At the second edition of the Alliance Française of Madras’ extravaganza La Nuit Blanche (Sleepless Night) on 19 October, one stage was dedicated to music, one to dance and performance, one to games and another to sound bath. The culture and conversation continued till 3 am the next morning. The air was filled with the spirit of youth and the quest for celebration.

Somewhere in the back of the establishment, away from the chaos, was a 10-man band, getting ready for their second headlining performance. It was an irrelevant rehearsal to check whether the vocal cords were working well and whether the Dol Kattai (a traditional musical instrument) could maintain a steady sense of rhythm.

However, once S Rani started singing and following the beat, there was silence in the rehearsal space. The dispersed audience, distracted by other performances, immediately gathered together like ants, enthralled by the Irular Ensemble.

“This is not a real performance. Come and join us tonight,” the queen announced.

Fifty-three-year-old Rani, lead singer of the Irular Ensemble, has an interesting story to tell. Until a few years ago, the music she sings today about the plants, animals and folk deities that have been passed down from her tribal ancestors for generations would not have been staged the way she is. Nor would it have received a Pied Piper-like response from audiences.

Song, dance and cheer as The Irular Ensemble performs. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“We are part of the Scheduled Tribe list of India and fall in the ‘Irular’ category. Traditionally, my grandfather and the generations before him lived in the forests of Tamil Nadu and some of the surrounding states. With time we left there in search of livelihood. Until then, we lived on forest produce because we worshiped the earth – honey, animals and everything else we could find – considered them ours. However things changed. Once we left the jungle, we found ourselves living outside society and rarely becoming a part of it,” she says.

The Irular community, a Dravidian ethnic group from Tamil Nadu and parts of Telangana and Kerala, was forced to work outside the society. They had no option but to catch rats and snakes and cut down trees. “We will be called only for such jobs,” says Rani.

To reach where they are today has taken years of coordinated effort, unionization and sustained attacks on self-respect to obtain reservations, certificates of identity and concessions to make up for years of injustice towards the community. This is why themes of social justice, bonded labor, and slavery often feature in the songs of Queen and her troupe.

Until its performance at the Chennai Sangamam earlier this year, the Irular Ensemble was a scattered group of musicians from the Irular Colony in Siruseri, who banded up only to perform during temple festivals. Two annual events – the Chithirai festival and the Masi Magam – are particularly important dates in their calendar. This is when Irulars from all over the state come to the colony, meet their relatives and be a part of the festivities. Song, dance and cheering will be an essential part of the festivities, which usually begin late at night, and gain even more joyous spectators as time passes. The community is also known for making their own musical instruments like the Dol Kattai made from animal skins.

“In our community, men and women will participate equally. Everyone will sing. Everyone will dance. Banter between the two groups will be an essential part of our performance. This will make everyone including the artistes happy,” she says.

The response is a joy to watch. Rani’s co-star V Venkatesan says during a song, “Ennadi Ponne Pakare.. Sundeli Mooji Vechu Pakare (What are you looking at, young lady, why are you looking at me with that rat-like face)”, and proceeds to tell her that he will make sure he marries her. She responds, comparing him to another version of the mouse and saying that asking for her hand will not be easy. “during ThiruvizhaChildren and elders alike join in the singing. What a wonderful celebration this is. This is what we want to bring to the city as well. It’s great to see the reaction of the audience in the city,” she says.

Rani has been singing since the age of 16 and says she is glad to see that the stories of her land, its people and its natural resources are finally connecting with a larger audience. “Now, the aim is to travel abroad and take it to a bigger audience,” she says. Till then, she says, she will have to sing for her local goddess Kanniyamma.