MERI KALA MERI PEHCHAAN
India is a vast land that boasts of a rich cultural heritage, much of which is shaped by the traditional folk-forms primarily found in the rural regions across the country. Since the sudden advent of the recent pandemic, these carriers of our cultural wealth and wisdom found themselves in dire situations, with no performance opportunities or support in sight. ‘Meri Kala Meri Pehchaan – Sustaining the Folk Heritage of India’ is an initiative that was launched in urgent response to the drastic way in which the lives of these innumerable folk artists were affected.
COVID SUPPORT
During the pandemic, we were able to provide several folk artist families with basic essentials such as food grains and groceries, and we also created multiple performance-opportunities for them, digitally. This ensured that these artists survived the toughest of times, remaining motivated to keep the practice of the art alive. We impacted the lives of over 3000 artist families across India with this urgent support.
FOLK ARTISTS COMMUNUITY CAMPS
With an aim to discover more folk forms in India, we conduct local Folk Artist Community Camps in different states in India. This becomes a site to closely witness and understand the wide variety and diversity of the forms present in India. Further, we are also able to engage with the artists' and better understand their concerns at a ground-level.
THE COMMUNITY CENTER
We have envisioned the creation and development of dedicated 'Med Kala Merl Pehchaan' Community Centers for folk-artists, across India. These Centers would provide the folk-artists with a platform to address their many concerns, present their opulent art-forms, and even engage with practitioners of other diverse art-forms - not just from the rest of the country, but across the world.
The first of these Community Centers is already being constructed in a place called Jambhulpada, in the outskirts of Mumbai. And, although the Center is located in Maharashtra, its reach and focus would not be limited to folk-artists from the state alone, but serve as a site for supporting folk-artists from across the country.
KAMAICHA PROJECT
The Kamaicha, an ancient bow-stringed folk instrument from Western Rajasthan, is the very backbone of Manganiyar music. Like any other evolved instrument, it requires time and dedicated hard work to excel in playing the Kamaicha. The youngsters belonging to the Manganiyar community feel attracted to other instruments that can give them quick results. Hence, with a view to sensitize the young Manganiyars to the beauty and depth of the Kamaicha, and, to encourage them to take it up as their long-term instrument, we have launched the The Kamaicha Project, with a vision to empower senior Kamaicha players to teach young Manganiyar boys the art of playing Kamaicha. This would create the next generation of Kamaicha players and also prevent the extinction of an indigenous instrument.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Folk Artists impacted by Merl Kala Men Pehchaan are also provided with performance opportunities at our national festivals under Banyan Tree Events, as also at our initiatives under Tender Root Academy of Performing Arts.
These bring the folk artists to the fore, increasing their exposure, generating income for them, and leading to the further promotion and propagation of the folk performing arts.
COLLABORATE • CONTRIBUTE • NURTURE
Essentially, at the core, we are looking to provide some strong impetus to both, the promotion and preservation of the folk-forms of India. We hope to impact the folk-artist community in ways that reinforce their own faith in the significance, worth and value of their presence, as it is them, who have transmitted and exposed us to the beauty of these forms for centuries. This, we believe, is an extremely important cause; an endeavor towards ensuring the continuation of our rich heritage in a manner it truly deserves. If you are somebody who resonates with this cause and can support our journey in any possible manner, reach out to us!
Tender Roots Academy of Performing Arts is a not-for-profit organization founded by Shri. Mahesh Babu and Smt. Nandini Mahesh (Founder-Directors of Banyan Tree Events) in the year 2014, with a goal to provide exposure, engagement, and educate children and young adults with performing arts from India and the world.
In the past few years, we have reached out to nearly 15,000 students from over 80 schools in different cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Dehradun, Delhi, Gurugram and Varanasi - through various modes including exclusive lecture-demonstrations, festivals, productions, auditions, workshops, and so on.
These programmes have featured a vast selection of both Indian and International Artists, presenting varying genres of the performing arts to children, including Indian Classical Music, Folk Arts, Jazz, to name a few.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMES
Sessions are conducted in a school's premises, where artists belonging to
performing arts traditions from across India interact with school students.
These go beyond being mere performances, as they always include a thorough
explanation of the art-form and its origins,situating it in a larger
geographical and socio-cultural context. These
programmes have featured both Indian Classical Musicians and Folk Artists,
as also international artists, under an exclusive series of programmes
called 'A Taste of World Music.
Furthermore, the
Lecture-Demonstrations are
interactive. Students have the opportunity to communicate with the artists
and try their hands at playing music, which becomes a distinctive feature,
especially when it comes to encountering rare and unique instruments.
CHILDREN'S FESTIVALS
Tender Roots presents unique festivals which celebrate different genres of music and other associated performing arts. These festivals include Root Folkways - Children's Festival of Performing Arts, Jazz For Kids, Children's World Music Festival which feature a selection of Indian and International musicians, immersing children in joyous outdoor experiences through which they are exposed to the vast world of the performing arts.
Festivals are often held in association with institutes and organisations dedicated to the cause of promoting culture, which serve as ideal venue partners for our initiatives. These include Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Mumbai), Sanskriti Kendra (Delhi), and Bangalore International Centre (Bengaluru).
CHILDREN'S PRODUCTIONS
Original thematic productions showcasing vivid forms of the arts, be that music, dance or folk forms are presented for children across the year. These have featured eminent artists from India and abroad, and also young talent from India, giving students of music an opportunity to perform on the same platform as established artists. Some of these productions have also been presented in association with renowned cultural venues such as The Museum and Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (Mumbai) and Sanskriti Kendra (Delhi).
SCHOLARSHIPS
Tender Roots also actively seeks young musicians and artists, and provides them with the required guidance needed to embellish their own personal journeys as performers. We provide scholarships to young, serious practitioners of the arts, be that classical or folk, and connect them to important Mentors and Gurus for their learning. This is also an effort to contribute to the sustenance of the Guru-Shisya tradition which has been an integral part of the way in which training in the performing arts has been imparted in this culture for generations.
TALENT SCOUTING AND SHOWCASE
Through both formal auditions and informal engagements, Tender Roots is on the constant look-out for young talent in the performing arts. Deserving performers are showcased on varied platforms under the ambit of Tender Roots, and also given opportunities to perform at Banyan Tree's festivals. This provides them with the essential exposure and confidence to remain committed to their pursuit of being artists.
TRAINING IN THE PERFORMING ARTS
Gradually, Tender Roots also intends to launch dedicated classes (online and offline) for the training and transmission of the performing arts. Also, dedicated modules which can be adopted by schools in order to include the performing arts as a part of their own curriculum are in development. These would bring about a culture where training in the performing arts becomes more accessible to students across the country.
COLLABORATE • CONTRIBUTE • NURTURE
Your school / child can also join Tender Roots! Contact us to join the growing list of schools associated with our initiatives across the country. If you are a young, budding musician looking for guidance, mentorship or performance opportunities, reach out to us with your profile and seek our assistance in shaping your artistic journey. If you are eligible and interested to offer any support or donate to our cause under CSR - write to us and help us impact several more students and young artists with our work and the inherent beauty of the performing arts!