Category Archives: Performing arts

“Culture nourishes itself from nature / Without nature, culture cannot exist / without culture, a society cannot” – Vayali Folklore Group’s motto on its journey: “learning the traditional/local Knowledge systems practiced in and around the banks of River Nila (Bharatha Puzha) and share/impart the same to the young generation” through folk art dance performance.
http://www.vayali.org
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=1972

“Many of the tribes have two distinct types of music, the ‘outdoor’ ensemble, which is often performed by members of a different tribe or a Hindu caste, and their own characteristic tribal songs. The outdoor ensemble is used at weddings and on festive occasions. It varies in size and structure, depending to some extent on the affluence of the tribe. The main instruments are the double-reed oboe-type, a straight, curved, or S-shaped horn, a variety of drums – kettle-shaped, cylindrical, or frame drums similar to the tambourine – and cymbals.” – NA Jairazbhoy in A Cultural History of India (Oxford University Press, 1975, Chapter XVI “Tribal, Folk and Devotional Music”), pp. 212-242
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=3488

“Economic deprivation, degradation of land and the temptations of urban culture have led to large scale migration of tribals to greener pastures. The ones who are left behind have far more pressing problems to attend to, than that of the survival of a dance form that hardly anyone understands or appreciates.” – Amitabh Ghosh of The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation in Jamshedpur, quoted in “The disappearing steps of tribal dance” (The Deccan Herald, 22 October 2011)
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/199806/disappearing-steps-tribal-dance.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=5383

“The performers of the Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture should continually upgrade their creative flair and operational skill so that they themselves can play a proactive role in bolstering the foundation and ensuring the sustainability of Tribal /Folks Arts and Culture. They should adopt a proactive stance in carrying the rich cultural legacy of India and proceed forward in pursuit of functional excellence.” – Final Report, Evaluation Study of Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
http://planningcommission.gov.in/reports/sereport/ser/ser_folk2211.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=29938

Jamini Roy’s Santal Drummers

Posted on 11/04/2021 by website administrator

Two sought after paintings by Rabindranath Tagore which the British collector, W.G. Archer, acquired while working in pre-independence India as a civil servant, are being offered for sale in London. […] Another five paintings by Jamini Roy (1887-1972), with reserve … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Modernity, Music and dance, Names and communities, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Success story, Tagore and rural culture | Tagged | Comments Off on Jamini Roy’s Santal Drummers

Future in the making – Kanavu Kerala Culture Club

Posted on 09/04/2021 by website administrator

‘Kanavu’ means ‘dream‘. It is exactly a dream, an initiative of the alternative educational vision of K. J. Baby and his like-minded friends. The inception of the idea can be traced back to Maveli Manatram (1991), Baby‘s novel that was … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood and children, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Film, Games and leisure time, Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, Music and dance, Names and communities, Organizations, Performing arts, Press snippets, Quotes, Rural poverty, Video resources - external, Wayanad, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on Future in the making – Kanavu Kerala Culture Club

Video | “Please sister, pluck me a flower”: Santal puppetry and dhodro banam exponent Damon Murmu documented by Daricha Foundation – West Bengal

Posted on 29/03/2021 by website administrator

Daman Murmu is a Santal puppeteer and Banam artist from North Dinajpur in West Bengal. He performs the rare Chadar Badani form of puppetry which is practically extinct among the Santals themselves. 69 year old artist, Damon Murmu of Mahanandapur … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Music and dance, Names and communities, Organizations, Performing arts, Puppetry, Quotes, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Video resources - external | Tagged | Comments Off on Video | “Please sister, pluck me a flower”: Santal puppetry and dhodro banam exponent Damon Murmu documented by Daricha Foundation – West Bengal

Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India: Art revival Projects by Eastern Zonal Cultural Center (EZCC) – Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and The Union Territory of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Posted on 25/03/2021 by website administrator

The Eastern Zonal Cultural Center (EZCC) covering the states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and The Union Territory of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is one of the seven such Zonal Cultural Centers set up … Continue reading →

Posted in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assimilation, Crafts and visual arts, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Economy and development, Government of India, Modernity, Networking, Organizations, Performing arts, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Seven Sister States & Sikkim – North Eastern Council, Women | Comments Off on Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India: Art revival Projects by Eastern Zonal Cultural Center (EZCC) – Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and The Union Territory of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Asurs’ remembrance of their ancestors: A ‘particularly vulnerable’ tribal group – Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh & West Bengal

Posted on 21/02/2021 by website administrator

Chamru is an Asur, a ‘particularly vulnerable tribal group’ that dominates Sakhuapani’s population of about 2,000 and lives in villages spread over a radius of 10 to 20 km. Besides Jharkhand, members of the tribe live in pockets of Bihar, West … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Cultural heritage, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Dress and ornaments, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Health and nutrition, History, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Music and dance, Musicology, Names and communities, Northern region – Northern Zonal Council, Particularly vulnerable tribal group, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rural poverty, Seasons and festivals, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Video resources - external, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on The Asurs’ remembrance of their ancestors: A ‘particularly vulnerable’ tribal group – Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh & West Bengal