It’s an ode to the resilience of people against adversity: Sona Mohapatra

Sona Mohapatra releases a new song, Nilamani, as a homage to the strength of those affected by super cyclone Amphan in Bengal and Orissa.

The damage caused by the super cyclone Amphan with Odisha and West Bengal being amongst the worst affected, singer Sona Mohapatra, who hails from Odisha, says she wants to help in any manner possible.

Sona felt a love letter in the form of this song and video would uplift spirits

To celebrate the fighting spirit of those adversely affected, she, along with her husband music composer Ram Sampath, has released a song and a music video titled Nilamani, a love letter to her motherland.

“We braved the Amphan cyclone and I feel proud that the disaster relief administration managed to evacuate over 3 lakh people in time. My friend, cinematographer Deepti Gupta had shot some glorious footage of the beautiful countryside of Odisha during my travels there for a music concert. So, we decided to edit it during lockdown and turn it into a music video and created this song with Ram at home. It is an ode to the resilience of people against adversity and also to put a spotlight on the folk artistes of our land. During discussions of survival and economy we shouldn’t forget those who create beauty and give our lives the ethereal quality. I wanted to celebrate all of this through this video and song,” she says.

The video showcases the 1200 year old ancient Gotipua dancers in their Gurukul, the Patachitra painters community of Raghurajpur and also some progressive sculptures, carvings and architecture of temples. She states, “Nilamani means ‘the blue jewel, a sapphire’ also another form to address the beloved of the land, Lord Jagannath. I felt this love letter in the form of this song and video would do a lot to uplift the spirits of all.”