Kerala boasts not only classical Carnatic music, but also an exciting folk music scene that serves to commemorate occasions, recall memories or express emotions. Folk songs can provide a wonderful way to mark special events or express emotions.
Mappila Pattu is an endearing folk music tradition from Malabar’s Muslim community that stands the test of time. With melodic compositions and lyrics that tell untold tales from its land and people, Mappila Pattu serves as a testament to their culture and spirit.
Instruments
Folk Music Kerala makes use of instruments such as the Ayudhi, Tanbura and Kombu that have long been beloved among its listeners, making this style extremely popular among people and festivals throughout Kerala. The Kerala government is taking steps to preserve this tradition through various cultural groups that promote this genre of music and help develop new instruments; giving young generations access to traditional instruments.
These songs of this genre express feelings and emotions ranging from harvest joy to the union between man and woman sacramentally, everyday issues like tease a friend or praise nature can also be expressed through this form. They often feature lyrics written in multiple languages that pay homage to Kerala culture and spirit.
Carnatic music was once an integral part of royal life. It was patronised by kings from Mysore and Travancore – many were accomplished musicians themselves – while court musicians excelled at playing rudra veena, ghatam violin etc.
As Carnatic music’s popularity declined during the late 19th century, a new group of folk musicians emerged. Not only were these individuals proficient in Carnatic music but they embraced social revolutions occurring all around them and used music as an outlet to convey revolutionary ideals and to rework existing melodies or compose their own tunes.
Now there are numerous bands working to revitalize Kerala’s folk music traditions, one such band being the Bamboo band from Thrissur. Their efforts in promoting local knowledge systems and heritage has gained them prominence while they spread an important environmental message by using bamboos to construct musical instruments.
Other instruments used for creating folk music in Kerala include bamboo, edakka, kombu and idakka. Panchavadyam orchestra from Kerala comprises of five instruments: Timila Maddalam Ilathalam and Idakka which form Panchavadyam orchestra which plays an essential part in temple festivals of Kerala; typically one person begins playing and then the others join at fixed times during performances by taking turns starting the performance and joining later.
Lyrics
Folk music stands out from other genres with its lyrical beauty. Filled with lively and poetic compositions that describe various aspects of life in Kerala, religious as well as secular themes are frequently explored within it; lyrics may depict sarcasm, love or acts of valor while it often mixes languages and cultures; for instance the Mappila Pattu popular among Muslims of Kerala is known for combining Hindustani with Arabic music styles into one song form, making up part of Kerala’s cultural legacy.
Musical pieces known as ballads are popularly performed during festivals and rituals, often by women sung during festivals and rituals. They tell tales about mythological characters or historical events while the lyrics also convey moral messages or philosophy based on traditional belief systems of peoples. Their rhythmic beats create a soothing environment.
Naatupura Pattu, which recounts the struggles of farmers, is another well-known form of folk music in Kerala, often performed during harvest seasons and featuring classical instruments like Shehnai and drums as accompaniment. Furthermore, this genre often plays as an accompaniment for Kathakali performances.
Folk songs of Kerala remain highly cherished cultural gems despite facing several threats to their survival due to modern lifestyle influences and risk extinction altogether. Their creators may no longer be living, yet their legacy lives on in our memories; folk songs form an integral part of Kerala’s rich cultural heritage that should be protected.
Many popular Malayalam movies feature folk songs as part of the soundtrack, evoking strong emotions in viewers while remaining timeless classics in peoples’ memories. Directors understand the significance of folk music and use it as the perfect background to their scenes.
Kerala folk songs often incorporate rituals into them and often feature snake gods in some capacity. Pulluvar songs form part of Kathakali performances as priests sing them during snake sacrifices – this genre could even be considered Carnatic music from India!
Rhythms
No matter what style of music speaks to your soul – classical Carnatic, traditional folk, or the vibrant new bands taking over contemporary scenes – Kerala offers something for every music enthusiast. Enjoy its vast musical heritage by attending classical concerts or folk performances; dance along to folk performances or discover local bands sweeping up contemporary scenes by discovering vibrant local bands who are making waves today.
Kerala music industry is flourishing due to talented musicians and an enthusiastic audience. Popular Kerala artists include Kalabhavan Mani and Biju Menon; in addition, there are lesser-known acts making their mark nationally and internationally.
Kerala has an enduring folk music tradition, deeply embedded within the cultures and traditions of various ethnic groups. Kerala offers an array of folk songs and dance forms like oppana and koothu that feature rhythmic clapping or singing combined with instruments like tabla or udukku for accompaniment.
Kerala music draws heavily on many different cultures, particularly those found in Malabar region. Here you will find an intricate musical tradition which draws upon Hindustani styles as well as Muslim influences from West Asia – creating an innovative mix that is distinct to this region and giving rise to Mappila pattu music with its use of alternating meters and improvisation.
Kerala boasts both traditional folk music and a lively pop music scene that flourished during the latter half of the 1990s. East Coast Audios and other music companies were instrumental in spurring its development, while movies like Niranja Mizhiyum fostered young music enthusiasts.
Even as interest in ethno-music declines, there has been renewed energy to revive traditional folk melodies. One sign of this can be seen through the popularity of Pala Palli from Kaduva movie which now boasts over 1.3 crore YouTube hits – a sure sign of preservation and celebration of rich musical culture of Kerala.
Traditions
Kerala is home to numerous folk art forms, such as kumbamthullal, kolkali, kummattikali and Theyyam. These performances can be found at temple festivals and other social events as well as featuring acrobatics, martial arts and mask dance performances. Theyyam stands out as being particularly spectacular; its music typically played on chendas (drums) while drummers move with rhythmically played music using an instrument known as an idakka which produces different tones depending on hand movements by players using an instrument known for producing different tones/pitch depending on players’ hands being moved while playing it is performed at temple festivals and social events with performance artists using instruments such as these being performed using drums called chendas (chenda), in which it features martial arts performances alongside acrobatics martial arts performances with mask dance performances being amongst them all performing some form or another featuring acrobatics martial arts training, martial arts acrob chi and mask dance performances at these social events with performers offering acrobatics martial arts moves, mask dance performances to other forms such as mask dance idakka which features different tones/pitches depending on player hand movements by drummers/player.
Keralan folk songs are steeped in oral tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation for millennia, influenced by Carnatic music as well as other styles. A substantial number of these songs are written in local dialects. Famous artists from Kerala such as Shadkala Govinda Marar have made significant contributions to folk music; one notable innovation on a tamburu included adding seven strings instead of the usual four and singing pallavis with six degrees of time – innovations he pioneered over his lifetime!
Other traditions in Kerala that stand out include the practice of natyam, a rhythmic dance style from Hindustani classical music; and Mappila pattu, which blends Malayalam poetry with Arabic themes and language for an Arabimalayalam style that shows West Asia’s influence in Kerala’s culture through religion, love, and acts of valor.
Kerala’s unique rhythms can also be heard at temple festivals and celebrations, most notably at Thrissur Pooram in Dhanu which features an amazing spectacle of effigies, masks, artworks and group dances like Kaikottikali that involve tapping two-foot long wooden sticks held by devotees in hands of devotees during group dance performances.
Recently, Kerala tinsel town has shown support for folk music through popular songs like Pala Palli from Ayyappanum Koshiyum film. A recent survey confirmed this revival and Kerala state government is making efforts to support it and other forms of art in Kerala region.