The Plachimada Story - Part II

All you wanted to know about Plachimada Anti-Coke protest (Part II)
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Duration: 30m 36s
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Robin is the coordinator of Keraleeyam magazine published from Thrissur. He took part in forming the Plachimada Protest Support Committee and now he is the convener of the Plachimada Study Committee. I wanted to know the truth behind the Plachimada anti-Coke protest in detail and wanted to know the motives behind the protest. This interview has cleared many of my concerns and I hope it does the same for the readers. Keraleeyam has been writing about the issue since 1998.

[Special thanks to JK for helping me to prepare the questions]

An English translation of this interview can be read at Desi Critics website.

The Plachimada Story

All you wanted to know about Plachimada Anti-Coke protest
(After clicking the play button, please wait a bit for the audio file to load; or 'pause' right after you click 'play' and then wait for the audio to load and then click again on 'play' to stream the audio)

Duration: 30m 36s
Download this episode

Robin is the coordinator of Keraleeyam magazine published from Thrissur. He took part in forming the Plachimada Protest Support Committee and now he is the convener of the Plachimada Study Committee. I wanted to know the truth behind the Plachimada anti-Coke protest in detail and wanted to know the motives behind the protest. This interview has cleared many of my concerns and I hope it does the same for the readers. Keraleeyam has been writing about the issue since 1998.

[Special thanks to JK for helping me to prepare the questions]

An English translation of this interview can be read at Desi Critics website.

Seenai - An all-male self-help group from Vizhinjam

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Duration: 5m 29s

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Seenai - An all-male self-help group from Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram. This episode was conceptualized and produced by Radio Alakal. Radio Alakal is a venture of www.indiadisasters.org. For any queries or questions, please contact Mr. L. Ajith at lajith_s@rediffmail.com or lajith_s@hotmail.com

When two singers met - Part 2

An interview with Gayatri by Pradip Somasundaram

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Duration: 26m 45s
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Two friends. Two wonderful singers. Came together for a chat for M-Pod. One of them interviewed the other. The "meri awaz suno" fame Pradip Somasundaran interviews state award winning singer Gayathri in this episode.

M-Pod has covered an interview with Pradip earlier and you're all familiar with him now. You know Gayathri through the songs like Thumbi kinnaaram from the movie Naran, Chaanchaadiyaadi from Makalkku, Enthe nee kanna (state award winning song), Deena dayaalo raama from Arayannangalude veedu etc. You also heard her singing in Maestero Ilaiyaraja's oratario Thiruvaasagam.

In this conversation they talk about:

• Gayathri as a person
• Her entry into the musical career
• Advantages/disadvantages of learning Carnatic & Hindustani music for a singer
• Different styles/schools in Hindustani music - With vocal examples
• What makes a singer to stand apart from the other singers
• Song from the movie Makalkku

Please let Pradip and Gayathri know your thoughts on the show and their singing. Let them know your wishes and prayers for them in the following email IDs:

Pradip: pradipsomasundaran(at)gmail(dot)com
Gayathri: gayathriasokan(at)yahoo(dot)com

PART II OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED NEXT WEEK.

Special thanks to Sri. Pradip Somasundaram and Ms. Gayatri for their un-conditional support.

When two singers met - Gayatri & Pradip

An interview with Gayatri by Pradip Somasundaram

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Duration: 26m 45s
Download this episode

Two friends. Two wonderful singers. Came together for a chat for M-Pod. One of them interviewed the other. The "meri awaz suno" fame Pradip Somasundaran interviews state award winning singer Gayathri in this episode.

M-Pod has covered an interview with Pradip earlier and you're all familiar with him now. You know Gayathri through the songs like Thumbi kinnaaram from the movie Naran, Chaanchaadiyaadi from Makalkku, Enthe nee kanna (state award winning song), Deena dayaalo raama from Arayannangalude veedu etc. You also heard her singing in Maestero Ilaiyaraja's oratario Thiruvaasagam.

In this conversation they talk about:

• Gayathri as a person
• Her entry into the musical career
• Advantages/disadvantages of learning Carnatic & Hindustani music for a singer
• Different styles/schools in Hindustani music - With vocal examples
• What makes a singer to stand apart from the other singers
• Song from the movie Makalkku

Please let Pradip and Gayathri know your thoughts on the show and their singing. Let them know your wishes and prayers for them in the following email IDs:

Pradip: pradipsomasundaran(at)gmail(dot)com
Gayathri: gayathriasokan(at)yahoo(dot)com

PART II OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED NEXT WEEK.

Special thanks to Sri. Pradip Somasundaram and Ms. Gayatri for their un-conditional support.

Theyyam -- The Dravidian Resistance

About Theyyam, a temple ritual of the Dravidians

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Duration: 16m 13s

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I had a trip to North Kerala to blogger Thulasi's homeland Kakkaatt, in Kasaragod district. It was to see Theyyams in its pure form. The ones you see in the television or in other towns in Kerala would be for the political processions or some cultural presentation packs offered to foreigners.

Theyyam is an artform of the Dravidians. And it has a revolutionary concept behind it since the Theyyam artists are from low-caste communities like Malayan, Vannaan etc. Even the high-caste people will have to worship the Gods come in the form of Theyyam, so we can say it was against the then caste-system in Kerala. But I cannot say it is completely free of caste system, because in the blessings time, Theyyam give special blessings to the people from the high-caste families and even call out their family names and Theyyam goes to them to give blessings. Anyways, it can be considered as the Dravidian/Tribal resistance against the Brahmin rule in Hinduism.

The costume is so colorful and I could see many theyyams like Vishnumurthy (Narasimham), Kaara Gulikan (Sivan), Chamundi, Attakkaatt Bhagavathy, Poomaaran etc. I also had the prasaadam oottu and it was so different and fun out there.

Theyyam is performed in Kavu (the small shrines) and the interesting thing I found was there is no idol in these kavus, but only a lamp lighted during the Theyyam season. In other times, there is no daily ritual happening here. In Kakkaatt, Theyyam is peformed once in every three years.

People seem to have less belief in Theyyam as God when I observed the crowd. Just like how you see in the Catholic churches. How many of the Catholics truly believe or respect the God that comes in the form of bread and wine? The one similarity I could see in Theyyam and Catholicism is this. Theyyam is the God that comes to earth and bless his/her devotees just like Catholics believe in Holy Communion.

Thanks to Blogger Thulasi for helping with the interview.

Please let us know your suggestions and comments. Email me at jocalling(at)gmail(dot)com.

Saanthwanam

An interviw with the joint secretary of Pain & Palliative Care Society, Thrissur branch. He talks about the society and its activities.

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Duration: 23m 9s

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In this episode, you can can listen to an interviw with Mr. P. K. Muraleedharan Raja, Joint Secretary of Pain & Palliative Care Society, Thrissur branch. Pain & Palliative Care Society helps the patients who need medical, mental and financial support.

Pain & Palliative Care is a concept started by a social worker and a doctor Ms. Sicily Sonders in United Kingdom in 1965. Their operations begun in India around 25 years ago and 12 years ago their Kerala branch was also started. Their center in Kozhikode (Calicut) in Kerala has been approved by WHO for their demonstration program.

Donations to the Pain and Palliative Care Society are exempt from income tax under section 80(G) and can be sent to the following address:

P. K. Muraleedharan Raja,
Pain & Palliative Care Society,
District Hospital, Thrissur - 680001.
PH: 0487-3097775.
MOBILE: 9447002987

Website: www.painandpalliativecare.org/

Vayalamma

Some folk songs of Kerala
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Duration: 18m 4s
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In this episode, you can can listen to a few folk songs of Kerala, sung by a group called "Vayali" from Vadakkanchery, Thrissur.

The Singing Priest

An interview with Fr. Paul Poovathingal, a priest who is an M.Phil. in Carnatic music

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Duration: 53m 10s

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"Music is the bridge between religions" - Says Fr. Paul Poovathingal CMI who has earned the name the "singing priest." Fr. Paul is a graduate in English and Psychology from Christ College, Bangalore. Though he had exposure to music at the age of 17, his seminary duties did not allow him much time to presume it. But after graduation the pull was too strong to resist and at the age of 31 he dedicated himself to the study of Carnatic music. But why was it so? It is not common for a Christian priest to take to classical Carnatic music! Says Fr. Paul, "as a priest my search was for reaching divinity; I felt that music was the best means to achieve the goal and realise divinity." He joined the Sangita Shironmani course at the University of Delhi where he also did and continued with his Masters and won a gold medal. While in Delhi he had learnt music from a few eminent artistes like T.R. Subramaniam. Later he pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Madras under the guidance of Prof. Karaikudi Subramaniam. In Chennai he found gurus in K. J. Yesudas and more recently Vaikom Jayachandran.

In this episode, Fr. Paul talks about the following things:

• Carnatic music
• Importance of literature in Carnatic music
• His musical journey
• Carnatic music and Kerala Christians
• Carnatic music v/s the other tradional music systems
• The new trend of learning traditional arts

He also sings the following Carnatic krithis in this interview:

• Deva deva kalayaamithe
• Vaathaapi ganapathim
• Saama gaana priye

Links:

The Hindu Interview
Focus on Kerala article
The Hindu article

Nattarivu

A talk show about the folk Knowledgebase of Kerala

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Duration: 33m 16s

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In this week's episode, Dr. C. R. Rajagopal (Professor of Malayalam in Keralavarma College, Thrissur) talks about the folk knowledge of Kerala and the importance of knowing our culture and the knowledge that our ancestors had passed on to us.

Dr. Rajagopal is the director of Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, Thrissoor that accredited in the world intellectual property organisation, Geneva. The group is working and documenting the traditional knowledge systems. It has published 25 books.

And Dr C. R. Rajagopal received folklore academy award. The centre has folklore performances troupe and released 4 album of folk songs. His four video films were also presented in the universities and in Kaumudi Europe online reception. The first film is on Shamanism of Malayan tribes in Kerala.The 2nd is on musicians and dancers on serpent worship in Kerala. 3rd on the 'play' of consciousness in Mudiyettu / a folk theatre and the 4th on destination -A journey into 'Yi' tribal culture of south west China.

You can check for the "Nattarivu" articles in http://www.puzha.com for Malayalam articles and http://www.aboriginalproductions.com for English articles.

If you want to know more about "Naatarivu Padana Kendhram", please contact them in the below adddress:

Naattarivu Padana Kendram,
Kanimangalam P. O.
Thrissur - 680027
Ph: + 91 487 2448827

Or you can contact Mr. Rajagopal at rajagopalcr@yahoo.co.in

Interview with Pradip Somasundaran

An interview with the "Meri Awaz Suno" fame Pradip Somasundaran.

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Duration: 50m 9s
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Pradip Somasundaran needs no introduction for people from Kerala and for those who have heard/seen the first of its kind musical program Meri Aawaaz Suno in Dooradarshan some years back. He won Lata Mangeshkar award for the best Male singer. And the best female singer was Sunidhi Chauhan. Now he sings for the movies and albums. A great singer and a cool and humble person.
In this episode,Pradip talks about the following:

• About his musical career before Meri Awaz Suno
• The truth behind his public image of a 'Hindi' singer
• His relationship with Ravindran master, the music director
• Life after Meri Awaaz Suno
• His experiences as a play back singer
• The first song he sung in a movie
• The differences between Meri Awaz Suno and reality shows of our times