Janapada Jatre revives demand for folk songs-BOOM IN SALE OF CDS, CASSETTES

Janapada Jatre revives demand for folk songs

By Satish Shile DH News Service Bangalore:

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan22007/state23306200711.asp

Cassettes and compact discs of Kannada folk songs are in great demand in the last three months, thanks to Janapada Jatre, a State government initiative to promote folk art forms. According to audio recording companies, the sale of folk song cassettes has increased by almost 60 per cent in the last two months, since the Janapada Jatre was inaugurated (October 1).

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Mr Velu of Lahari Recording Company said that, on the first day of Janapada Jatre in the premises of Vidhana Soudha, his company did a business of Rs 60,000 and majority of the cassettes and CDs sold were of folk songs. On the second day business was close to Rs 65,000.

He says, Janapada Jatre has succeeded in attracting larger audience towards the folk, which he termed, ‘basis of all music’. “I have seen thousands of people dancing ‘madly’ to the tunes of western music in mega shows where they get tickets for Rs 500 or more.

Though people do not understand the language, they simply dance to the tunes. But during Janapada Jatre, audience joined the artistes from wherever they were. They sung with them, danced to their tunes and enjoyed to the fullest. This huge response resulted in increase in sales of folk song cassettes and compact discs.

According to Mr Velu, his company has sold 5,000 copies of Chellidaru Malligeya (a collection of songs in praise of Male Mahadeshwara, sung by Appagere Thimmaraju and Pichchalli Srinivas) and 2,000 copies of Neera Teru (collection of folk songs sung by Pichchlli Srinivas) in the last three months alone.

Lahari Recording Company has released a set of 25 audio compact discs, which cover Kannada folk art forms (Dollu pada, Yakshagana and others) in association with Kannada and Culture Department.

Each set of 25 CDs costs Rs 1,250. Mr Velu says, since October, the company has sold over 600 sets across the State and demand is still more. “We have set a target of selling 3,000 sets by the end of Suvarna Karnataka celebrations – November 2007).”

Besides, sales of CDs and cassettes of Kannada light music (Sugama Sangeetha) has also increased since the Suvarna Karnataka celebrations began.

Mr Mohan of Anand Audio company said, his company has sold over 5,000 copies each of Bhava sangama, Mysore Mallige and Hachchu Kannadada Deepa in the last two-three months.

“During 73rd Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Shimoga we sold Kannada songs collections of worth Rs 85,000”, he added. Mr Velu stated that in Shimoga his company too did a business of Rs 90,000, which is more compared to business during previous Sammelans.