CHENNAI: It was a happy evening for folk artistes from across the State who had gathered at the Island Grounds to perform at Namma Ooru Thiruvizha. For them, it meant the end of their pandemic-induced unemployment and subsequent ordeals.
Organised by the Department of Art and Culture and the Department of Tourism to promote traditional folk arts, Namma Ooru Thiruvizha on Monday hosted over 400 artistes from across the State.
T Dakshinamoorthy, a 65-year-old Kombu Isai player, said: “We used to get booked for performing during events. Owing to the lockdown, we didn’t get any bookings in the past two years. Some of the artistes had to even pledge their instruments to support their families. We are happy the government is hosting this event.”
The artistes also urged the State government to take more such initiatives. “When you take care of the artiste, the art will also grow. Traditional folk art should be a part of the school syllabus so that children can get to learn about them and develop an interest in them. That is the only way to ensure that these traditional folk arts don’t die off and are passed on to the next generation,” said Kalaimamani D Govindaraj from Madurai, a stilt-dance artist.