Mehfils, Brass Bands, and Vanishing Songs: ARPO Traces Kochi's Sonic Roots at Fort Kochi

Somewhere in Mattancherry, an old harmonium gathers dust. The man who played it at Friday mehfils passed away years ago. His granddaughter remembers the songs but not the words. The neighbours remember the words but not the tune. Is this how music disappears? Not in a single dramatic moment, but slowly, one generation's forgetting at a time.

On April 11 and 12, ARPO (the Archival and Research Project) brings a nostalia to My Beloved Fort Kochi with a simple, urgent question: what does this coast sound like when you really listen?

Three Programmes, One Coastline

The two-day fest unfolds across three distinct programmes at David Hall Art Gallery, each tracing a different thread of Kochi's musical past and present.

A Time Long Past

This programme looks at Mattancherry's Hindustani music roots. Video installations and an image exhibition will trace the area's vintage mehfil culture, the nearly forgotten Kaikotti Paatu singing traditions, and the legacy of musicians like Gul Mohammed.

If you've read our piece on Mehboob Memorial Orchestra, you know that Mattancherry's Deccani Muslim community has kept ghazal and Hindustani music alive for generations. The Vittobha Temple in Mattancherry has drawn Hindustani singers for decades.

A Different Land

Fort Kochi's Anglo-Indian community once filled the evenings with brass bands, dance nights, and elaborate banquet traditions. This programme features video installations and historical talks tracing that cultural fusion, alongside stories of the city's now-quiet shipbuilding past.

These are communities whose contributions to Kochi's identity often sit outside the usual tourist narratives. The talks are led by researchers and collectors who've spent years piecing together what mainstream history has overlooked.

Merged Sessions

Here's where past meets present. Local indie musicians take the traditional sounds documented in the first two programmes and run them through contemporary sampling and electronic production.

The Shore Remembers

The event packs a lot into two days. You'll find video installations and archival films running through both days. A curated 16-frame photo exhibition. Talks by researchers and cultural collectors. And live performances that bring old traditions back to a stage.

Who is ARPO?

The Archival and Research Project (ARPO) is a nonprofit that works on documenting and sharing lesser-known aspects of Kerala's cultural heritage. Their SAGA video series with historian Manu S Pillai has reached thousands. They've archived over 1,700 folk songs and tales through their LoreKeepers project. Their restoration of Karnikara Mandapam in Kozhikode won a UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award in 2023.

Event Details

Venue: David Hall Art Gallery & Cafe , Napier Street, opposite Parade Ground, Fort Kochi. The same 300-year-old Dutch bungalow that regularly hosts art exhibitions and Biennale programmes.

Date: April 11 and 12, 2026. Show up!

Register here https://www.arpo.in/event-details/the-shore-remembers

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