The reality id est Naattupura Paattu

I watched an interesting interview recently, on the popular Tamil show Koffee with Anu. The featured guests were Dr. Pushpavanam Kuppusamy and Mrs. Anita Kuppusamy. Both of them have cast indelible impressions in the field of Nattupura Paattu. For the uninitiated this is a form of Tamil folk music that is popular in the remote and largely unknown reaches of the countryside. Characteristic to this music are the precedence of the singers' voice over the accompaniments, they use very simple ones and minimally, and the social messages that the lyric conveys subtly but with strong reference to everyday life. Given the scatterbrain I am and my imaginative ways it is probably hard to believe that I was patient enough for an hour of "folk" and "country" stuff, but a handful of things the couple had to share during the show touched me deep down and gripped me.

Dr. Kuppusamy has established himself as a top drawer artist and a true representative of Nattupura paattu. He holds a doctorate in the genre and on the professional front, performs regularly to packed audiences besides singing in films. He also writes most of his songs and given his poetic skills, he seamlessly blends what his fans like with what he likes saying. It is not as easy as I just mentioned, to blend popular folk culture with "messsage" for that seldom goes down well with the folks, and it probably requires the talent of someone like Pushpavanam to do that so effortlessly. However, life wasn't as easy as how he scripts his verses. Kuppusamy, like many others, was born in a house filled with poverty in a small Hamlet called Pushpavanam. Consequently, responsibility came about at an early age. As he emotionally recollected on the show, he would walk 28 km everyday to his school (not the one across the street) just for the sake of selling his father's produce in the market en route for a paltry sum, but that probably meant the world to them! He so humbly complained that it would tire him down and that he would be too fatigued to concentrate on his lessons; in all probability, I'd be dead within half that distance the first time I walked! But he did this day in and day out for most of his schooling. How's that for committment, perseverance, motivation..?! I strongly believe that such underlying qualities are the seeds to assured success in life.

Anita first met Pushpavanam in the university, when he was pursuing his PhD. So accomplished she is in Tamil lexicon and the Kovai dialect that it is practically impossible to identify her as a descendant of the Chambal Valley without her actually admitting. Believe it or not, her life is an absolute thriller, as she had to flee her homeland as a kid and settle down far south when her family was attacked and her grandfather murdered by Bandit Queen and her gang. How she met him is an interesting story and as they shared with Anu, it was all about he being amazed at her Tamil and the way he used to rag her with having to recite his poetry. A few unpleasant exchanges between them over her being a last choice for his co-vocalist, and whatever has followed in their remarkably different lives is a natural consequence of placing cotton and fire side-by-side, as goes the adage in Tamil. Anita's frank admission, of how a person should accept his/her surroundings as they are warmly welcomed by the very same, of how she's learnt every possible handicraft she could for her independence, her vision of liberating women with her own self help group, and a never-say-die attitude are commendable, to say the least.

The rest of the show was by and large about their success stories and milestones in their careers, with both of them singing some of their favourite folk numbers. Each of their numbers had very simple and conspicuous messages that form the pillars of our society's ethos- fighting alcoholism, dowry, female infanticide, child marriage, the promotion of intercaste weddings to mention a few. You may find this to be a rather mundane thing on blogspot (!!!) but I think what is to be appreciated is their approach to the act itself- working at the grass roots in a small way to bring about an enormous change. That calls for no ordinary commitment for it is basically a thankless job. Moreover, they do so without compromising on any element of their music- humour, passion, emotion, poetry... It is worth mentioning that they've played their roles in providing a global presence for their art, viz., through performances at The Vatican and "jamming" with Scandinavians, who they once hosted, and identifying glaring similarities that connect between both these native music forms that are otherwise poles apart! At the end of the day their accomplishments outshine any award that can be bestowed, and probably are the best rewards one could hope for. Ironically though, Naattupura Paattu is an ailing art with few takers today, all thanks to urbanisation.

What if- ...if I could be so blessed with even just a whit of the Kuppusamys' qualities and humility, and seek bliss?!

[Aside: I regularly follow this show, almost every week, depending on the invitees and their relevance to my interests and curiosity. If you're surprised that I do, let me just clarify by admitting that as a grad student I need to set aside time for things that are extraneous to the scope of my research- such as KWA. Nothing extraordinary that meets the eye or beyond about that show, I'd say, but I like Anu's style of chatting with her guests and getting them to open up free-form and do the talking rather than interrogate them over the irrelevant issues in their lives. Some of the most accomplished from various walks of life (including Anu herself, her bio-d has many-a-thing in it to testify that) have featured till date and I've certainly learnt a thing or two everytime. All this thankfully to the point of nearly becoming a fan of Anu and her show but not quite. I'd safely justify my stand thanks to a good friend of mine who is even more closely related to my blog and has absolutely adored her since his days of middle school! ;-) ]

KWA episodes I recommend: SPB - Gangai Amaren, Mouli - Y. G. Mahendran, Dhanush - Nayanthara, Parthiban - Padmapriya, Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, Sachu - Manorama, Prakash Raj - Prithviraj , Kushboo, Vivek - Sangeetha, Jayaram, Unnikrishnan - Pop Shalini, U. Srinivas - Sivamani, Anita Ratnam - Jayanthi Natarajan...
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