Expert comments by Madan Menon Thottasseri, analogous to discrete news - മലയാളിക്ക് ജീവിതതാളം നഷ്ടപ്പെടുന്നു (Malayalees Loosing Rhythm of Life while ignoring Malayalam)

(in Mathrubhumi- Kollam News vide http://www.mathrubhumi.com/kollam/news/2283694-local_news-kollam.html)

An analysis with a probe into past chronicles veiled behind selected current news and posted as comments by Madan Menon Thottasseri!

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Is there any correlation between music or dance of a civilization with that of certain games or sports excelled by the people there? Yes… This is the elucidation given by Mullakkara Rathnakaran, M L A, who inaugurated the Oyoor Natya Sastra Dance Academy’s Anniversary at the auditorium of the Koozhuttu Devi temple, in Kollam district, Kerala.

He had narrated how Brazil could continue to perform well in Football while retaining their traditional Samba music and dance form which gives a thrust for rhythm. It is to be noted that Mullakkara Rathnakaran must have observed righly while the Samba music can prompt football players to apply shots as well as timely passing of ball to team members to carry forward to the goal post of the opponent team for the final kick of goal.

He expressed the apprehension that malayalees are losing the rhythm of life as people are ignoring Malayalam, their mother-tongue. I fully endorse his views. Though I write these comments and other Articles in English, I still adore my mothertongue; I like speaking in Malayalam especially to those who knows the language, even to non- keralites. I can still write poems or short stories in Malayalam. Despite getting my writings published, I have not continued to espouse in literary writing. Still I can deliver a lecture or do presentations in the vernacular; but use only English while venues and situations warrant. If the situation is favourable (in respect of subject, venue, situation, audience etc.) then I would like to lecture in simple Malayalam.

The Academy is actually called as ‘Oyoor Kochu Govindapillai Memmorial Asan Smaraka Kala Kendram’, which to commemorate Shri. Kochu  Govinda Pillai  (1916–2008) who was an exponent of Kathakali Dance Drama. He was the great disciple of Sri.Chennithala Kochu Pillai Panicker and Sri.Kurichi Kunjan Panicker, who identified his talents in Kathakali. Kochu Govinda Pillai had won the Sangeet Nataka Akademi Award for 1989.

By the by what is the speciality of the Samba Music and Dance?

                                  

                                            Samba Parade- Rio's Carnival 2008

Samba is originated from Bahia in Brazil with its roots in Rio De Janeiro and Africa mainly through slave trades. Currently it is one of the mostcultural expression of Brazil, symbal recognized globally.” Samba de roda’ ( dance circle) had become a UNESCO Heitage of Humanity in 2005. Though Samba had only played strings and other percussion instruments, due to the onslaught of American orchestras, the post world war –II, Samba accepted trumpets,clarinets, flutes , trombones etc. In addition to rythems and bar, the notation for segment of time with given number of beats, Samba brings a wholesome culture of food, attire with fluorecent clours involving community artists like sculptors, painters,stylists, designers to prepare cloths, costemues, carnival floats and even motor vehicles that created history for the School of Samba Arts. Let me describe Carmen Miranda (1909-55) the Portuguese-born Brazilian samba Singer, dancer, Broadway actress, and also film star popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

The Samba National Day is celebrated on December 02. The date was established at the initiative of Luis Monteiro da Costa, an Alderman of Salvador in honor of Ary Barroso. He composed "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" even though he had never been in Bahia. Thus 02 December marked the first visit of Ary Barroso to Salvador. Initially, this day was celebrated only in Salvador, but eventually it turned into a national holiday.

Brazil's national music transcends region, however; samba schools, samba musicians and carnival 

In Brazil, folklorists suggest that the word samba is a corruption of the ‘Kikingo’ word -word Semba, translated as ‘umbigada’ in Portuguese, meaning "a blow struck with the belly button” In the middle of the 19th century, the word ‘Samba’  defined different types of music made by Black slaves when conducted by different types of ‘ Batuque,  but it assumed its own characteristics in  Brazilian states due to  diversity of tribes but also the peculiarity of each region in which they were settlers. Some of these popular dances were known as bate-baú, samba-corrido, samba-de-roda, samba-de-Chave and samba-de-barravento in Bahia; coco in Cerara etc.

                                           Carmen Miranda ( 1909 -55), Samba dancer

At this time ‘Samba’ is popular and very frequently associated with Football and Carnivals.Its success in U.S enable to spead wings to Europian nations.Popularity of "Aquarela do Brasil" (Watercolor of Brazil),the 1939 song of Ary Barrosoin flowed by Carmen Miranda took forward Samba to a new horizon of a new trend called as Bosa Nova, a lyrical fusion of Samba and Jazz.. The success of the samba in Europe and Japan only confirms its ability to win fans, regardless of their language. Currently, there are hundreds of Samba Scools held on European soil and scattered among countries like Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Sweden, and Switzerland. Already in Japan, the records invest heavily in the launch of former Sambista's set of discs, which eventually created a market comprised solely of catalogs of Japanese record labels.

                                                Common Instruments of Samba Music

                                                     Bossa Nova Pioneer - Joao Gilberto

Samba passed through various mutations from decade to decades……. During the dictator’srule samaba music famed musicians like cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho, Guiiherme de Brito, Valha Guarda de Partela, ZE Keti and Clementina de Jesus whoall recorded first albums! In 1970, Samab craeated popularwaves with many new lyricistsand singers like Paulinho da Viola, Martinho da Vila, Clara Nunes, and Beth Carvalho

The ‘bossa nova’ style influenced Jazz and incorporated more of classical music in Samba. . From a festival in Carnegie Hall of New York, in 1962, the bossa nova reached worldwide success. But over the 1960s and 1970s, many artists who emerged—like Chico Buarque, Billy Blanco,Martinho da Vila, and Paulinho da Viola advocated the return of the samba beat in its traditional form outside the main scene of the Brazilian Popular Music festivals, the sambists founded the Bienal do Samba in the late 1960s, and it became the space for the big names of the genre and followers. Even in the final decade, the samba-empolgação (samba-excitement) of carnival blocks Bafo da Onça, Cacique de Ramos, and Boêmios de Irajá came into being. In the early 1980s, after having been eclipsed by the popularity of DISCO and BRAZILIAN ROCK, Samba reappeared in the media with a musical movement created in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro.

Samba got morphed during 1990s embracing types of music that were growing popular in the carribbiean such as RAP, REGGAE and ROCK.  Samba fusions with popular Caribbean music can be seen in Aall thse forms.which are not just to entertain, but to unify all Blacks throughout the Americas culturally and politically through music. Thus samba-rap and other music forms have lyrics that encouraged Black pride, and spoke out against social injustice.and colour prejudice. Still  is not recognized by all as the national music of Brazil, or as a valuable art form. Light-skinned "upper-class" Brazilians construe Samba as music of dark-skinned blacks originated from West Africa. Thus majority among them looks down on samba as the music of low-class, dark-skinned Brazilians.

Samba continued to act as a unifying agent during the 1990s, when Rio stood as a national Brazilian symbol. Even though it was not the capital city, Rio acted as a Brazilian unifier, and the fact that samba originated in Rio helped the unification process. In 1994, the FIFA WORLD had its own samba composed for the occasion, the "Copa 94". The FIFA WORL CUP 1994, in which samba played a major cultural role, holds the record for highest attendance in World Cup history. Samba is thought to be able to unify because individuals participate in it regardless of social or ethnic group. Today, samba is viewed as perhaps the only uniting factor in a country fragmented by political division.

The Afro-Brazilians played a significant role in the development of the samba over time. This change in the samba became  an integral part of Brazilian nationalism, known as as "Brazilianism".

Now Samba is more mixed with Drum and Bass leading to the foundation of novel music – SAMBASS!!.

                          Marcelo D2 (born Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto) Singer & Song Writer 

                                                  frequently mix hip-hop with samba.

                                                   Samba Female dancers

I would like to give some details about the village Oyoor....

The Ithikkara River flows south of Ugramkunnu. Prior to public works improvements in 1975, the river used to become swollen and flood during the monsoon season. Both the widest and the narrowest parts of the river may be found near Oyoor, as there is a spot where the water has to flow between two huge rocks

Oyoor (known as Oyur) is a small township under the Velinalloor Grama Panchayath in Kottarakkara Taluk of the Kollam district. The small enclave is in the bank of Ithikkara River which flows towards south. Before the public works improvements in 1975, this river was flooded during monsoon season. At one location where the river is narrow, the water has to flow between two big rocks having just two feet width, which is known as 'Unnikrishnan paras'; The river had widened after this rock.   In summer while the flow recede water flows only through one side of the wide river leaving the balance as a desert like land which enable the village to facilitate a rural market of indigenos products including household items. The market is called as “manal Kachavadam” which was a ‘flea/ swap market’ under barter system in olden days.

The road along with the barren sand land leads to Pakalkuri, a hamlet in the northernmost part of Thiruvananthapuram district. Children in Oyoor also depend on the High School in Pakalkuri. In olden days, children used to ferry across the Ithikkara River, in front of the temple.  A bridge across the river was constructed in 1961–63, foundation stone of which was laid by Sri Pattom Thanupillai, the then chief minister of Kerala.

The famous Sri Ramaswamy Temple which dates back more than 1,000 years is located in Velinalloor. Historically, His Highness Marthanda Varma Travancore Kingdom, the last      in the monarchy had constructed the temple in Velinalloor.The temple is the site of ‘kaala vayal’- cattle show part of the annual festival –Rohini Nakshathram.

This temple had enough epic-value while the place is believed to be the King of  Vanaras , called as Ugrankunnu, also known as Sugreevan Kunnu.The nearby another hill- is called as Bali Kunnu ( Bali was the elder brother of Sugreevan). Evidently Ravanan while taking Seetha to Lanka was stopped by Jadayu. Though Jadayu ried to stop Ravanan stealing Seetha, he was killed by Ravanan. The place- Chadayamangalam is where Ravanan cut jadau’s wings.The place is called as  ‘Jadayupara; This temple of Rama is supposed to commemorate Lords Rama’s killing of the evil spirited Bali and installing Sugreevan as the King of Vanara Sena as well as to honour the extreme sacrifice of Jadayu.

There is ‘Sree Keezhuttu Devi’ temple which is the abode of both Durga and Bhadrakali resides in the same Nalambalam. Another temple - “Pey kavu’ is situated hust 100 meters way from the Devi temple wherein there is no idol but people believe the presence of Lord Shiva as – Appoppan ( Grandfather) with no exclusive priests. Anyone who comes as devotee can do pujas. But women are barred from entering the temple. Bananas are the favourate offering to Lord Shiva, called as Pey-Oottu. The other temple nearby are -Kuzhithrachalil Sree Murugan temple, which is an ancient temple, the Mathiyodu Madan Kavu (Madan, male diety, son of Shiva and Parvathy originated from ancestral guardian spirit of villages) and the Kaithakkal Devi Temple and Ganapathy temple in Kottarakkara.

The ‘Sri Ramavilasam Kathakali School’, managed by Sri Vasukutty the former Kalamandalam Principal - Sri. Gangadharan (Kathakali music), is also located in Velinalloor. Another school of Arts - Kalabharathi Kathakali School is also there at Pakalkuri. Celebrated Kadhakali artists - Kalamandalam Ratheesan and Kalamandalam Ramachandran hails form this village. Kalamandalam Ratheeshan is well famous for his 'Nalan' and Kalamandalam Ramachandran for his female characters especially the 'Kurathi'.

Conclusion:

Let me wind up this subject… ‘Malayalees loosing the tempo of life while ignoring Malayalam’. Not only Kerala, the whole of India has to comprehend one reality. We should not be like other other nations which had lost identity by forgetting their language, culture and traditions. We are unique and we have to retain our idendity due to geographical or cultural heritage. Let me quote Dalai Lama……. “Open your arms to Change, but don’t let go of your values”

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