Socio-Cultural Landscape
Stumbled upon the below meme today morning in a friend’s WhatsApp status.
How true! I did realize many a times that, few non-materialistic things that make me feel alive are literature/poetry and music. Talking about which, I must say these 2 are inseparable combination of an art form.
What is the objective of an art form?
If I must say it in simple terms, an art form must reflect and depict the Socio-Cultural Landscape to where one belongs to. Description of an Ethnic Group’s Festivals, Food Habits, Love Life and Moral Values through an art form would best depict the Culture of a Society.
In that way, I have been observing that the Mallu media space doing a great job in reflecting and re-iterating their Cultural Values and Identities. Though their Pop Media also come up with good folklore (Nadaan Paatu) very often, I feel there are few Band Troops and Independent Musicians doing a way better job.
This post is about a personal selection of 7 songs that I have been recently mad about and listening in Repeat Mode!
These songs are performed by different bands but the ones I saw are mostly from Music Mojo seasons hosted Matrubhumi Kappa TV.
Some of these are remade version of the folklore music that appeared in Malayalam movies which are old by a quarter or half century. Listing them in the order of my least to most favorite (of course, at the moment 😋)
#7. Kaanthaa (by Masala Coffee)
I always dreamed of visiting several parts of India during festivals that are famous in those places. Say, Mathura during Holi, Punjab during Hola Mohalla (remember Rang De Basanti?), Mumbai during Ganesh Chathurthi, Kolkatta during Durga Pooja and Mysore during Dusshera.
This song talks about the most important one from my dream, Thrissur during Pooram 😍
Masala Coffee composed the same tune for a Tamil movie, Uriyadi. Watch it here. (Self Brag Alert!) The movie was directed by an alumni of my Alma Mater, Government College of Engineering, Salem. A line in the song says “Dhaabaavil Koodudhu Namma Maanaadu” meaning “our gang meets at the Dhaba”. Kumar Dhaba and Thanni Thotti Dhaba in NH-7 is an integral part of a GCE, Salem student’s Socio-Cultural Landscape 😉
6. Fish Rock (by Thaaikkudam Bridge)
Kerala being a coastal state adjacent to the Arabian Sea, Sea Food is very common. This Fish Rock song talks about how much the singer enjoys eating different types of fish.
Thaikkudam Bridge is one of the oldest modern Band Troops of Kerala. They have been a great Ilaiyaraaja Fanatic. Govind Vasantha, the music director of the Tamil Movie 96 is a product of Thaikkudam Bridge. See their tribute to Ilaiyaraaja 1000 here.
5. Ayala Porichathundu (by Amrutam Gamaya)
You must watch the original versions I share in this post to realize what a neat and great job these kids (in the original composer’s standpoint) are doing in remaking the songs.
Originally this song was penned down by Sreekumaran Thampi and took place in the Malayalam movie Venalil Oru Mazha (1979). Watch the original version here.
The lady who sings this lists down the dishes she prepared and calls/convinces her husband to dine. Something like Nitham Nitham Nelli Soru from Tamil moive Mullum Malarum but without the romance/seduction part.
4. Aal Aayal Thara Venam (by Masala Coffee)
The song was penned down by Kavalam Narayana Panicker and originally took place in Malayalam movie Aalolam(1982). Wiki says the music for this movie was composed by Ilaiyaraaja (😇)and Kavalam Narayana Panicker himself. The song talks about what the folks consider as bliss, what they consider as the best of best and what are the best qualities people must possess.
I could not find the original Video Song of this but an Audio Version is available here which was sung by Nedumudi Venu (Sarvam Thaala Mayam Mritangam Guruji).
Watch Amrutam Gamaya’s version of this song here.
3. Kaithola Paya Virichu (by Lagori TV)
I did not find the entire meaning of this song anywhere in the web. But with the meager knowledge I have on Malayalam, I think the song is sung by a relative (probably uncle) of a kid to whom they are looking forward to do an Ear Piercing ceremony. He probably asks the kid when will her relatives start coming to the ceremony from the toddy shop.
This song is literally a folklore and it was not composed by any Cine Musician. Read this interesting story about how the lyricist of this song was found after 26 years — https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/good-news/lyricist-of-kaithola-paaya-virich-song-identified-after-26-years-1.3008156
Quoting from the Link:
Jithesh, a painting worker, was part of the folk song group ‘Aathiramuthan’. Jithesh said the song was written in 1992 during the ear piercing ceremony of his relative’s kid.
A simple painting worker penning down such a great song clearly shows folklore is all about portrayal of the socio-cultural landscape of common people from an ethnic group. Watch this video where Jithesh himself sings the song.
2. Ellarum Chollanu (by Amrutam Gamaya)
The song was written by P. Bhaskaran for the movie Neelakkuyil (1954), composed by K. Raghavan. The Heroine sings what are the judgments of the neighbors (ellarum/everyone) about the Hero but how did she personally find him to be. Watch original video song here.
I love the expressions of singer Amrutha Suresh in the remade video. So, this was supposed to be the first favorite in my list until I heard the next song which turned out to be my new first favourite 😂
1. Puttu Paatu (by Thakara Band)
I would call this as a contemporary folklore where the singer talks about the economical differences in the society but how life can be lead as simple! In short, he says
“All you need is Puttu (the signature dish of Kerala) and its Powder”
I did not have better words to express about this song until I heard my friend who introduced me to this song calling this “an uplifting song”, this morning.
I would like to quote my favorite lines from the song:
Panavum Pradhaapavumalla Ellam
Ullinte Ullil Nanma Venam
Kolayum Kalaapavum Namukkenthinaa?
Puttundallo.. Vishappadakkaan
which means:
Money and Fame are not everything
Inner Self must be Good
Why should we do Murder and be Rebellious?
Don’t we have Puttu to satisfy our Hunger?
Sincere thanks to these great musicians who were crucial in making me feel alive during the times when I pathetically felt low in the past few months.
I wish the Tamil Independent Music space also come up with such creative remakes of Tamil Folklore songs.
