Clad in mundu and banian, they form a circle and move around singing and rhythmically striking hand-held sticks. As the music gradually varies in pitch, the circle expands and contracts with performers making brisk movements — Kolkali, the age-old folk art was staged before a packed crowd at Carmel Auditorium here.
The spectators seemed to be impressed by the performance of all the 27 teams at the higher secondary-level competition. Not so, the old guards. They feel that the art form is losing its essence.
Trainer’s lament
“I have been an artist and Kolkali trainer for 28 years. The art form has undergone a lot of changes. It is very demanding and involves a lot of movements. The performers need to showcase each movement without losing its core. But of late it has been more of a cinematic performance,” says Sayyid Alavi, alias Koya Gurukkal, a Kolkali exponent and trainer from Kozhikode.
Four schools from Kasaragod, Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, and Idukki trained by Sayyid Alavi participated in this year’s competition.
Sticking to the doyens
“Kolkali is also undergoing changes. But I still use the songs of Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar, S.M. Koya, and Alikutty for performances. The quality of judges, as well as spectators, at the school arts festivals has declined drastically,” he says.
Timothy, a first timer at the arts festival, says there is a need to keep the art form’s core characteristics intact. “I am a Kolkali enthusiast and an artist. After years of practice, I got a chance to perform at the highest level. We have been taught not to deviate from the essence of the art form,” the student says.
