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Common cause
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A city-based NGO harnesses various folk art traditions for the welfare of underprivileged children
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IT WAS an evening to remember, when artistes practising various folk art forms came together for a common cause — welfare of underprivileged children. And event was aptly named `Dhwani' (meaning sound), as they brought the traditional art forms alive on stage.
The Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), Tamil Nadu chapter, celebrated its 50th anniversary by striking a different chord. The NGO, crusading the cause of the underprivileged children, brought to light the latent talent of the child performers.
The event, conceptualised and co-ordinated by V. R. Devika, featured koothu, kalaripayattu, tappattam, oyilattam, patayani, children's choir and a violin orchestra by folk artistes from various parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The evening began with a choir by children of Brihaddwani, a city-based NGO researching on the teaching methodologies of world music. The songs were inspired by the rustic scene and provided a perfect prelude to the violin ensemble by 25 children of CARVA, a music school run by Rajashekar. The tiny tots performed with utmost confidence as their instruments made music in unison; some famous numbers such as "Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram", "Vande Maataram", "Sare Jahan Se Aacha" struck a patriotic note. The violin orchestra was followed by kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form of Kerala. It was performed by Sri Vallabhatta Kalari Sangham, Chavakkad. Led by Dineshan, the artistes, from families which have been carrying forward the art through nine generations, captivated the audience with some fascinating stunts, with swords, silambam, daggers and bamboo sticks as props. Anjali and Surya, who are the tenth generation artistes, also performed some acrobatics with flexibility.
"An amalgam of yoga, dance, martial art and gymnastics, the best thing about kalari is that the training is given on how not to harm the opponent but still defend yourself," reminds Devika. Oyilattam, a folk art from Madurai, also held the audience spellbound. The themes are usually from the Epics. The songs are rendered to the accompaniment of the nadaswaram and thavil. Oyilattam was performed by children of the fishing villages on the East Coast Road. They also perform at the DakshinaChitra.
Prabhakaran presented Tappattam, a drum dance of Thanjavur usually performed during funerals. When it was performed on stage, one could realise that it called for a keen sense of rhythm of body and mind.
The highlight of the evening was the koothu, a traditional theatre form of Tamil Nadu. `Maya Kutirai', with a contemporary storyline, was presented by children of the Koothu School, Kanchipuram, in an innovative way. Written and directed by P.Rajagopal, who runs the school, in kattaikuthu style, the story focusses on communication, power and self-confidence. As the play was designed for children, the accessories such as head dresses, make-up and costumes were attractive, and the dialogue, simple.
"One of the reasons for bringing these artistes was that they have been practising these arts for generations. Also I saw this as an opportunity to bring to light some of the oldest traditional art forms," says Devika.
The chief guest for the evening, danseuse Padma Subrahmanyam, lauded the efforts of the ICCW and other NGOs. The proceeds from this event will go towards various projects of the ICCW.
"Our future project is to build a home for children who have been subjected to sexual harassment. We are planning to make it more of a rehabilitation centre so that they can stay there for a short term, get the expert guidance and return to lead normal lives," says Andal Damodaran, chief of the ICCW. For more information, contact 26282833/26220152.
PRASSANA SRINIVASAN
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