Noted Kathaprasangam and Mappilappattu performer Ramla Begum, 77, passed away in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
Begum was known to be the first Muslim woman in Kerala to violate the conservative religious restrictions on adopting stage performance as a career.
Born in Alappuzha as the daughter of Hussain Yusuf Yamana and Mariyam Beevi in 1946, Ramla was associated with Azad Music Troupe in Alappuzha as a singer since she was seven years old. She married P. Abdul Salam from the same troupe at the age of 18.
Later, she adopted ‘Kathaprasangam’ as her forte and performed noted stories such as ‘Odayil Ninnu’, ‘Shakuntalam’, and ‘Nalini’, besides 20 Islamic tales. Her fame skyrocketed mainly due to her rendition of ‘Husnul Jamal Badarul Muneer’. She was a notable presence in weddings, temple festivals, and other celebrations across the State. She also performed on many stages abroad and set a record of having performed on more than 10,000 stages across the world.
She performed alongside her husband from 1971 until he passed away in 1986. After a two year hiatus, she resumed performing and carried on until 2018. She has over 500 cassettes and more than 300 awards and recognitions to her credit. She was a recipient of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy award, Moyinkutty Vaidyar Memorial Award, and the Folklore Academy Award.
Begum developed respiratory ailments after she was infected by COVID-19. The funeral will be held at Paroppadi Masjid on Thursday.
