CHENNAI:A 450-year-old Bak-Bak tree that regales children with stories — about a tribe of monkeys with a groovy theme song, rap to the chorus of ‘bananas’, and have a chance encounter with a bald topiwala (whose name just so happens to be Taklu) — seems straight out of an Indian Dr Seuss’s story maybe? Well, if the shrieks of laughter from the audience were anything to go by, Karadi Tales’ musical production, in association with Evam, ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’ completely outclassed themselves with a rib-tickling performance at Chinmaya Heritage Centre over the weekend.
An adaptation of two Karadi Tales books (Monkeys on a Fast, and The Monkeys and the Capseller), the performers entertained the audience with their on-stage antics of a group of monkeys from the A-oo-oo tribe (yes, that’s right) and their leader (Chakrapani aka Chakku) who tries in vain to get them to go on a fast to shape them up! It also transpires that Chakku has a bald spot on his head, and just while he is looking for a way to hide it, he comes across Taklu, a cap-seller who makes hats after his futile search for the perfect cap for himself. And though her voice was prominent in many songs as part of the musical, in the latter half, Usha Uthup, who has been a long-time collaborator, engaged the students with some Karadi Rhymes.
“What is truly heartening is when Usha Uthup sings and asks the children to fill in the lyrics, and they respond with such enthusiasm! She has such an amazing connect with the children,” said Shobha Vishwanath, publishing director, Karadi Tales. And the project was as fulfilling to them as it was to the children, she adds. The veteran singer-performer has always been involved with children and also a part of Karadi Rhymes since the late 1990s. “I used to take classes in Montessori schools but I did not get the opportunity to sing Indian rhymes for Indian children. So I jumped at this project when I got the chance! It’s not just a question of finding rhyming words, there’s a lot of research that’s gone into it,” said Usha Uthup, talking to CE on the sidelines of the event. “I was able to connect to children because communication, not music, is more important to me.”
Karadi Tales was started in 1996 to teach kids about Indian culture via alternative entertainment. They also have developed an innovative pedagogy for language learning catering to government schools all over India through the brand Karadi Path. The performance was their second in as many years as part of their theatrical ‘Once Upon a Bak Bak Tree’ production.
The lady with a Black Bindi
Usha Uthup’s energy and enthusiasm was infectious as she bounded onto the stage accompanied by performers In an effervescent green sari and (as she pointed out) black bindi, she led the kids in a rendition of the Monkey Theme song. “Would you like me to call you kids, or grown-ups?” she laughed, to which the children resoundingly said “Kids!” She sat in a chair and spoke to three tiny tots on the stage and got them to write their names on a black board. At this point, nearly every child in the audience had rushed to the foot of the stage! She asked the kids on stage for a kiss on the cheek, and it was cuteness overload when they obliged her. “Now when I say ‘My name is...’ you have to fill it with a name, okay?” she added, as she led the children in a rhyme which connected names of people with different places in India (an Indian rhyme for Indian children,as she put it). She finished her performance by urging parents to join her last rhyme, (an imitation of the common chai-wala’s refrain in train stations), ‘Chai chai, coffee coffee’!