Melam .. Drums of Kerala

 The melam or percussion orchestration of Kerala has several knowledgeable enthusiasts and many of the artistes are as popular as Rock stars .

The art of this style of music has strict rules of classical music and said to have evolved from four vedas and Natya sasthra. 

The rhythms of a Mohiniyattam or Kathakali or  Bharatanatyam dancer  to the beats of a mridangam or the throes of a Chenda or drum .

The two main types of Melam though there are around nine are PANCHARI MELAM and 

PANDI  MELAM 

Broadly Panchari is played inside temples while Pandi outside temples in processions celebrations etc .

PANCHARI has six while PANDI has seven beats .

The word Pandi in malayalam refers to Pandi Naadu or Tamilnadu 

So many including me was thinking PANDI Melam had Tamil influences .

I learnt it is NOT so .

In fact the creating of this new mela from conventionally accepted Panchari the purists relegated it out of temples and labelled it sarcastically as PANDI MELAM that is its  something alien !

Pandi is actually elegance while Panchari is Melody 

Panchari is played by hand and stick in Thrissur while with two sticks in Malabar .

In Thrissur Edamthala and Valamthala are known as Uruttuchenda and Veekanchenda .

Panchari stands as a guide to other melams like Chempa ,Chempada,Anchathanta ,Adanta  ,

Dhruvam etc 

Pandi melam stands alone 

In fact but for Pandi melam rest are under Chempata melam .

The rare chendas are Navam ,Kalpam and Shadkari .

The Chenda itself is in two 

Edamthalam and Valamthalam 

Other three are Kombu ( bow shaped wind instrument ) Kuzhal ( flute like instrument ) and Edathalam or cymbals .

Like a western classical music orchestra the melam troupe has a defined structure and strict rules and guidelines and patterns laid out .

The rhythmic percussion of drums timed by wind instruments and cymbals can last hours .

The number of Valamthalas ,Kuzhal ,Kombu ,Elsnthalams should be same as Valamthalas 

From minimum 15 to 130 are numbers .

The Pramaanakaaran  or the captain of the orchestra stands opposite the senior most in Kuzhal on both sides the others in descending order of seniority stand so junior most will be at two ends with seniors more to center ..

The timing of the kalaasam or ending of one phase and starting of another is by Kombhu and then by Kuzhal .

The subtle changes in rhythm and pace is the responsibilty of the Pramaanakaaran  with the senior most in Kuzhal 

This is done with subtle nods bends of chendakaar and by bends and  rounding of kuzhals started off by the Pramanakaran of chenda and kuzhal .

Each phase starts with Kaalamittal or fixing base tempo by Valamthala followed by single stick beat of Edamthala followed by beats in center and rim of drums for one Thaalavatta .

Then the Melam follows.

In Panchari its five times 

Kaalam one 96 Aksharas

Kaalam two 48

Kaalam three 24

Kaalam four 12

Kaalam five 6 

So it's actually 6 .

Am not going into the mathematical details of the kaalams suffice to say the rhythmic pleasant sound of an unified melam group has lot of sense and structure and science behind its art and skill .

I had the oppurtunity to talk to some musicians as I waited with them in a hall prior to programme 

Shyam a bank officer and Kannan his brother and Kalamandalam Jayan .

Above all Satyan Maraar a senior chenda melam artiste and teacher and guide to many gave me the oppurtunity to attend the melam today inside with the musicians an unique oppurtunity 

He also introduced me to Shri Jayaram the Pramanakaaran today and for last many years in the Pavizamalli thara melam in Chottanikara temple 

I also chanced on an excellent thesis by a couple of scholars that made me write this post 

To understand fully by reading and listening once by someone who is not trained as a musician is impossible so there may be mistakes or gaps in what I wrote but am happy I did not stop to just listen and shake my head I did make a feeble attempt to understand more