LoreKeepers
LoreKeepers is a collective gathering of oral traditions of our land using smartphones. 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.
-
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.
-
LoreKeepers will be open to public participation in its second phase.
-
ARPO has a proactive in-house drive for this project, where our associates work with our networks of folklore communities in Kerala.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
School Camp Update
GHSS Naduvannur
17 June 2023
The LoreKeepers camps at High School level was launched at GHSS Naduvannur, Kozhikode. Attended by over 50 students of classes 8 & 9, the camp introduced the participants to folklore, and facilitated their interactions with elderly people of the community, its 'lorekeepers'. Sessions on folklore were handled by OK Babu, Ramesh Karimthalakkoottam and Majeesh Karayad. Sessions on mobile videography and illustration were also held. The camp concluded with the performance of special songs of the locality — Thudippattukal of Sambavas by Vimalesh and team.
Thaniyayude Thirandukalyanam
_JPG.jpg)
Vimalesh (39) and others perform a song traditionally sung by the Paraya community of Koottalida, Kozhikkode during Thirandukalyanam, the menarche ceremony which notes the celebrations for the special day, specifically for Puthiyara, daughter of Imbichi Thaniyaayi, including all the preparation that makes it memorable.
An Onam song
_JPG.jpg)
R N Peettakandi, 76, from Punnasserry in Kozhikode District, sings a song about the joyous festivities of Onam, the most significant festival of Malayalees. The song captures the essence of the celebration, filled with vibrant colors, delicious food, and traditional dance forms, bringing people together in a spirit of unity and happiness.
Song against feudal oppression
_JPG.jpg)
Bhaskaran Kottakkal (65) of Punnassery, Kozhikode District, shared a protest song sung by Pulaya community farm laborers. The song denounces landlords who beat laborers for wearing clothes below the knees instead of the traditional 'thorthu mund', narrating a past of caste-based discrimination.
_JPG.png)
_JPG.jpg)
_JPG.jpg)
-
Once you have identified a ‘lorekeeper’, simply use your smartphone to record their song or story as audio/video.
-
Be sure to get consent from the participants before recording.
-
Recordings must be of high quality, ideally shot in a well-lit, silent environment.
-
In addition to the song or story they share, ask your ‘lorekeeper’ on camera some details about it, where they heard it from, whether it belongs to any particular community, and its meaning and context.
-
Do not forget to note down the name of
the person, age, and PIN code of the
place.
-
Title your file in the following format: YourName_Story/Song Name_YourPlace. Example: Sundar John_Chillupattu_Thrissur.
-
Along with the video, include in the message the info you collected: the name of the person, age, PIN code – along with your name and contact number
-
Share your find with us on WhatsApp/
Telegram/ Instagram OR via email.
WhatsApp / Telegram: 9061495795
Instagram: @arpo_lorekeepers
email: arpo.india@gmail.com.