Folk songs (Naadan Pattu) were introduced in the State School Arts Festival a decade ago. It draws its power from a raw, rustic charm, and the songs seem as if they were composed by nature, rising from the heart of the land and holding within themselves layers of heritage, ancient wisdom and history. Sung among indigenous communities, these songs have been passed down for generations, and represent local cultures and stories.

They have an inherent appeal, which is probably why it attracted so many people at the school art fest, even as there were protests over lack of adequate space at the Kerala Bank auditorium on Friday. There is a lot of work behind achieving these songs, says folk song artist Riju Awala, who has about 25 years of experience in this field.

“We once went to a tribal settlement in Idukki and stayed there for seven days,” he said. “The community shared everything with us, including their life stories. But they didn’t give us their songs.

” Folklorist Girish Ambra, who was a judge in the competition, said that the correct term to be used is heritage, not folklore. “These songs that we sing carry a legacy,” he said.

Artist Jayaram Mancheri said, “We need to collect the songs and preserve them for future generations. ” Arya Nanda, a student of SNHSS North Paravur, who was part of the school’s Nadan Pattu team, said such competitions have great importance.

The students enthralled the crowd with their traditional musical instruments like Maram, Thudi, Chilambu and Udukku. Some of the folk songs presented included Kottam Kali Pattu, Valanattipattu, Oottattapattu etc. Kannur-based folk song artiste Ramshi Pattuvam said that the songs were sometimes modified to make them appealing to a larger audience.

“The songs change as they go along,” he said.