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Poongani amma, the oldest surviving villupaattu performer with more than 50 years of experience in the arts, passed away on Friday, November 2, as a result of her deteriorating state of health. The 84-year-old artist lived alone in a small village in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu.
Poongani, known as Poongani Amma, was the third woman to embark on the art. It came to the fore this year when award-winning rapper Lady Kash, from Singapore, composed a song called "Villupaattu" in honor of Poongani Amma.
Watch the video of Lady Kash here
Villupaattu, literally translated as "bow song," is a form of Tamil folk music, performed primarily in the state's Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi districts. It's a form of musical tale using the bow as the main instrument. The particularity of this art form lies in the presence of "villu", a bow whose rope is struck singing. In recent years, the number of practitioners in the state has decreased.
Poongani amma gave his last performance at the age of seventy
"The effects of old age setting up, I decided to stop playing. The decision was not a question of choice. It was a necessity. Having no one to support me, I had to retire to lead a pure life, "said Poongani Amma, the only survivor of her family. Poongani Amma recently lived on her own, relying solely on the meager government pension of Rs 1,000 per month, to support herself.
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Poongani amma has never received state honor (Kalaimamani Award) generally attributed to such artists, citing the lack of documentation on his performances. In 2015, the Madras University Journalism and Communication Department, who met her at home, celebrated Poongani with the Om Muthu Mari Award.
The award was instituted in the name of Om Muthu Mari, a seasoned traditional theater artist who was also not recognized during his lifetime.
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