N-K woman sings folk songs with English narration

Hubballi: Many people took lockdown online challenges to sing a song, wear a dress, show a book, recite a poem. However, Shilpa Mudbi Kothakota, a Bengaluru based NK origin theater personality, preferred to showcase folksongs using the folklore instrument ‘Choudki’ on social platforms.
Now her vetnure has moved something ahead and reflecting in about 20 countries and Kannada folklore songs are being translated to many Indian labguages like Tamil and Marathi. Inspired by the innovative and meaningful response, she is venturing into uploading on the upcoming website named after Urban Folk Project, a cultural forum for which she is co-founder.
Shilpa told TOI that choudki pada has been one of her favourite folklore form and she started singing folk songs using choudki instrument to hold the ‘shruti’ while singing. “I had prepared to ensure that this non-commercial venture should go just for thousands of views, likes and comments. It had broader prospective of drawing urban people, particularly younsgters’ attention towards folklore. At the other end, my work was to learn why it’s being viewed, liked, commented and shared.
Apart from normal apprectations, I was thrilled when a Tamil girl living in U A E, translated my, not mine infact, song into Tamil and tried to use in her foloklore dance and sent a video. I was clear over copy right issue as folklore is commoners’ asset and there is no particular person to hold copy right. I had invited videos of my online friends to sing the same song with their own instrument or voice. As of now I have received 15-20 videos in which even non-Kannadigas have tried singing” she shared. Expressing little disappointment over etiquette of few Kannadigas, who insisted to sing in formal Kannada and to give explanation in Kannada itself, instead of English.
“Probably they failed to understand my intention of taking my North Karnataka folk songs to global audience. “Let me be more clear in this regard. Culture is not a thing just to speak about. Culture will start when a mother sings ‘lori’, that itself is start of culture. So, our folk songs are neriched with the indegenous culture and I shared it with urban folks through this venture” she added. Aditya Khotakota, Shilpa’s husband, added that they are uoloading all innovative responses on web site which is under construction. The 10 songs sung by Shilpa are spread over a lakh peope by online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, whatsapp.
“Taayiya nenapu turned very famous followed by ‘Enne Hachhiri’. However, regressive versions are sidelined in these songs. Currently we are not continuing these online tutorial as we have involve in some Covid-19 remedial initiatives. But definitely I continue with such initiative in future” Shilpa asserted.