Hyderabad : Spirit goes high as tribal trapes perform folk songs and music at cultural event

Hyderabad : Taking the spirit of folk music high among the audience, the tribal singers with their flutes have mesmerized everyone at the event organised by Tribal Cultural Research & Training institute (TCR & TI) Hyderabad as part of their five day long cultural event at DSS Bhavan in the city.

The fourth day in the raw of a five day long event was dedicated to 'oral literature' and 'folk music' predominantly played by tribal folk like Pardhan, Lambadis, Thoti, Koya and Yerukula tribes inherited with a tribal customs and run their livelihood largely by practicing and performing their primordial folk art.

There are five different troupes of folk singers and storytellers taking part in the event that include Thoti, Pardhan, Lambadis, Koya and Yerukulas. While Thoti and Pradhan tribes perform Kikri – a tribal way of storytelling, the Lambadis, Koya and Yerukulas are quintessential in playing music with flutes and whistles predominantly.

These tribes usually live alongside the Godavari and Krishna River belts and are predominantly famous for connecting with their primordial cultures for several hundred years. Though some folklore remain attached to their customs and traditions despite the evolving world has cast a heavy shadow over their existence, the new generation is cutting themselves apart from their ancestral culture and are in search of better livelihood.

Papamms – a Yerukala Sodi (a traditional soothsayer) also known as Sodemma in local parlance, memorizes many deities' names by playing 'ektaara' while in trance. She foretells future problems to the people who approach by reading their palm and suggests the solution to get rid of the issues.

Pardhan and Thoti tribes play 'Kikri' (music and oral literature) using elemental instruments and were called to attend ceremonies by tribal people. While 'Thoti' tribe used to tell stories by singing and dancing besides using specific instruments like 'dahki' and 'cymbals,' the Pardhan tribe used to play only folk music using Kikri, dhol, kaali kom, thudum, pepre, surnaayi etc.

Commissioner Tribal Welfare Dr Christina Z.Chongthu, IAS presence among the dumbfounded audience ratchet up the mood of the tribal troupes as performance of every tribe, be they storytellers or balladeers has received huge round of applause. Fluting, drumming and dancing goes on for the whole day with different tribal troupes who performed their part of cultural music and tribal way of soothsaying.

"A total number of six tribal troupes comprising 40 to 45 artists took part in the event and everyone got participation certificates besides cash award of Rs 2,500/- each. All the participants felicitated by Dr.Christina Z.Chongthu, IAS Commissioner Tribal Welfare," informed Dr. Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana, Curator, Nehru centenary Tribal Museum, Hyderabad.