Lost melodies from the plantations | TheStarTV.com

Lost melodies from the plantations

Published on 17 Sep 2025 11:55:31 PM

After H.N. Ridley brought rubber trees to Malaya in 1877, the British imported Indian labourers who endured hard plantation conditions, many died from overwork and disease.

Despite their suffering, these workers preserved their stories through folk songs, which brothers Kumanavannan Rajendran and Gogularaajan Rajendran are now using to create a documentary about Malaysian plantation life.

The project, which began in 2021 traces the experiences of Indian immigrants through these century-old melodies.

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Keywords
news, thestartv, the star, melodies, plantation, folk song, kumanavanna, gogularaajan rajendran, om sakthi fils, rubber tappers, h.n.ridley, labourers, india, immigrant

After H.N. Ridley brought rubber trees to Malaya in 1877, the British imported Indian labourers who endured hard plantation conditions, many died from overwork and disease.

Despite their suffering, these workers preserved their stories through folk songs, which brothers Kumanavannan Rajendran and Gogularaajan Rajendran are now using to create a documentary about Malaysian plantation life.

The project, which began in 2021 traces the experiences of Indian immigrants through these century-old melodies.

WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Keywords:
news, thestartv, the star, melodies, plantation, folk song, kumanavanna, gogularaajan rajendran, om sakthi fils, rubber tappers, h.n.ridley, labourers, india, immigrant

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