About
LoreKeepers is a collective gathering of oral traditions of our land. It brings together the old and the young to share and build an open online folklore archive.
Our oral traditions are dynamic in form and texture. They are playful, funny, cautionary and mysterious. They take the form of songs, tales, riddles, hearsay, and everything in between. They contain much cultural value and inform us of a way of life.
The LoreKeepers archive is accessible to all, anywhere in the world.

The LoreKeepers Project is supported by the Faizal & Shabana Foundation
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Educational institutions are key collaborators in this project. We conduct workshops on the importance of oral traditions and folklore, the basics of mobile videography and digital archiving.
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LoreKeepers will be open to public participation in its second phase.
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ARPO has a proactive in-house drive for this project, where our associates work with our networks of folklore communities in Kerala.
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The song was sung by the Paraya community of Koottalida, Kozhikkode during Thirandukalyanam (a ceremony during menarche). It narrates the commemorations during the Thirandukalyanam of Puthiyara, daughter of Imbichi Thaniyaayi, and all the things she needed during the special day. Performed here by Vimalesh (39) andgroup.
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A protest song by farm laborers of the Pulaya community. Here the farmers speak up against getting beaten up by the landlords for wearing clothes below their knees as they were only allowed to wear 'thorthu mund' by the landlords. Sung by Bhaskaran Kottakkal (65) from Punnassery in Kozhikode District.
How to Participate
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Anyone can participate in LoreKeepers.
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Once you have identified a ‘lorekeeper’ and the folklore you want to collect, simply use your smartphone to record their song or story as audio/video.
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Be sure to get consent from the participants before recording.
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Recordings must be of high quality, ideally shot in a well-lit, silent environment.
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Title your file in the following format: <YourName_Story/Song Name_YourPlace> Example: Sundar John_Chillupattu_Thrissur.
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Send in your video ( less than10 mb) to lorekeepers.arpo@gmail.com
