soon be moving to the theatre faculty at Veracruzana University in Mexico City. “All that I have gathered will be translated into Spanish and presented to my students as part of their studies. There is so much life in Koodiyattam. And this I feel is accentuated by the mizhavu. Rhythms have always charmed me. The mizhavu, inside the wooden cage, is for me like the human heart enclosed by the ribs. The beats of the mizhavu is like the throbbing heart. It is life itself,” says Prieto, who has directed a couple of plays and is the co-founder of an organisation for theatre, ‘Theater of the Third Day.’
Prieto has never felt a ‘tourist’ in South India. There certainly are differences but a lot of similarities too. “There are so much of similarities between the art and culture of our countries. I see it prominently in architecture and food. The ‘gopurams’ of the temples in Thanjavur are so similar to our Mayan temples. And the chappatis here are so much like the Tortillas, made of finely ground corn, back home.
I have never felt uneasy with the hot, spicy food, for we use chilli in our food. With all this and more I think we must keep a South-South dialogue going for the good of both nations,” states Prieto with a smile.
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