Float with Boatcast

Prof. Dr. Micheal TharakanHistorian and scholar of Development Studies.Former Chairman of the Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR).Held the Ramakrishna Hegde Chair at the Institute of Social and Economic Change (Bangalore).Was a professor at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in Trivandrum.Served as Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University and briefly of Calicut University.Switched from studying History (BA and MA from Union Christian College, Aluva) to Development Studies (M.Phil. and Ph.D. under K.N. Raj at CDS).sailing from Kochi toward the old Muziris port (Kottapuram).

Sharon Veettil, Managing Director of The Muziris Project

Sreekala SivasankaranFormer Associate Professor, Janapada Sampada Division, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.PhD in West Asian Studies from School of International studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.Academic, poet and theatre activistSpecialized in the history of Jewish community in Kerala.

Prof. M. V. NarayananFormer Vice Chancellor, Sree sankara University of sanskrit, kalady.Areas of his research include: Cultural studies, popular culture, theatre and performance studies and traditional Indian theatre.Prof. Narayanan obtained doctoral degree from the university of Exeter, UK.He was a Fellow at Indian Institute of Advanced Study.

Prof. P. Sanal Mohan, Former Professor of history at Mahatma Gandhi university.His areas of specialization include: colonial modernity, social movements and questions of identity dalit movements and Christianity in India. He combines history and ethnography in his research.He is the author of "Modernity of Slavery: Struggles Against Caste Inequality in Colonial Kerala", a work that garnered international crotical acclaim.As a researcher and teacher Sanal Mohan has an illustrious international exposure.

Reshmi Sateesh is a multi-dimensional artist known for her melodious singing and work across film and music.- She is a trained Carnatic musician from a young age.- She studied film at the Satyajit Ray Film Institute and has worked as an audiographer, playback singer, associate director, and actress (including a "female dominant role" in the film 22 Female Kottayam).- While studying social work in the tribal area of Wayanad, she began collecting and performing various folk songs.- She founded her band, ReSa, to express her musical identity, focusing on folk and traditional music, including forms like Theyyam.This episode of "Boatcast" is an exploration of the multicultural history and music of Kochi- Focus: The episode highlights the musical exchange that occurred through ancient trade routes to Muziris, including the lasting influence of Portuguese music and Jewish songs.Featured Performances: Reshmi performs and discusses:- Ancient Jewish Malayalam Songs: These are songs originally translated from Hebrew to Malayalam and focus on personal, divine, and historical themes.Kappa Patt (Boat Songs): An ancient form of Mapila song from coastal areas. These songs typically compare the emotions and journey of human life to that of a boat, and are performed by the men who work on the water.- Portuguese Music: She performs a segment of "Jingly None," a celebratory, carnival-like song whose tune is widely used in Kerala and Sri Lanka, and notes the introduction of instruments like the violin and guitar through Portuguese influence.