Minus the festivals, traditional artists stare at uncertain future

KOCHI:

Sahadevan

has been sitting on the portico of his home, for most part of the day, in Thrissur waiting for a booking or a call from his

drummers

' group for the past two weeks. He checks his WhatsApp group once more if someone has put a 'thumbs up' to join a festival in some remote corner of the state. Unfortunately, these days, there are only posts about precautions to be taken against Covid-19, he said.


As the summer season peaks in Kerala, it is hectic time for drummers and Theyyam artists as two of the state's popular obsession Melam and Theyyam begin again. These artists get work for only 100 days every year and the three months starting in February are their peak season. They have more than one performance every day and the ensemble travels from one temple to another, earning just enough to survive the entire year.

"Covid-19 is like a death sentence to all micro-traditions of Kerala. All of us are going to get severely impacted as all performances and gatherings have been banned. Most artists, who work like daily wage-earners, now find it difficult to make both ends meet," said Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, who is at the helm of major Melams in state.

There are around 5,000 traditional artists in Kerala who subsist on festivals. If Theyyam is a popular art form in north Kerala, central and south

Kerala revel

on Melams and Panchavadyams, the three-hour orchestra, which has 50-100 participants, that include drummers trumpet blowers and cymbal clangers.

The festival circuit also earns good tourism revenue with around 40% of the state's tourism earnings coming in the first quarter of the year, but as state has clamped down on all large gatherings, there is bound to be a huge dip in the revenue this year.

The life of an average drummer, to begin with, is far from easy. He is exposed to the sun, dust and heat for the entire day, standing shirtless and drumming for 10-12 hours every day during the season.

Over the years, Melams began got a cult following and its popularity grew, especially among youngsters and thankfully the drummer's family was slowly lifted from poverty. This year, life seems to have come a full circle again.

For hundreds of Theyyam artists like Rajesh Peruvannan, a Kannur resident, whose entire family subsist on the 100-odd performances he gives during a season, it can never get worse. "Theyyam is supposed to be the incarnation of god who gives blessings to devotees, but here even God is at the mercy of a largely man-made pandemic," he said.

Temple authorities, though they sympathise with this miserable state of artists, cannot do much. "We can only hope that this calamity doesn't spread to a longer period, then stricter measures may have to be taken. Festivals have already become a pious affair now," said Cochin Devaswom

Board Mohanan

chairman AB.