‘Tamils should create their own musical tradition’

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 04:38 GMT]
“As a people with a history of having refined folk arts and literature, the Tamils should create a musical tradition uniquely theirs, and great musicians and intellectuals should help to create such a tradition," said “Thamilmani Mullaimani” Mr. V. Subramaniam, speaking at a two-day regional literary festival organized by the Vavuniya Cultural Federation Saturday.

“The Tamil people of the North East in Sri Lanka have a distinct cultural and artistic tradition and an awareness of that uniqueness,” said Mr. Subramaniam. “They have over the years praised and preserved that tradition. However, they have no distinct musical tradition, and have been following the Carnatic musical tradition of South India.”

Mr. Subramaniam, who was the inaugural speaker at the literary festival, said that folk arts and literature enriched the lives of Tamils to whom the village was an integral part of life. “The inroads made by Western culture and the entry of Cinema into Tamil lives affected the development of such folk arts. As a result, folk literature and folk drama were thought to be only for the poorer segment of the people. Saying that these art forms belonged to the uneducated, the public shunned folk literature and drama. Everyone instead sang the praises for modern drama.”

Mr. Subramaniam continued: “Though the modern drama made inroads into the Sinhalese traditional arts, the Sinhalese never let their traditional arts become extinct. Instead they took their traditional arts in new directions. Led by intellectuals like the late Professor Ediriweera Saratchandra, there was a renaissance in Sinhalese folk art.

“Through the efforts of the late Professor S. Vithiyanandan, Tamil folk drama was spread into cities. Professor Vithiyanandan organized a conference where all those producing folk drama gathered and brought about a new awareness of folk arts.

“Mr. Aruna Sellathurai from Mullaitivu produced the ‘Mullaimodi’ folk drama program, which has been staged in Colombo. Today, many people are talking about folk drama and carrying out detailed research on such folk arts.”

Professor (Mrs) A. Maheswaran, the Vice-Chancellor of the Jaffna University’s Vavuniya branch was the chief guest at the literary event. A book on traditional drama history titled “Pandara Vannian—Kuruvichcha Nachiyar” written by artist and writer, Mr. Aruna Sellathurai, was released at the event.

Mr. Subramaniam released the book and said Mr. Sellathurai’s book reflected the history of Pandara Vannian. He said that the book would be of great benefit not only to artists but researchers in history as well.

 

Latest 15 Reports
24.04.22 05:44  
தீவின் நெருக்கடிச் சூழலில் ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசம் கடைப்பிடிக்கவேண்டிய நிலைப்பாடுகள்
09.04.22 14:44   Photo
குறிதவறும் ஈழத்தமிழர் தலைமைகளுக்கு வரலாறு தருகின்ற எச்சரிக்கை
21.01.22 07:24   Photo
ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசத்தின் தலைமைத்துவம் தேர்தல் அரசியற் கட்சிகளுக்கு அப்பாலானது
02.11.21 15:32   Photo
13 ஆம் சட்டத்திருத்தத்தால் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்ட இன அழிப்பை எதிர்கொள்ள முடியுமா?
15.09.21 08:19  
English version not available
17.05.21 19:23   Photo
Ananthi blames war criminal Silva for blocking collective memorial at Mu'l'livaaykkaal
09.04.21 14:46  
English version not available
23.03.21 12:41   Photo
No focus on Tamil genocide, geopolitics gets played out in Geneva in favour of QUAD formation
21.03.21 13:34   Photo
Navi Pillay explains ‘human rights’ limitations in Geneva on Tamil genocide
15.03.21 20:36   Photo
Deceived Tamil activists in UK falsely claimed ‘substantial changes’ to Zero draft
09.03.21 21:34   Photo
UK repeatedly wronged Tamils says hunger-striker, demands genocide justice
26.02.21 11:53   Photo
Tamils witness false dilemma in Geneva as geopolitical formations pit against each other
19.02.21 14:02   Photo
UK not prepared to push for ICC option in new UNHRC Resolution
07.02.21 23:16   Photo
Unprecedented P2P uprising paves the way for rights-oriented politics of Tamils and Muslims
22.01.21 08:01   Photo
Gotabaya sets up deceptive COI citing ‘sovereignty’ and ‘non-aligned’ foreign policy
 
Find this article at:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=9569