Showcasing performing arts traditions of Karnataka's indigenous tribes
New festivals and initiatives are trying to conserve performing arts traditions of Karnataka’s indigenous tribes
The Garden City Auditorium, Bengaluru, resounded with the beat of the dakke, a leather percussion instrument of the Gonda tribe. A group of performers brought alive the beauty of forest life within this urban space. Titled dakke kunitha, the showcase was part of the recently-held GlobalKulture Music Festival. Efforts such as these are creating awareness about the performing arts traditions of tribes of Karnataka such as the Kudiyas, Jenu Kuruba and Gondas. Yet behind that rhythm lies a fragile tradition that struggles to survive due to waning interest among the younger generation of these indigenous communities and inadequate government support. Members of the tribes feel that these performing arts can only be kept alive if they are invited to more such concerts and events.
The Gondas are a forest-dwelling tribe from Bhatkal Taluk in Uttara Kannada district. Dakke kunitha, one of their traditional performances, is typically performed by a group of 15–20 artists during Maha Shivratri for three days continuously, morning till night. Conventionally, the Dakke Kunitha is a men-only performance. 51-year-old artist Nagappa Thimmappa wants to do everything to nurture young talent. “If more people saw our performances, we’d get many more opportunities," he says. They have performed only in Bengaluru so far, but they want to take their art to other parts of India and even abroad.
Just like the Gondas, the Kudiyas of Coorg practice a traditional dance called the urritikottupatu. The performers—mostly women—dance to the beats of the dudi drum, made of goatskin and metal. Urritikottupatu means to rotate the stick and then hit and play the dudi. Their songs are inspired by the forest where they live— by the mountains, forests, and trees, especially the toddy, mango, and jackfruit. The population of Kudiyas is less than 5,000. Traditionally toddy cultivators, they have had to abandon this work due to forest regulations and now work as daily wage labour in coffee plantations. In such a scenario, conserving their traditions becomes a difficult task. State academy award winner Sharada Somayya, who has brought to the fore the musical heritage of the Kudiyas, developed interest in the traditional music while accompanying her father, musician K.K. Jaya, to performances. “We are invited to perform at Kannada cultural events and Kodava Samaj functions, earning about ₹15,000 per performance. It’s not much, which is why men don’t join," she notes.
The Jenu Kurubas, the traditional honey collector tribe spread across Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, and Kodagu districts, practices the kolata dance, a rhythmic stick dance performance held primarily during Ugadi. They go from house to house collecting offerings for their forest gods. Everyone, including women and children, participates, praying for the well-being of the tribe. The Jenu Kurubas, however, have had to fight for decades for rights to their land, creating powerful protest songs. Padma Shri awardee Somanna is well-known for his relentless fight for over 40 years for tribal rights. “Our protest songs for the rights of our people have been performed in various places, including Delhi, to raise awareness of our struggles," he says.
The representatives of each of these tribes feel encouraged by the large turnout at the GlobalKulture festival. Nagappa notes that urban audiences often watch but don’t engage with the communities. “But here, people interacted with us and learned about our tradition," he says.
Arun Sivag, founder of GlobalKulture, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of tribal and folk music in India, says the festival aimed not only to showcase Karnataka’s tribal music but also to give these artists the respect given to classical musicians. “At classical concerts, I’ve seen tribal and folk artists relegated to greeting guests outside. Why should there be a difference? We wanted equal respect for our tribal artists."
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