At a time when lullabies have become history, a 73-year-old woman, with roots in Chettinad region, has revived them. An audio CD in Tamil comprising 12 songs sung by Nallammai was recently launched in the city.
“Times have changed. The ignorance of the younger generation about our lineage and cultural identities is distressing. This was the driving force that led me to record the lullabies for generation next. Now the CDs will sustain this legacy,” she says.
The songs, whose dialect is unique to Sivaganga and Pudukkottai districts, include ‘Valli Thaalaattu,’ ‘Ramar Thaalaattu,’ ‘Thaatha-Paati Thaalaattu,’ ‘Seervarisai Murai Thaalaattu’ and more that will take listeners back to their childhood.
Each song has a brief introduction rendered by poet Avichi Krishnan, narrating their significance. The albumis priced at Rs. 99 and available at Catalyst Public Relations Pvt. Ltd., D 3, II Floor, Gemini Parsn Apartments, 599 Anna Salai, Chennai – 600 006 (Ph: 2822 0008)
“Lullabies are not mere songs, sung to make a child sleep. They carry our history, culture, love, devotion, morals and more. Moreover it is in a language that is inseparable from our lives,” she adds. Nallammai hopes that women from different places will come forward to record the lullabies of their region.
