An Investigative Study on the Communicative Aspects of Oppari Singing Used Among Sri Lankan Tamils

Abstract

Oppari singing can be identified as a form of singing used by the Tamil people at funerals. Not only the Hindu people who migrated from South India to Sri Lankan estates but also the Tamil people of Jaffna sing this Oppari at their funerals. In these funeral ceremonies, it is special that only the women sing this song, standing next to the dead body. Oppari singing is defined as a rhythmic lamentation. That is, singing the merits of the deceased person and forming a rhythmic chant. Does Oppari singing in use among Sri Lankan estate Tamils contain social communication features? This research was conducted on the basis of the problem and collected data on the assumption that the social communication features of Oppari singing used among plantation Tamil people are included. This included the communicative aspect of Oppari singing, the peculiarities of Oppari singing, the current use of Oppari singing, etc. Qualitative data collection methods and discussion analysis were used as research methods for data collection. The primary source of data was collected through field study and interviews with people in Haputale and Poondaluoya, while the secondary source of data was collected through books, newspapers and documents. The analysis of this data shows that the Sri Lankan estate Tamil people give an understanding about the dead person to the people participating in the funeral by singing Oppari, and that Oppari song represents itself as a symbol and communicates and interprets the person, and this Oppari song which performed for the dead body, not to express the grief over the loss of the deceased person but to remember what the deceased person did while he was alive. It was also revealed that this Oppari singing is a special kind of funeral singing that is only limited to the Tamil people and unique to them.