Our country is steeped in various ancient traditions, echoing the days and the practices of our past. Especially in the South Indian states, the culture and tradition of music from the olden times is kept alive by the locals. In Tamilian culture, they have songs dedicated to the birth as well as the death of a person. It is called the Kummi Paattu tradition.
According to Local18 Tamil, Kummi Pattu is a very simple folk art form, where the people sing with coherence. So, the Kummi songs are commonly sung by people who are working in the fields or during worship in the temples.
As per the report of Local18, this art form, which used to be a popular flourishing practice earlier, has gradually faded with time and is now limited to temple festivals. So, during the month of Aadi (according to the Tamil calendar), women gather around and celebrate the period by singing the Kummi folk songs during the Mulaipari rituals.
In the Kongu regions of the state, this art form is still performed with the dance of Valli Kummi. Today, it is considered as something purely spiritual while earlier it was used to voice freedom and equality.
Bharathi, who is popular for penning revolutionary poems for the cause of freedom as well as women’s emancipation, also wrote a Kummi song. It is called Indian Swatantra. Before him, the renowned 19th-century poet Ramalinga Adigal was known to have sung Kummi songs like Shanmugar Mukki and Natesa Kummi.
The Kummi folk songs are believed to have existed before the arrival of musical instruments. There are several types of Kummi songs, which include Poonthattu Kummi, Kulavai Kummi, Deepa Kummi, Kathir Kummi and Mulaipari Kummi. These songs are sung for various topics like sowing, planting, weddings, temple festivals and more.
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