Melodious Rhythms of India: the Nadaswaram

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Kerala lays claim to a wide range of native musical instruments, which all together play host to a great range of unique sounds and melodies. The nadaswaram is a wooden-body pipe about two and a half feet long. This double-reed wind instrument is typically played during temple rituals and processions, weddings, and other celebrations. The nadaswaram is thought to achieve the peak of its acoustic quality in open environments where the sounds can resonate outwards, which is why it has evolved into a procession instrument. Continue reading

Pulluvan Pattu

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Pulluvan Pattu is the music sung by the caste known as Pulluvas, which means lower caste. It is accompanied by hand-made stringed instruments such as Pulluva Veena.  In Kerala this is the traditional music is associated with the worship of Snake Gods.

Panchavadyam – Rhythms Of Kerala

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Panchavadyam is an orchestra made up of five instruments, primarily percussion but one wind instrument – chenda, kombu, kuzhal, elathalam and maddalam. Kerala temple festivals are the ideal occasion to witness its entire range of traditional musical expertise. Originally this was the music that accompanied temple processions where caparisoned elephants carried the idol. A panchavadyam performance takes hours, with a pyramid-like rhythmic structure in which the instruments go through five musical stages, or peaks.
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