Kappalile

Kappalile (In the Boat)

The Jewish Malayalam song Kappalile (In the Boat) has inspired artists and researchers to co-create a new form of expression of intangible heritage conservation. Researchers and artists across three countries, Kerala, Israel, and Scotland imagined a multimedia project combining animation, music, and videography, based on a Jewish Malayalam wedding song that was first published in the bilingual Malayalam-Hebrew book Karkuzhali-Yefefia-Gorgeous (2005). The artist Meydad Eliyahu (Kallingal) and Gamliel collaborated since 2016 on a knowledge exchange geared toward salvaging the erased heritage of Kerala Jews from oblivion and decay. The musician Resmi Sateesh began performing Jewish Malayalam wedding songs in research seminars and performances in Kerala in collaboration with scholars and the Aazhi Archives. Sreedevi P. Aravind, Assistant Professor at the School of Film Studies (Malayalam University, Kerala), and cinematographer Arun Bhaskar brought them together in their production of the documentary Mozhiyazhaku on the Malayalam language. Finally, when the production was nearing completion, the team approached the translator and scholar Fathima E. V. to produce a beautiful translation in collaboration with Gamliel. The production was carried out under the auspices of the University of Glasgow Heritage Lab coordinated by the co-directors John Reuben Davies and Ophira Gamliel. The animation is juxtaposed with images of the scenic landscape of Jew Town Road in Kochi: the landing ghat (kadavu), the ruins of the adjacent Kadavumbhagam Synagogue (established in 1344, renovated in 1550, collapsed in 2019), and the tomb of the poet-saint Namya Mutta (died 1616). Credits: Lyrics - Anonymous. Art & Animation - Meydad Eliyahu. Research & Co-ordination - Ophira Gamliel. Music & Composition - Resmi Sateesh. Director - Sreedevi P. Aravind. Cinematography - Arun Bhaskar. Executive Producer - John Reuben Davies. Video Editing - Sarath Usha Sasidharan. Voice - Resmi Sateesh. Clarinet & Saxophone - Thomas Joe. Bass & Keys - Paul J. Mathews. Music Programming & Arrangements - Paul J. Mathews. Mix & Mastering - Sabaridas T. K. Recording Studio - Audiogene, Kochi, Kerala. Production Partners - The Scottish Funding Council, University of Glasgow, Aazhi Archives. Poetry Translation & Subtitles - Fathima E. V. Acknowledgements: Riyas Komu, M.H. Ilias, C. S. Venkideshwaran, Arathi P. M., Anwar Ali, Basil C. J. With deep gratitude to the many mothers and daughters who sang this beautiful song during so many weddings in Kadavumbhagam Kochi Synagogue.