V. Sasikumar

Sharmila Joshi

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They make their music with hammers, chisels, spanners and other tools. And this percussion band performs not during breaks from their toil, but
 
 as part of their work
 
 , melding their music with their labour. With 44 rivers, Kerala has long had a lot of boat traffic on its waterways. But due to the advent of extensive road networks and mostly machine-made, prefabricated vessels, the labour force in the boat-making industry has declined sharply. What remains is a fast-shrinking group of highly-skilled boat repairmen who still keep many ageing, almost antique craft afloat with their unrivalled expertise. In this film, they tell us their story.

Mending boats with music

द्रुत लयीतली नावांची दुरुस्ती

ସଙ୍ଗୀତ ସହ ଡଙ୍ଗା ମରାମତି

موسیقی کے ساتھ کشتی کی مرمت

Alappuzha

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Mending boats with music

In Alappuzha, Kerala, super-skilled labourers merge repair and rhythms at work

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