Malayalam folk rock fans who want to have some fresh adrenalin rush can knock at the ‘Soul of Folk’, an emerging folk rock performers’ and promoters’ collective from northern Kerala led by Athul Narukara, a folklore research scholar from Calicut University.
Athul, 25, from Narukara village in Malappuram, had shot to fame recently singing Palappalli Thiruppalli for Prithviraj’s action-drama flick Kaduva.
Buoyed by the good response from music buffs, Athul is gearing up to archive the contributions and real life stories of a number of unsung heroes of tribal communities. He is now in touch with unsung performers in over 35 tribal communities to prepare them for a grand comeback.
“There are many singers unknown to the world of modern rock music. Our young bands can do a lot to discover such talents such as Nanjiyamma and give them fitting venues to promote the genre. We are planning to have such shows across the State with a pool of such unsung native talents,” says Athul, who has been part of such numerous experimental shows.
A first-rank holder in MA Folklore from Calicut University, he is keen to promote traditional wooden and leather percussion accompaniments for his specially composed songs. “The Soul of Folk resonates with such traditional instruments and we wish to sustain them with some trendy improvisation,” he says.
For Athul, the mission is to record the maximum number of live shows with the participation of native talents he had across during his research work and otherwise. He says he has already met exceptional talents from over 38 tribal communities for the archival purpose.
A recipient of many awards, including the diamond jubilee fellowship instituted by the Department of Culture, Government of Kerala, and the Kerala Folklore Academic Award, Athul is now heading a team of 11 performers, including singers and instrumentalists, specialised in the genre.
Athul feels that Abhayam Thedi Veendum, a film directed by cinematographer Santhosh Sivan teaming up with writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair, has boosted his confidence, with him singing three songs and contributing lyrics for two.
“Kombeduthoru Vambu Kanichu sung for the Mammootty film Puzhu was my first chance in film that recognised the contributions of Soul of Folk to the genre,” he says.
