Yellamma and Other Stories – Musical storytelling by Urban Folk Project

Yellamma co

About the performance

Yellamma and Other Stories is a musical storytelling performance curated to give audiences a glimpse into the mythical world of Goddess Yellamma. A simplified, contemporary version of Yellamma’s myth is told through songs and prose by Shilpa and Adithya. Woven into this narrative are glimpses of the form Yellammanata, a ritualistic overnight play hosted during festive occasions by rural communities in North Karnataka; moments from the lives of Devadasis and Jogathis (transgender disciples) who live and embody this myth; and Shilpa and Adithya’s journey as a couple discovering folk pathways.

In presenting Yellamma’s tale, the performance poses pertinent questions on
patriarchy, purity and power structures.

Hosted by IHA in collaboration with Azim Premji University.

Performers:

Shilpa Mudbi Kothakota is an artist from Bengaluru, currently living in Kalaburagi, Karnataka. She graduated in Media Arts and Production from Sydney, Australia and has been a social activist and media consultant with several NGOs working on issues concerning youth, women, and child rights. She has been a Karnataka Janapada Academy member (2019 – 2022) and is currently on the Academic Advisory Committee of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Bengaluru.

Adithya Kothakota is a 3rd-generation Bangalorean currently living in Kalaburagi, Karnataka. He manages the operational activities of the Urban Folk Project (UFP) and also performs with Shilpa. He has a master’s in Accounting from Sydney, Australia and has previously worked in FinTech.

About Urban Folk Project:

Urban Folk Project (UFP) is an initiative to bring lesser-known folk forms and artists to the fore. Focusing mainly on the North Karnataka region, UFP uses elements of these forms to build bodies of work that engage an urban audience with folk art practices. The project is the brainchild of Shilpa Mudbi Kothakota and Adithya Kothakota and was formed in 2017. At UFP, art is created by using what is known and exploring the connections that can be drawn by bringing together folk and contemporary forms.