Audio art forms in Kerala

The music that creates a sense of calm in the human mind just by listening to it is pleasing to the ear and mind alike. Music is one of the important art forms that can soften the human mind. The musical tradition of Kerala is centuries old. It includes songs from ritual arts, folk art forms, and entertainments like boat racing, tribal songs and folk songs. Many of these are not scientifically practiced or precisely structured. These are song forms with a loose structure that can be changed according to the singer's wishes and the occasion. Sopana music is a unique musical form of Kerala, which is structured based on rhythm. The best example of Sopana music is Kathakali music. Kerala has made great contributions to the two main streams of Indian classical music, Carnatic music and Hindustani music. Kerala music has a tradition that extends from Swathi Thirunal, Iraimmman Thampi, Kuttikunju Thankachi, K.C. Kesava Pillai, etc. to contemporary artists. The musical arts of Kerala include Marga music, Desi music, Sopana music, Carnatic music, folk songs, Kathaprasangam, and contemporary light music. 

Musical arts in Kerala

■ Marga Music

Marga music was the first branch of music to emerge. It was used for Vedic chants and sacrifices. It was mainly used in religious rituals and temples. It is a classical tradition based on specific rules and principles. 

■ Desi music 

Desi music is a tradition that has evolved from regional musical styles and is flexible in its arrangements. It is also known as village music and rural music. The two main branches that have emerged from these different styles are Carnatic music and Hindustani music.

■ Sopana Sangeetham

Sopana Sangeetham is a unique musical style of Kerala, known as a continuation of Dravidian music. The founder of Sopana music is Njeralathu Ramapothuval (autobiography - Sopanam). Janahita Sopanam, the popular expression of Sopana Sangeetham, was invented by Njeralathu Ramapothuval. Sopana Sangeetham is based on raga. The ragas used for Sopana Sangeetham are Indisha, Desakshi, Indalam, Padi, Bhupalam, Puraneer, and Kamodari. The rhythms are Ekam, Champa, Chempada, Atanta, Muriyadanta, and Tripuda. Sopana Sangeetham originated in Kerala temples. The instrument used in Sopana music is the edakka. There are two types of Sopana Sangeetham, Kottipadi Seva and Ranga Sopanam. Sopanam is the step in front of the sanctum sanctorum in the temple. 'Kottipadi Seva' is the singing of marar by striking the edakka from the temple's sopana during the puja. Arangu Sangeetam is an important branch of Sopana Sangeetham. It can also be called acting music. In the arangu, the singer sings, the instrumentalist plays and the actor plays the roles of various characters accordingly. This is stage music. Examples - Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Krishnanattam, Mudiyettu, Arjuna Nritham. Sopana Sangeetham is used in Kathakali. The reason why sopana Sangeetham is called 'time music' is because ragas are used according to the rules of the song. Puthussery Raghava Kurup (who gave a systematic form to sopana music), Njeralathu Harigovindan, and Ambalappuzha Vijayakumar are the main Sopana Sangeetham artists. 

■ Carnatic music

Carnatic music is the music of South India. It began during the time of Purandaradasan, who lived in the 16th century. Carnatic music originated in the paths where devotion and music flowed together. For teachers like Purandaradasan, devotion, music and life were one and the same. Their worship of the nadopasana, forgetting everything, led to the growth of Carnatic music. Like a South Indian river, it flowed through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and reached Kerala. It was during the time of Swathi Thirunal, the Maharaja of Travancore, that modern South Indian music, known as Carnatic music, began to spread in Kerala. Carnatic music brought to Kerala not only the sweetness of music. It gave us history , culture , a sense of beauty and many other things. Iraimman Thampi, Shadkaala Govinda Marar and Paramasivam Bhagavathar were the main musicians in Swathi Thirunal's audience. Some of the prominent contributors to Carnatic music include Chembai Vaidyanath Bhagavathar, K.C. Kesava Pillai, T.V. Gopala Krishnan, Dr. Omanakutty, Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma, Kuttikunju Thankachi, Attur Krishna Pisharody, Parassala B. Ponnammal, and Neyyattinkara Vasudevan. 

■ Folk songs

Like written literature, there is also unwritten literature. Such literature is passed through generations orally. Folk songs and proverbs fall under this category. Folk songs are oral songs that tell the story of each region of Kerala. These are songs that reveal different local lifestyles and celebrations. Locally made instruments are generally used for folk songs. Folk songs are one of the most popular genres of music. There are hundreds of folk songs in Malayalam. Some of them are related to rituals. Ritual folk songs go like this: Kalyanapattu, Thuyilunarthupattu, Sarppapattu, Kaikottikkalipattu. There are also folk songs that tell beautiful stories. Our folk songs are divided into two, southern songs and northern songs. Northern songs and southern songs are usually sung by singers belonging to the Panar caste. Northern songs tell the stories of heroes who are warriors. The stories in the northern songs, which are full of war, adventure, deceit and rebellion, are interesting. The influence of Tamil can be clearly seen in the southern songs. A famous southern song is 'Iravikuttipillapor'. People belonging to different castes had their own songs. Velan pattu, Chattu pattu, Mappilapattu are examples. Not everyone has access to written literature. But folk songs were for everyone. Both commoners and farmers sang folk songs. There are unique folk songs to pray to God and worship nature. Folk songs are generally divided into refined and unsophisticated according to the musical composition. Unsophisticated folk songs include Njattu pattu, Vedanpattu, Thanattam, Vattippattu, Adithalipattu, Kanipattu, etc.

■ Kathaprasangam

Kathaprasangam is an art form that began in the early 20th century to educate the people of the society. The Kathaprasangam consists of a storyteller and a small supporting cast. The storyteller is called a Kathikan. The Kathikan presents the story in a very dramatic manner, accompanied by songs.

■ Contemporary light music

Light music is the most popular art form in Malayalam. Examples include film songs and drama songs. Poems are transformed into songs by giving them a different melody and rhythm. Institutions like All India Radio and Doordarshan played a major role in bringing this art form to the masses.