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Panchavadyam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Panchavadyam is a classic performance of different musical instruments that are unique to Kerala state of south India, where five instruments are involved in a breathtaking-fastmoving percussion performance (Pancha in Sanskrit means five). The five instruments are Timila, Shudha Madhalam, Kombu, Edakka & Elathalam, Timila, Shudha Madhalam and Edakka are different types of drums. The Elathalam is a cymbal and the Kombu is a type of trumpet. Earlier, different instruments were used in Panchavadyam, but Thiruvilwamala Venkichan Swamy, Annamanada Peethambara Marar, Annamanada Achutha Marar, Annamanada Parameswara Marar and Pattarath SanKara Marar evolved the modern-day Panchavadyam with these five instruments and evolved a new structure.
Panchavadyam is performed during the festivals of the Temples in Kerala, mainly in Central Kerala. The most famous performance is that during the Thrissur Pooram, known as the "Madathil Varavu" Panchavadyam. It is performed by the Thiruvambadi Temple camp. Panchavadyam As Panchavadyam is regarded as one of the most sophisticated art forms in Kerala, the performers are highly respected and usually a huge crowd gathers to watch and listen to the performance. In distinction to the smaller ritualistic panchavadyam, this orchestral form is also called sevanga panchavadyam. Similar to chenda melam, panchavadyam is also characterised by a pyramid rhythmic structure, the ever increasing tempo, and the proportionally decreasing number of beats in a cycles. In contrast to melam it uses different instruments, is not related so closely to the kshetram ritual, contains improvised parts, and its present form was only composed in the 1930s by the maddalam artist Venkichan Swami Bhagavatar and Madhava Warrier. An intelligent mixture of composed and improvised parts creates an amazing sound atmosphere. Similar to panchari the artists are grouped in two semicircles facing each other. According to the panchavadyam band leader and timila artist Kuttapan Marar (2001), this genre is not performed for any ritual, though it is performed in a small ensemble parallel to the diparadhana evening ritual.
From: Killius, Rolf. 2006 ’Ritual Music and Hindu Rituals of Kerala.’ New Delhi: BR Rhythms. ISBN: 81-88827-07-X; with author permission