Kuzhal pattu is a form of traditional temple music practised in the

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Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. It centers on the use of the kuzhal, a

double reed A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece and ...

wind instrument, and is typically performed at temple festivals.

Structure

In kuzhal pattu, the kuzhal plays the lead with the support of several accompanying instruments, which may include

chenda The Chenda (, ) is a cylindrical percussion instrument originating in the state of Kerala and widely used in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka in India. In Tulu Nadu (Coastal Karnataka), it is known as ''chende''. The instrument is strongly associat ...

(both treble and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

ilathalam Elathalam (or Ilathalam) is a musical instrument from Kerala in southern India. It is made completely of bronze and resembles a miniature pair of cymbals, played by holding one part in the left hand and banging the other cymbal against it. Althou ...

, toppi maddalam and a sruti (drone) kuzhal. A Kuzhal Pattu typically starts with the lead kuzhal essaying an alapanam to establish a

raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...

. The other instruments may join in as the kuzhal pattu progresses through several ragas and compositions. The span of the musical form ranges from five minutes to over an hour, with an average length of 30 minutes.

Performance

Kuzhal pattu is typically used as a prelude to

panchari melam Panchari Melam is a percussion ensemble, performed during Temple Festivals of Kerala, temple festivals in Kerala, India. Panchari Melam (or simply panchari), is one of the major forms of Chenda Melam (ethnic drum ensemble), and is the best-kno ...

, but may also be played prior to night seevelis (temple circumambulations) that perform

panchavadyam Panchavadyam (Malayalam: പഞ്ചവാദ്യം), literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four — timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idak ...

. It is usually performed inside the temple before

midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

. The kuzhal pattu is generally played in an elaborate way at temple festivals around

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

and Valluvanad areas, but it isn't very uncommon in other parts of Kerala as well. Valappay Nandhan, Oorakam Chandran, Kombathu Anil and Dhaneesh Thirunayathode were some of the famous persons who play Kuzhal Pattu very well

Notes

Sources

*Killius, Rolf. (2006) ''Ritual Music and Hindu Rituals of Kerala.'' New Delhi: BR Rhythms. .

External links

and the Goddess loves music...

The British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

. {{Music of Kerala Kerala music Percussion music