Shilpa Mudbi
Shilpa Mudbi is an Indian researcher, singer, performer, theater artist, actress, and documentary filmmaker. She is currently working on preserving and archiving diverse folk-art forms in Karnataka. Along with her husband and Sumitra Sunder, she co-founded the Urban Folk Project. As a part of this project, they performed 70-80 shows of Yellamanata and Other Stories across the country.
Yellamanata and Other Stories
Mudbi leads the team in performing Yellammana padas with traditional instruments such as the chowdki and the Shruti, sometimes in the morning at Bangalore Cubbon Park. Shilpa's efforts extend to reviewing and preserving the "Chowdki" and "shruti", essential instruments intertwined with the narratives of Yellamma, making her a key force in reviving these traditions. As a trained filmmaker, she explores the roots of this music, connecting it with North Karnataka's cultural fabric.These Bengalureans are trying to save Chowdki, a percussion instrument which was once prevalent in the belt of north Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh. According to folklore, it has been around for at least 2,500 years.