So, Who Are We Bringing This Time?
After months of researching different folk art forms and looking deeper into the traditions we wanted to engage with, we finally arrived at one that felt right for this edition.
So…
Guess who we are bringing this time?
Daffumuttu and Arabana Muttu!
This time, we wanted to bring the sounds, rhythms and traditions of Malabar to Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.
Daffumuttu and Arabana Muttu are deeply rooted in the cultural landscape of Malabar and have been carried forward through generations. The traditions are closely associated with the Allasammveetil family of Kappad, Kozhikode, whose ancestors came from Yemen in the 15th century. For generations, the family has passed down and taught these art forms to young boys in the region.
The last person in the family carrying this tradition forward is Koya Kappad a former Vice President of the Kerala Folklore Academy and a scholar of Islam, Arabic and Malayalam. He describes himself simply as a devotee seeking closeness to God through service, humility and love for all living beings.
But bringing them to Friends of Thudippu wasn't something that happened overnight.
For several months, we had been in conversation with their team, trying to understand how we could make this happen. There was research, communication, planning and, of course, the biggest challenge of all finding a date that worked for everyone.
Our schedules kept clashing.
We scheduled.
We cancelled.
We rescheduled.
And then we did it all over again.
It took months, but we kept at it.
And finally, we are here.
This whole process reminded us of something very simple: when you genuinely want to make something happen, a few cancellations and rescheduled dates don't have to mean the end of the journey.
The mission doesn't stop just because the calendar keeps changing.
Sometimes, the process takes longer than we imagined. Sometimes things don't happen when we want them to. But if the intention remains, you keep finding a way.
And this time, we finally found our way to Daffumuttu and Arabana Muttu.
So yes, Friends of Thudippu - Edition 5 is happening.
And we can't wait to share this one with you.