Badaga Songs and Dance

Thangaadu L.Krishnan, another great singer

I have heard a lot about Thangaadu L.Krishnan, probably a contemporary of Kerban Bella Gowder, but only now had the opportunity to listen to his songs, courtesy Priyaraghava of Eddakkaadu. To say the least, the voice of L.Krishnan, is very unique and the more you listen to his songs, the more you want to listen. Simply great. One of the songs from the album, Priyaraghava has hosted in Cooltoad, is “Kundha Paala Roadu dhoge”…the original Badaga atta song. I remember listening to this dance number fifty years back, a song which was a must in any habba. Old timers will remember this song being referred to as ‘ Baby powder’a bekku endhagha, Bella na hennu en Janagi, Akka akka huttidha awai, ondhu jolia heghine baali’. There are 20 songs on this album

I will be grateful to any reader who can provide more info on Thanagaadu L.Krishnan [including photos] and his songs so that we can immortalise his songs like that of Kerban Bella Gowder.

For more Badaga Songs by Kerban Bella Gowder, Kotagiri Kada and others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sai Pallavi - Badaga Dancer

A comment I received says “A BADAGA GIRL IS PERFORMING IN THE VIJAY TV PROGRAM ‘UNGALIL YAAR ADUTHA PRABHU DEVA”

HER NAME IS SAI PALLAVI! SHE IS JUST AN IMPECCABLE DANCER! “

Will she be the first Badaga Female Movie Star?

See the youtube videos >> here

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Badaga Songs and Dance

On the unique BADAGA community of the Nilgiris in Southern India…their origin, language, culture and customs !!

photo from : Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Kovai

—– Aatta Aadovo…Baarivo !

If you are one of those who enjoy the foot tapping Badaga Dance numbers, you’d like this streaming media on the side bars with some nice dance numbers

BUGIRI

Bugiri - probably the only original musical instrument that is considered very sacred by Badagas and is extensively used during Hethai Habba. Whenever the ‘Hethai Mane’ group visits any badaga village , just before the invocation of Hethai (DEV ADDODHU) this instrument is played by the specialists. It produces a very snoothing music, and when Hethai Songs are played, it can produce an electrifying effect.

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BUGIRI

by IR Loganathan, Ithalar

[from Silver Jubilee Souvenir 1993 of Badaga Welfare Association, Madras]

Bugiri is one of the musical instruments of our ancestors. This looks like a long flute. There are a couple of small side branches at the knots of this bamboo instrument. There are six holes in this. It is learnt that this instrument was kept in all the Badaga houses in earlier days. It is also said that all the elders had the capacity to play this instrument in those days. This was played near the patients/suffering so as to make them go off to sleep forgetting their pain. During funerals, the relatives of the deceased played this to vent their sorrow.

It is difficult to exactly say the type of music/sound the bugiri produced. Still, it may be like the sound of a big fire, or the sound produced when things are rubbed systematically, or like the sound of a spinning top or like that of a constant ’sangu’ being blown. There are high and low notes produced by this instrument which can kindle deep feelings as well as to make one get thoroughly engrossed.

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Badaga Songs on the web

Website of Wing commander Bellie Jayaprakash that is regularly updated and more info added

On the unique BADAGA community of the Nilgiris in Southern India…their origin, language, culture and customs !!

Kerban Bella Gowder

Over a period of time, I have listened to a lot of Badaga singers [some were as good as professionals] but the best in my opinion is KERBEN BELLA GOWDER who had a golden voice. I met him for the first time all most three decades ago. He could play harmonium, bull bull tara or ‘thambutte’ [drum] with equal elan, His greatest ability was to compose and render songs on the spot, some times suitably changing the verses to suit the occassion.He was a much sought after singer in any function, be it a wedding, savu or anniversary. Just with a couple of his colleagues accompanying on the thambutte [mathalam] and jalra [cymbals], he would sing while playing the harmonium. Sadly, no songs were recorded in any studio. His savu [sad] songs would bring tears streaming down even in the hardest of hearts.Another, great contribution of Bella Gowder is his rendering of many Badaga Ballads - the best being ” BERADA BELLIE “ I had the great fortune of recording [on a tape recorder] some of his songs when he had visited my home at Hubbathalai on a few occassions. Luckily I could trace them recently.It is with a great sense of honour and as a tribute to this gifted singer I have uploaded some of his BERADA BELLIE as well as KAARA CHENNE and other songs on the net so that all of us can listen to his golden voice. The voice quality of some of these streaming songs may not be good due to the original recording having been done on a tape recorder.

I bow my head in dedication to Kerben Bella Gowder who passed away a few years back.

Listen to the streaming music of “BERADHA BELLIE” and "KAARA CHENNE" ballads in the golden voice of Bella Gowder given below

Beradha Bellie Ballad by Bella Gowder

Kothagiri (Kurudu) Kada

Another great singer of yester years was Kada from Kothagiri. He was blind but was very very spontaneous and could keep the audience spell bound.

Go here to listen to Kada's Songs

Songs by Kothagiri Kaada

Some times I feel we are insensitive to others’ feelings. We call them Nondi Rama, Kividi Sevani & Kurudu Kada etc. More than the individual’s disability, it is our disability that is truly appalling & blinding!!

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Badaga Dance Songs

My choice of Badaga Dance Numbers

1.Hutty Bappane 2.Kappu Huttileyu 3. Mele Keriyoge 4.Soley Gaayee

Click play button or at the song to hear these great numbers without leaving this page

Specially Chosen by Wing Commander JP

It has been brought to my notice that the above song ‘Mele Kerioge’ forms part of the album “SINGARA SEEME” by KHD. The lyrics are by SHOLUR G. Raman & KHD and the music is by P.Subramani, Bangalore. The singers asr G.N.Ramsn, Ravi - Jakkanaarai, Shanthi Desingh and G.N.Kalai.

About Badaga music along with the unique dance form, I read this very interesting article

[H]Ethai Amman in Kovai Sakshi [edited]

Seventy kilometers north of Coimbatore, in the Nilgiris hill town of Ooty, resides a community of people known as the Badagas. The Badagas trace their ancestry back to Hethai Amman, a pious woman from Mysore who fled the city when a Muslim king wanted her as his prize. Theirs is a somewhat cloistered community, stretching across some 500 villages in the Nilgiri Hills, which make the border of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Badagas have their own customs, codes, traditions and language. Dharma, faith, compassion and service—these are the hallmarks of the Badaga. They will proudly tell you that one will not find a single beggar among their "brothers and sisters" and rarely are any of their children born handicapped. (They attribute both of these to their culture, which nurtures service-mindedness)....

A central element of Badaga culture is music and dance. When inspired, the Badaga will spontaneously begin improvising melodies and lyrics. "It is our way of expressing our fondness for someone," explains Smt. Sivagami, a Badaga.

Their often-ecstatic music comes in the form of call-and-response, and some say the Badaga even have a form of telepathy, which enables them to improvise cohesively. The words and melodies are ever new, but the dance steps remain the same, regardless of the occasion. The Badaga sing and dance at weddings, births, funerals and nearly all other occasions.

The Badaga's lead singer was a lady with a piercing voice who kept time with hand cymbals as she sang. The entire time, she barely ever opened her eyes. Watching her and the rest of the Badaga—and their slow, graceful, dream-like dance—Amma commented that it was as if they were meditating.

In fact, many of her lyrics were about [Hethai] Amma: Amma, can you hear what we are saying? Has it reached you? You are the Great Giver. We are spreading happiness By singing about you. Come running to us. Come running.

The music was an onslaught of drums and cymbals. It was an earthy, powerful and glorious ruckus to which the Badaga's synchronized slow-motion dance served as a stirring and poignant counterpoint.

When Amma finished darshan at 3:00 a.m., the Badaga did not stop. With their music resonating all around her, Amma stood up on her peetham and pranamed. Then, just as Amma was about to step down and walk up to her room, she stopped and slowly began turning in a circle in imitation of the Badaga's dance. As music, applause and ecstatic cries filled the chilly hillside air, Amma walked up to her room.

"For us that was the happiest moment," Smt. Sivagami says of Amma's short dance. "We felt that Amma was really one with our community."

The Badaga sang and danced again on the last night of darshan for nearly three hours. Their devotion engulfed the entire program site. It was as if everyone was suddenly a Badaga. As Amma's three days of programs in Kovai came to a close, one Badagar spoke over the sound system: "Amma, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for these past three days. You have awoken the glory of the old days. This is a moment our community will never forget."

Read the original article here