‘Build a Bridge of Love’ is what they exhorted at Pizhala Island in Kochi, joining the public protest against the delay in the Pizhala-Moolampilly bridge construction. Performing to Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan’s poem Thummaruthu (Do Not Sneeze), the music band joined the protesters who had come together for their basic amenities.
The musicians would never let the unity fall apart. They would never let the people forget how, besides all their differences, they stood united during moments of crisis, when the floods ravaged the state. Oorali continues its flood relief activities, going to places in their iconic van, singing, fighting and healing wounds with their only tool — music.
Soon after the disaster, the band, which has a fan base in Latin America, had brought out a Spanish video with English subtitles exhorting people all over the world to help rebuild Kerala. They have been offering assistance in improving mental health of people, especially children, affected by the floods.
“At the rehab camps, we interacted with children and used music to help children deal with the trauma. Music always helps. So, we started going to camps with whatever material we had,” Saji adds. And it worked.
Nobody talked about the trauma they went through and it was not easy to get them to talk. Such a fun-filled experience, with music, art and stories, is something they will hold on to as they come to terms with their own tragedies.
For the people’s band, art cannot be seen as a separate entity from society. They have been on the road for months, going from camp to camp, school to school, engaging with young children mostly via their music, which they call the Oorali Experience. “We had already started the project during the rehabilitation process and it has been a successful one.”
At the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Oorali Express had plans to perform on certain days. But Saji, the founder member and lead guitarist of the band, says they are making this opportunity to go to a different level by touring to 10 coastal areas in the state and performing for the fishermen community in each area for two days, which would be an extension of our work from the flood days.
“The bravery of the fisherfolk was seen during the Kerala floods, and we owe them so much. So, along with Kochi-Muziris Biennale, we are conducting performances at selected coastal areas, showing our gratitude towards them,” says Saji. This project will start by the first week of January.
The band has been formed as a collective of actors, musicians, writers and visual artist, with Martin and Saji leading from the front. Their music incorporates elements of theatre, all the while raising one’s consciousness to the social realities around them. Known for their simple, but thought-provoking lyrics and acts along with the performances, the band shot to fame questioning issues like police brutality, identifying and raising voice for the marginalised and atrocities against women. During rehabilitation works, Oorali performs songs and acts that are about nature conservation.
Saji says, “Our politics is love, compassion and co-existence on this planet. You can see the themes that we use for songs. Love, earth, nature, trees, rivers, emotions, happiness, agony — everything comes under that politics.”
