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Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Performing Arts and Artistes in Modern Times Given above are some photos of molded into dancing songs. Usually, they are performed by women who gather under diffferent performing arts. How many the moonlight, sing Chuttukamudu songs of them can you identify? Write down and dance to the rhythm of clapping. the names under each of the photos. Similarly, village girls hang swings on trees Did you see any of them being and sing the Vuyyala Patalu with performed in your area ? Share your devotional stories of Goddess Lakshmi and experience with the class. Gowri. Many other art forms are www.tsupdate.in performed by special people. In this chapter, we will read about performing artistes in the 20th century. By Find out from your parents and performing artistes, we mean those who grandparents about the songs sung dance, sing, perform plays etc. They are and dances performed by family different from other artistes like painters, members on special occasions. Make sculptors and writers in that their work a chart listing these songs, the cannot be preserved – they have to perform occasions on which they are afresh each time. performed and some sample songs. ManySCERT of the folk arts are performed TELANGANA by Have any changes come in these the people themselves. People sing and performances in the recent years? dance as part of their work and also during Share your findings with the rest of leisure time and festivals. The the class. Chuttuukamudu is one of the art form of If any of you know some of these Telangana that came out of the daily labour songs and dances, perform them in of the peasants. Their work songs were the class. Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Different forms of dances Gusadi : Yaksha Ganam Raja Gonds of Adilabad celebrate Yaksha Ganam or Jakkula Deepavali with a lot of fanfare. The dance Bhagavatham or Veedhi Bhagavatham is a they perform during this celebrations is popular telugu folk art. As the artists called ‘Gusadi’. They decorate themselves dance rhythmatically, this is also called in colourful costumes of peacock feather, “Chindu Bhagavatham”. Books like deer horn etc. It is accompanied by Panditharadhya charitra and Basava musical instruments like Dappu, Puranam tell us that it became popular Tudumu, Pipri and Kalikom. from the 13th century. They perform on a Sadir Natyam : stage that have a cover on the public A solo dance form performed for places. Initially, all the different roles centuries by devadasis in temples and were played by a single person by singing eventually, in the royal courts of South and dancing. But today, each role would India, especially in Tamil Nadu. be performed by a different artist. It is not the action itself that is important but the Lambadi : narration of the story which is important. Lambadi, a semi-nomadic tribe in These are a mix of dialogue, songs and Telangana, has dances inspired by the poem. The stage perfomers are accompa- movements associated with daily tasks nied by tabala, harmonium and singing like harvesting, planting and sowing. The chorus. Movement of the actor’s legs and costumes, embroidered with glass-beads hands exhibit different expressions ac- and shining discs, are beautiful. When they cording to the role and its importance. The perform on festivals like Dussehra, www.tsupdate.in roles played by different artists can be Deepavali and Holi, people pay them identified by their costumes and specific money. props or weapons with them. Each story Kuravanji : can have different roles such as Gods, kings, ministers, soldiers, brahmins, peas- A group dance by women, ants, common people, jokers etc. interpreting literary or poetic Some of the most narrated stories are compositions, typically on the theme of Sugreeva Vijayam, Bala Nagamma fulfillment of the love of a girl for her Katha, Rambha Rampala, Chitrangada beloved. Vilasam,SCERT and Krishnarjuna Yuddam .. TELANGANATra- Kuchipudi : ditionally, plays were performed mostly A group form of dance drama from by people of Chindu caste. Today, how- Kuchipudi, a village in Andhra Pradesh, ever, many people, irrespective of caste, with all roles performed by men and come forward and learn this performing themes based on mythology. art. Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Golla Suddulu were practiced by shepherds who migrated from place to place. Some of them were associated with religious groups like Virashaivas. Have you seen any such performances by travelling artistes? Tell your class mates about them, who they were, what they sang and how were they treated by the audience. If any such artistes live nearby, meet them and find out about their lives and art. How did the performing artistes earn a livelihood? Some artistes travelled from place to place giving their performances. Such artistes were patronised by the village headman or the landlord and ordinary villagers. They also collected grains from the villagers. They were highly regarded as Fig 21.1: Yaksha Ganam artistes and were welcomed in any village for the entertainment they provided. They Over the ages, artistes like dancers, were an essential part of temple festivals storytellers, singers, actors etc. have not and annual village festivals. People also www.tsupdate.in only entertained people and given them organised special performances as they aesthetic experience, but also helped to believed that they would help in bringing rain communicate spiritual messages and and ward off evil. criticise the ills of our society and suggest Many artistes did not travel like this but alternatives. Performing artistes could were attached to the palaces of zamindars, play a powerful social role by mobilising kings and emperors. They spent most of their people for important social causes. Fakeer patalu, Bairagi patalu, Dandaganam,SCERT Latkorusaab etc. wereTELANGANA songs sung by travelling fakirs and bairagis. They were sung in Telugu and Fig 21.2: Gusadi Deccani Urdu and mixed language. Dance Several other art forms required larger teams like in Burrakatha and Golla Suddulu. It is said that initially these Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in time learning and teaching and performing to the right of the performer comments on for their patrons in courts and palaces. contemporary political and social issues We will first read about some travelling even if the story is mythological and the artists - Burrakatha and Tholubommalata drummer on the left provides comic relief. performers. ‘Vinara Bharata Veera Kumara Burrakatha Vijayam Manadera’, ‘Tandana Tana’ is the popular refrain of the Burrakatha. Burrakatha is a Telugu art form of Performance begins in the evening with storytelling. The origin of Burrakatha is songs in praise of various gods. Then the associated with Virashaiva movement in kathakudu introduces the main story by 12th and 13th centuries. telling about the place, time and context of The term ‘burra’ refers to ‘tambura’ the story, while the assistants repeat the a stringed instrument worn across the right refrain of the narrative. shoulder of the main performer Burrakatha is performed mostly during (kathakudu). Usually, this art is practiced Dasara or Sankranti festival seasons. by a team of two or three people from the Mostly, mythological stories from epics same family of certain social groups like like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and picchuguntla or jangalu. In this form of some stories of kings like Kambojaraju narration, the main storyteller tells the katha, Bobbili katha, Palnati katha, story while playing a tambura and dancing Katamaraju katha etc. are told. wearing andelu (anklets). He dances rhyth- Nazar performed many Burrakathas mically forward and backward on the stage during the Telangana movement. The while reciting a story. The performer also Telangana artistes also began to compose wears a hollow ring over his right thumb www.tsupdate.in and perform new Burrakathas to campaign with which he beats the basic tempo of the among people. The more notable among songs. One or two associates assist the these were Tirunagari Ramanjaneylus main narrator with a two-headed earthern ‘Telangana Veera-yodhulu’, Aduri drum called dakki or budike. The drummer Ayodhya Rama’s ‘Naizam Viplavam’ S.K. Chaudh- ary’s Kasim Razvi’ and Sunkara Satyanarayna’s ‘Kashta Jivi’. These SCERT TELANGANABurrakathas focused on the socio-economic probl- ems of the people and the heroic deeds of the leaders of the movement. For example, Sunkara Satya- Fig 21.3: Photo of Burrakatha performance narayana’s ‘Telangana’ was Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in Downloaded from www.tsupdate.in written in 1944. It focused on the heroism are visible to the audience. Through of Shaik Bandagi, a Muslim peasant, who variations in pitch, the actor gives each fought valiantly against the oppression of puppet its own voice. the feudal landlord, Visnuru Deshmukh. Performances begin at 9 p.m. and last Presently, Burrakatha troupes are being throught the night. The troupe of shadow patronised by the Government for creating puppeteers consists of eight to twelve awareness on various social issues like artistes. The troupe have at least two women literacy, AIDS etc. Burrakatha perfor- for singing and speaking the dialogues for mances are broadcast on TV but the female characters, two men for male traditional performers have left this art characters, three instrumentalists to play form as their place has been taken over by the harmonium, sruthi, and cymbals and one other forms of entertainment and have no assistant who quickly supplies puppets and more patrons in the villages. maintains the lamps. Tholubommalata They select an open place in the village for the stage, planting four-bamboo sticks This is a shadow puppet show to form a rectangle shape with a white cloth performed by travelling artists. Puppets tied to the poles.

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