BHUBANESWAR: The voice and vibes, the pulse and palpitation of the Dongria Kondh, the primitive tribal group living on the Niyamgiri hills in Orissa, can now be heard by the outside world, albeit through a music album, Niyamgiri ti Rani. Produced by Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), the album contains eight songs in Kui language. Written by Gopal Melaka, the songs are composed by Oriya music director Manmath Mishra, Jitu Jakasika, Ramesh Kulesika, Gopal Melaka, Stephen and Biraji and the Dongria nativesof Lanjigarh and Muniguda.
Most of the songs depict the day-to-day life of the Dongria Kondh tribe and express their joys and happiness. Niyamgiri ti Rani is claimed to be the first ever attempt to chronicle the Kui songs in an album format.
Releasing the album, SC & ST development minister Bijayaranjan Singh Bariha said the move would enable the wider section of people to know the Dongria Kondh from close quarters. “This is a noble endeavour and I hope more and more such albums would be produced to highlight the rich cultural life of the Dongria Kondhs,” Mr Bariha said.
The Dongria Kondhs are one of the primitive tribal inhabitants of Lanjigarh in the district of Kalahandi. Kui, the traditional language of the Dongria Kondhs, has a rich oral history that the elders of the community pass on from generation to generation through their folk songs and stories. The Dongria Kondhs, under the leadership of Jitu Jakasika, pioneered the thought to promote their culture with their own music band. Speaking on the occasion, Jitu said, “It’s a dream come true for us. We have a long mission to accomplish. Hereafter, we also plan to release a video album followed by live performances across India to promote the culture of the natives of Lanjigarh.”
Dr Mukesh Kumar, president and chief operating officer, VAL (Lanjigarh), reiterated Vedanta’s vision for the overall development of the peripheral areas of Kalahandi, where it’s already operating an alumina refinery.