Yakshagana is
the traditional theatre art form of Karnataka, particularly prevalent and
developed in south and north Karnataka, Udupi, Shimoga and western parts of
Chikmagalur district in Karnataka. A group of performing artists is known as a
Mela or a Mandali.
Through the
medium of music, songs with lyrics, drama, dance and dialogue in Kannada,
varied stories from Hindu mythology, sacred texts like the Ramayana, Mahabharata
and Bhagwatham, stories are enacted and recreated by performers to entertain
and enlighten the audience, pertaining to the significance of the presentation,
maintaining the cultural and social relevance of the play. It is amazing to
note that with 12,000 performances around the year, Karnataka generates a
turnover of 6 crores!
Evolution and significance: The earliest prasanga (play)
dates back to the 15th century. Ever since, Yakshagana, also known as music of
the Gandharvas, has gone through varied stages of development and change in
order to suit the changing trends of society. Nevertheless the basic structure
of the story-telling has not changed. Originally the performance used to last
the whole night but due to time constraints, it has been reduced to two to
three hours. There are about 30 professional troupes in Karnataka and about 200
amateur groups that perform around the year, particularly from November to May.
During festive occasions, a Yakshagana performance is a must. The performers
are essentially males and female roles are also enacted by men.
Training and technique: Young boys are trained to sing,
act, dance and emote according to the scene required. Sri Idagunji Mahaganapati
Yakshagana Mandali, Keremane, was founded by veteran artiste Shivarama Hegde in
1934 and followed by his son Shambu Hegde, who established the Srimaya
Yakshagana Kala Kendra. The legacy moves forward with his talented son
Shivananda Hegde who has made some innovative changes in the style of
presentation and is acclaimed as one of the leading Yakshagana artistes of
Karnataka. Other prominent artistes include Chittami Ramach, Kalinga Navada and
Manyappa Uppoor. The technique is quite simple but the performers are expected
to be versatile, as they are supposed to sing, dance, act and deliver the
dialogues properly and in a dramatic manner.
Music and make-up: The music is Carnatic with elements of
folk and light music, which varies according to the character representation.
Besides vocal music, the percussion instruments used are Maddale, Chande and
Taala to maintain the rhythm of the music and dance.
The make-up is quite elaborate and it takes hours for the
performer to be ready. The colourful makeup changes according to the character
represented.
In Badagutittu Yakshagana, ornaments are made out of
light wood, pieces of mirror and coloured stones for a shining effect. Lighter
material like thermocol and wood are used, covered with golden foil. The
headgear or Kirata or Pagadi varies according to the character; Kavacha is used
to cover the chest, Buja Keerthi are the armlets and shoulder ornaments, and
the upper part of the body is more decorated. The kachhe is in red, yellow or
orange and bulky pads are used to give the stout effect. While Bannada Vesh is
for monsters, the Stree Vesh is of sari and other decorative ornaments.
Yakshagana overseas: Yakshagana is quite popular overseas
as Kannadigas are an enterprising and hardworking lot, and they take their art
forms along wherever they go. Yakshamitra was the first full group to be
established overseas in Toronto (Canada) in 2008. Yaksharanga and Yaksha Loka
groups were formed in different parts of the U.S. Some troupes use live himmela
music unlike the recorded himmela background score.
