Reviving a dying art

Moghulayya, who is among the last few artistes to carry on the tradition of story telling with a native instrument called Kinnera, performed in the city recently. Kinnera, a stringed instrument made of hollow pumpkins, bamboo and bulls horns, is on a quick path to extinction. Moghulayya not only wants to bring the musical beauty of this instrument to the forefront, but also wants to preserve the art of the bardic tradition.

So why is the tradition so important? When Moghulayya sings, he narrates stories of Kakatiyas and Yadava kings, warriors and even touches upon the larger topics of power struggles and social justice. These stories become a documentation of a lot of aspects from history, from the geography of the regions the kings invaded to social struggles.