ಬಂಡೆಗಳು | Boulders

Narayanswamy is a folk and protest singer, who has composed renowned poet Kotiganahalli Ramaiah’s poetry and writing.

Combining myth and folk stories, his music expresses the anguish and struggle of the Dalit community, in their experience of discrimination and violence, in their fight for dignity and in their strength and resilience.

Naren is a performing artist, and was brought up in a place surrounded by Parai artists. He started playing the Parai as a passion and played at his first  professional show was he was 17 years old. He received his initial training to be a professional folk artist in Bhudhar Kalai Kuzhu He travelled with the travel with the Kuzhu all over Tamil Nadu staging a number of programs that moulded him to become a folk artist.

He studied in Thinai Adukalam, a folk and tribal research center in Nagercoil. Here he learnt art form based on five different land forms in Tamil Literature. He has been working as a trainer in Agni Folk Arts. He is also a writer and has written some Tamil poems and songs. Currently, he works as a theatre artist and will be directing his first play. He has co-founded an arts collective called Adavi to promote folk and tribal art forms.

Durga first entered the theatre playing the role of an ant in Kage Kanu Irave Bala. Since then, she has participated in various children’s summer camps in Adima, a theatre institute based in Kolar.  She has also acted in various plays over the years including, Sunada Suttu, Yaaru Dodavaru, Wakitanarani, Late Pali Tribe, Nayi Thippa, Kannas Patreya Kyunalli Jagatambe, Sutta Tikata Devaru and Kade Gorakha. She recently acted in a play called Gangamma Neerinage Jade Henita Avle, directed by Kotiganahalli Ramaiah, which saw over 125 shows across Karnataka.  Durga also works at Buddideepa, a school started by the renowned writer and poet, Kotiganahalli Ramaiah, in Kolar. Alongside Theatre, Durga is also a singer, and performs regularly with various musical troupes.