Madhavi Amma from Kavumthara, Kozhikode | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“You don’t come in the evening, don’t talk to me or take the kidsIf you don’t need me then go back to my house.But mind you, if I go home, You will not get even a drop of water…”
As 89-year-old Madhavi sings this ancient song, her grandson records it on his mobile phone. She smiles and sings about a young woman complaining about her husband who has not returned home. The woman climbs a hill and sings loudly so that her husband can hear her and returns home.
Madhavi hails from Kavumthara in Kozhikode district and her local dialect song belongs to her generation. A largely forgotten traditional folk song will now be preserved in a digital archive.
An elderly woman is telling a story while children are listening to the story. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A new initiative of the Archival and Research Project (ARPO), Folk Keepers has embarked on a mission to collect and preserve folk songs and stories from across Kerala. The idea is to create an online folklore archive.
ARPO is a Kerala-based non-profit organization established in 2021 to discover, preserve, promote and share lesser-known aspects of the state’s cultural heritage through digital archiving, multimedia storytelling, research, community engagement and interventions. works in the direction
“For Lorkeepers, we are looking at a combination of offline and online campaigns involving school and college students to shoot footage of their family elders’ songs and stories on their mobile phones. It will be an online repository of oral traditions that would otherwise be lost to generations to come,” says Shrutin Lal, co-founder of ARPO.
So far, Folkkeepers have documented over 200 folk songs/stories from the Malabar region including Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad. “The idea is to develop a model involving local communities so that we are aware of the importance of our oral traditions,” says Shruthin.
As part of the first phase of the project, a lorekeeper camp was organized at TRK UP School in Malappuram’s Vengad in May. It was attended by children and elders of their families, who shared unique folk stories and songs. Such camps will also be organized in other schools and colleges.
The campaign, while helping to introduce the younger generation to the oral traditions of their communities or regions, also highlights the unique traditions followed by some communities. For example, members of the Paraya community of Kootlida in Kozhikode sing a special song when a girl in the community undergoes menopause.
Srithin clarifies that the project moves away from oral history. “We are not getting into the documentation of history. It is simply a database of the fictional stories, art, culture and lore of the land. Oral traditions among Dalit communities are rich and varied. These stories and songs hold clues to our anthropological history, identity and politics, but many of these are in danger of being forgotten,” says Shruthin.
Funded by the Faisal and Shabana Foundation, the project is open to all. If you meet someone in your family or neighborhood who knows a story, song, legend or myth that is part of a local oral tradition, record it on your phone (with their consent). Note down their name, age and pin code of the place. You can then share the video to WhatsApp/Instagram or email. 9061495795. @arpo_lorekeepers Email: arpo.india@gmail.com.