Mumbai: Singer Sona Mohapatra has dedicated a song titled ‘Nilamani’ to the people of Odisha and other people who braved ‘Cyclone Amphan’. The music video of ‘Nilamani’ celebrates the resilience of those affected by Amphan. It also puts the spotlight on traditional arts and artistes. Sona Mohapatra recorded the song before lockdown. However, she is releasing it now after editing it during the lockdown period. Sona created and edited the music video along with her husband, composer Ram Sampath.
“We just braved the ‘Cyclone Amphan’. I feel proud for the Odisha disaster relief administration that managed to evacuate three lakh people in time. Also Odisha has contained the COVID-19 pandemic well. It has shown a great humane example by successfully providing free buses to the migrant workers. These workers had been walking to reach the neighbouring states of Bihar and West Bengal,” Sona said.
“My friend, cinematographer Deepti Gupta and director of ‘Shut Up Sona’, shot this footage of the beautiful countryside of Odisha. It was shot during my travels there for a music concert. We decided to edit it during lockdown as a music video. We created this song with Ram Sampath at home as an ode to the resilience of people against adversity. It also puts a spotlight on the folk artistes of our land who carry the heritage of our civilisational ethos,” added Sona.
The singer feels one ‘shouldn’t forget those who create beauty and give our lives the ethereal quality’ during discussions of survival.
“I wanted to celebrate all of this through this video and song. This video showcases the 1,200-year-old ancient Gotipua dancers in their Gurukul. The video highlights the Patachitra painters’ community of Raghurajpur. It also portrays the brilliant, progressive sculptures, carvings and architecture of the temples of Odisha. A testament to a glorious artist legacy and commitment to creating beauty against all odds,” Sona pointed out.
Decoding the meaning of the song, she said: ‘Nilamani’ (name of the song) is ‘the blue jewel, a sapphire’, another form to address the beloved of the land, Lord Jagannath. His legend is said to come down from the tribes of Odisha. A wooden log with animalistic eyes is a reminder that trees, animals and nature need to be taken care it along with human needs for balance and prosperity. This world-wide health crisis is also a reminder of the same for humanity. I felt this love letter in the form of this song and video would do a lot to uplift the spirits of all.”
Sona will launch the song later this week.
IANS
