Passing on the Tulunad tales through music

About three decades ago, the thriller series Guddada Bhootha had us all glued to the screens with its captivating storyline set in the lovely Tulunad region. Even after all these years, the Tulu title track of the series ‘Dennana Dennana’ still brings a smile. The track was inspired by a Paadhdhana (oral epic poem), which is an essential part of Tulu culture. Another lesser-known and now-waning tradition of the Tulu culture is Kabitol, which are songs sung during the cultivation of crops.

Many cultures and dialects across the world have their very own versions of harvest songs or field hollers, the context of which varies.

On the coast, they also served as vehicles through which folktales were passed on from one generation to the next. But agrarian-based culture is on its way to becoming a memory, with modernisation taking over traditional agricultural methods. A true blue coastal boy, Praveen Alva, who grew up in Pejawar, is one of the many to witness these developments.

He believes that while culture always evolves, the responsibility of passing it on to the next generation lies with those practicing it. With this in mind, he formed the Tulu band Alva Kuuto in 2022.

What inspired Praveen?
Like most 90s kids, Alva’s exposure to other forms of music came from all that aired on the good old television and All India Radio. But what he truly loved was his ‘exposure to local cultures of performative rituals like Bhootha Kola and Yakshagana, which have an intrinsic musicality to their performance structures’.

Only after joining college was he introduced to artists like Pink Floyd, Metallica, John Mayer, and Raghu Dixit, among others. The influence of both of these is what forms the crux of the band’s music: old world narratives and folk melodies repackaged and presented to appeal to all.

“While Bollywood music remains a constant, musical preferences vary depending on which part of the coast and the community one hails from.

While devotional music (Kannada and Tulu) has always had an audience, pop and rock music is more popular in the Catholic community, whereas the Byari-speaking Muslim community largely listens to Malayalam songs, and the Konkani-speaking community listens to classical and devotional Marathi music. Of course, electronic dance music (EDM) has seeped in lately, courtesy of pub culture.

But sadly, the region has very little live music; the only evident live music culture is when the local orchestras perform during festivals or cultural events,” says Alva, giving us a sneak peek into the music scene of Mangaluru.

Composition in mother-tongue
“Our ancestors passed on their way of life and their perspectives of the world through Paadhdhana, where they sang about amazing stories of heroic men and women, of daily life struggles, and of changing seasons, among others. I rely on the stories, people, and experiences that I’ve been part of (directly or indirectly) to draw out my storyline or context for my songs,” adds Alva.

Composing a track in his mother tongue is a liberating experience for him, as it helps him explore further and communicate better while representing his culture. But would this in any way be a limitation?

“The only limitation to what I’m doing specifically is that, as an audience member or as an event organiser, one has very little reference to music in Tulu.

There is no indie music scene in Tulu; it has to be built from the ground, and that’s the opportunity that I’m working on. The audience is always open to unique and interesting things.

It’s only the gatekeepers who need a lot of persuasion,” explains Alva.