Legend of the Bison Matriarch

Are legends a way for us to remember that magic is right in front of us, that we just need to tap into it?
That in a world long gone or a world to come, or in another world altogether we have aspired for the same goals but arrived at them so differently.
Do they inspire us to journey into the unknown, to take leaps, brave our fears, desire authenticity and create our own personal mythology?

Vishesh Kalimero and Poongodi Mathiarasu come together for a unique experimental folk performance. The piece is based on an album Vishesh launched last year called Legend of the Bison Matriarch which is based on the ‘Gaur; the Indian Bison and the ecology of the Western Ghats. It highlights our relationship with the land, and how we forget we are interwoven with the world around us, how ecological grief or ecstasy affects and shapes our social, cultural, political and spiritual environment.
Poongodi has also been working with the Bison which is considered an untouchable animal in Tamil Nadu. He made a piece highlighting caste and gender discrimination by performing with an evocative Bison Mask. His approach to performance is folkloric but in the same time touches upon current issues. Vishesh and Poongodi met at Uru festival,(India’s first queer camping festival, 3rd edition) in Kodai Kanal and performed their WIP. They took this to Bangalore this year and are looking forward to share it with the audience in Mumbai.


About the performers:
Poongodi Mathiarasu is a distinguished folk dance-based movement artist renowned for his multifaceted expertise in puppetry and theatre. With a deep commitment to education and outreach, he crafts innovative teaching methodologies to make art accessible to diverse audiences. Guided by the philosophy of "art for all," Poongodi explores and experiments with movement, drawing upon his rich knowledge of folklore to create dynamic and inclusive performances instagram https://www.instagram.com/poongodi_mathiarasu/

Vishesh Kalimero is a musician and educator from Delhi, currently based in Goa, India. He has travelled extensively across Asia and Europe, collecting sounds and traditional instruments, performing concerts, and facilitating workshops at music festivals, cultural centres and art houses Vishesh plays a variety of traditional string instruments from Asia, with a special interest in how ecosystems shape the music of a region. He explores the intimate relationship between environment and sound—how landscapes, seasons, and philosophies influence the way we create and experience music. His journey is one of listening deeply, learning continuously, and experimenting with sound across timescapes and terrains. https://www.instagram.com/vishesh.kalimero

You should not miss this show...
...if you love folklore, if you love experimental art, if you love fresh perspectives , most importantly if you love watching movement art and music together