Instrumental Music
Idakka
Idakka Idakka is a percussion instrument having its origin from Kerala in India. It is also spelt as Edakka or Edaykka which literally means “In the Middle”. This has shape like the “Damaru” and a two headed drum instrument but bigger than the Damaru. Idakka is categorized among the Mangala Vadyas (auspicious instruments). Considering its divinity, it is never kept on the floor but hung near the Sanctum Sanctorum of the temple when not in use. It is believed that Vedas and Arts have connection with Idakka. Construction The Idakka consists of two circular drum heads. Each drum head is mounted within a circular ring. The shape of the body is of hourglass, which is placed between the two heads. The two rings are pulled towards each other using Laces. Drum heads are thu...
Instrumental Music – Shinkari Melam
We saw two forms of Chenda Melam – Panchari and Paandi – but here is another highly energetic and entertaining form the “Shinkari Melam”. Shinkari melam differs from the other forms of Melams. In other forms, usually the artists are stationary in their own positions while playing the instruments. But in Shinkari Melam, the players keep moving and dancing in different styles while playing their instruments. This brings the viewers and listeners to dance to the tunes of the melam making it more energetic and involved. Compared to other forms, the progression of the Thala is more vibrant and fast. Both men and lady troupes perform Shinkari Melam whereas the other forms are dominated by men. Like other forms, Shinkari Melam also can last for one to two hours of duration...
Instrumental Music – Flute Concert
Featured today, we have Vidwan J A Jayanth on flute and team performing for the Naada Inbam December Music Festival 2020. The first song rendered here is the Hamsadhwani Ragam. The concert is about 2 hours and you can enjoy various songs. Accompanying him are as follows. Violin: Sri L Ramakrishnan Mridangam: N C Bharadwaj Ghatam: Chandrasekhara Sharma J A Jayant is one of the promising young flautists who started his performance at the age of 7. Flute Maestro Late Sri T S Sankaran is his grand father. He has pefrormed at various Music Sabhas and venues in India and abroad. L Ramakrishnan hails from a musical family. His formal initiation into music was done by his mother when he was 2 years old. After learning Carnatic Vocal for eight years, his Violin classes started when he was 10. He ha...
Instrumental Music – Sitar with Tabla
Here is young Anoushka Shankar performing with Ustad Zakir Hussain. Anoushka Shankar is a British-Indian Sitar artist and composer and daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar. Ustad Zakir Hussain does not need any introduction, who is an Indian Tabala player, composer, percussionist, music producer and a film actor. Late Ustad Allah Rakha is his father. Both Anoushka and Zakir Hussain are well known in their fields and have performed together and individually on various stages inside and outside India. They have also collaborated with many great Indian and Foreign artists and received various awards and accolades. Let us listen to Anoushka Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain performing live, rendering the Raga Tilak Shyam. Picture and Video used for illustration only – Credit: Lakshay Garg/Unite...
Instrumental Music – Pandi Melam
We discussed about various forms of Melams using the instrument Chenda and one of the common forms is the Pandi Melam. It consists of seven beats and could last for two to three hours of duration. Pandi Melam has four stages with rhythmic cycles, totalling 56, 28, 14 and 7 of Thalavattams. Pandi Melam is staged normally only outside the temple. The Elanji Thara Melam during the Thrissur Pooram festival is an exception to this. This is performed inside the Vadakkunnathan Temple (Siva Temple) compound in Thrissur. Pandi Melam is performed during the Araattupuzha and Peruvanam Poorams in Thrissur district but they are performed outside the temple. While Panchari Melam is of Six Beat thalam, Pandi Melam is of Seven Beat thalam. Let us now watch and listen to the highly energetic Pandi Melam, b...
Instrumental Music – Saxophone Concert
Presenting the Late Shri Kadri Gopalnath, Indian Alto Saxophonist and one of the pioneers for Saxophone. The concert is curated by Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust at the Darbar Festival in London. The rendering is the famous Vatapi Ganapathim Bhaje in the Hamsadhwani Raga. Artists on stage Saxophone: Shri Kadri Gopalnath Violin: Jyotsna Srikanth Mridangam: Bangalore Praveen Ghatam: R N Prakash Tanpura: Kaviraj Singh Shri Kadri Gopalnath (Dec 1949 to Oct 2019) was born in the Sajeepa Mooda village of Dakshina Kannada. His father Shri Taniyappa was a great Nadaswara Vidwan and he acquired the taste for music from his father. It seems Shri Kadri Gopalnath took almost 20 years to master the Saxophone, a western musical instrument. He was crowned as the “Saxophone Chakravarthy”. ...
Saxophone
Saxophone is a Woodwind Instrument in the Single-Reed family. It has a conical shaped body which is usually made of brass. A reed on the mouthpiece of the instrument produces sound due to vibration of sound inside the body. The effective length of the body is changed by closing and opening of holes on it, to control the pitch. Leather pads are attached to keys which are operated by the player. These close and open the holes on the body. Air is blown into the mouthpiece using the player’s mouth to produce sound. Unlike other reed instruments, Saxophone is slightly complex instrument. Types of Saxophones There are different types of Saxophones like Sopranino, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contrabass, Subcontrabass Saxophones. These are classified as Military Band family. Orches...
Instrumental Music – Panchari Melam
Today, we will see one of the different forms of Melams performed using Chenda, which is the Panchari Melam. This is a percussion ensemble normally performed during various temple festivals in Kerala. This on its elaborate form, could extend up to 3 hours and more. Here we will see only the first Kaalam, which is the Pathi Kaalam. In Carnatic Music, we have the Roopaka Thalam (Taal or Beat) having six beats. Panchari is also a six-beat Thalam. The Panchari Melam represents “Sattva Guna” and therefore suitable for playing inside the temple premises. There are five stages for Panchari Melam with beats totalling to 96, 48, 24, 12 and 6. The first of it is the Pathi Kalam. This is played on the Uruttu Chenda and accompanied by Veekku Chenda, Kuzhal, Kompu and Elathalam (Edathalam)....
Chenda
Chenda, basically a drum, is a double headed cylindrical percussion and temple instrument which has its origin from the state of Kerala. It produces a loud and rigid sound and used in temples and other cultural festivals. It is also popular in Tamil Nadu and Coastal Karnataka. Chenda is an essential accompaniment and an Anavadha Vadya or Percussion Instrument. Its Sanskrit name is Dindimam. Construction A Chenda has two sides on which a leather membrane is stretched over a hollow cylindrical body. The two sides are known as “Valam Thala” – Right head and “Edam Thala” – Left head. Usually one or two layers of Cow’s Skin is used on the left head. The right head will have five or seven layers of skin and produces the “Bass” sound. The skin...
Instrumental Music – Nadaswaram and Vocal
Here is an interesting Carnatic Classical Concert featuring Husband-Wife Duo on Nadaswaram and Shri T M Krishna on Vocals. This performance was at St. Andrew’s Auditorium in Bandra, Mumbai in which other prominent artists also took part. It is a special concert known as Aikya, curated by First Edition Arts. This is the very first collaboration between TM Krishna and Nadaswara Vidwans Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and wife Smt. Kaleeshabi Mahaboob. Artists: Vocal: Shri T.M Krishna Nadaswaram: Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and Smt. Kaleeshabi Mahaboob Violin: Akkarai Subhalakshmi Mridangam: Praveen Sparsh Ganjira: BS Purushotham Song: Jagadodharana in Kapi Ragam The Husband and Wife were awarded Padma Shri on the Republic Day in 2020. TM Krishna Shri TM Krishna (Thodur Madabusi Krishna is an Indian ...
Instrumental Music – Nadaswaram and Thavil
This is a concert with Nadaswaram and Thavil as the main instruments. Usually these types of concerts are known as Nadaswaram Kacheri. Featured are two prominent artists Valayapatti A.R Subramaniam on Thavil and Thiruvizha Jayashankar on Nadaswaram. The first song is famous “Vathapi Ganapathim Bhaje” in the Hamsadhwani Ragam, rendered in Adi Talam. Thiruvizha Jayashankar Shri Thiruvizha Jayashankar, born in 1940 is a well known classical musician and Nadaswaram Maestro from Thiruvizha in the Alleppey district of Kerala. He is the son of Thiruvizha Raghava Panicker and grand son of Thiruvizha Sanku Panicker who where Nadaswaram Maestros. He had his preliminary lessons taught by his grand father and advanced training from his father. Jayashankar is a Diploma holder in Music from ...
Thavil
Thavil or Tavil is a hand percussion instrument. It is a barrel shaped drum, having leather membranes stretched on both the open ends. Thavil is mostly used in Temples and other religious festivals along with Nadaswaram. Thavil is used to accompany Nadaswaram on Carnatic Music, Folk and other genre of music. Construction The Thavil is made out of a cylindrical shell which is hollowed out of a solid block of wood. Usually the wood of Jack Fruit tree is used to make the hollow barrel shaped body. The skin (leather) of water buffalo (on the right side) and goat (on the left side) are stretched across the open sides of the shell. Hemp hoops are used to attach and stretch the skins on the shell. The right side of the Thavil is larger in diameter than the left side. The skin on the right side of...