On Feb.23, the fishing village of Urur Olcott Kuppam gathered in front of their Ellaiamman Koil for the annual Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha. Conceptualized by T.M.Krishna back in 2017, the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha is a festival that aims to shift the spotlight on the Kuppam and bring to the forefront its culture, tradition and history. The festival aims to bring art that is otherwise inaccessible to the doorstep of this community and engage in important conversations about the welfare of the Village.
Staged after a 6-year hiatus, the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha saw some spell-binding performances by phenomenal artists from both within and outside the Kuppam. The festival began with a Parai Oorvalam followed by a performance by the girls of Avvai Home.
Following their thundering beats, the students of the Olcott High School performed villupaatu titled ‘Living beaches, Life-giving beaches’. The first headliner of the evening was the Carnatic Music concert by T.M.Krishna and party. The repertoire featured signature compositions such as Poromboke Padal, Sudandhiram Vendum and a song on the Urur Olcott Kuppam penned by Perumal Murugan.
This was followed by ‘Ambaa Paatu’ or the ‘Song of the Sea’ by Palayam Anna. The evening ended with an energetic and fantastic set by the Motta Madi Music band led by Badhri Seshadhri. The band got the audience to sing and dance along to their music and ended the evening on a high.
The Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha is a testament to the village’s history and the necessity to safeguard it. The Vizha was fully crowd-funded and was made possible through the donations of many.
