Tamil music composer Santosh Narayanan has announced that he will extend help to the folk artistes affected by the recent floods that ravaged southern Tamil Nadu. Folk artist Murugesan (63), a resident of Marthandampatti in Thoothukudi district, lost his house and musical instruments in the floods. He had played the urumi, a percussion instrument, for a song composed by Santosh Narayanan in the critically acclaimed film Pariyerum Perumal.
Murugesan played the traditional instrument for “Engum Pugazh”, a heart rending song played during a critical juncture in the film’s plot. Pariyerum Perumal was written and directed by Mari Selvaraj.
The folk artist who earns his livelihood by performing at temple festivals, weddings, puberty ceremonies and ear piercing functions, lost his instruments like thavil, pambai, and urumi in the floods. The loss of these instruments have deprived him of his livelihood.
“I found my thavil, pambai, and urumi from the nearby plantain farm. The wood has sustained cracks and cannot be used anymore. I have now kept them as souvenirs,” Murugesan told The New Indian Express. The urumi was precious to him, Murugesan said, as it was gifted to him by his father.
A few others including Kalidasan, a nadaswaram artiste, suffered a similar fate during the floods on December 17. The artistes said that the government has not reached out to help them yet. Following a report on the loss of their livelihood, Santosh Narayanan reacted on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “What a terrible loss of livelihood and such rare musical instruments. My team will reach out to this family and get them new instruments and also help rebuild their home.”