Ammanur Madhava Chakyar sat on the stage. It was the third act of Bhasa’s play,
The oldest performing art in Kerala, “the intangible heritage of humanity” – an epithet presented by Unesco in 2001 – has that effect on you. For close to 2,000 years, Koodiyattam has been giving exp ression to the deepest of human emotions – anger, frustration, happi ness, joy – and taking us down memory lane to a time when the custodians of society patronized the art of the Chakyars. The Chakyars, also known as Kulathozhil (a splinter group of the Namboodiri Brahmin caste), number no more than 200 members spread over seven families today. Yet, as in the days of yore, they continue to be the sole performers of Koodiyattam and Koothu, or Chakyar Koothu. Both men (Nam biars) and women (Nangiars) participate in and contribute to the performances.
One of the greatest acting techniques of Indian theatre, Pakarnattam (where an actor portrays emotions of multiple characters) is a revolutionary contribution of Koodiyattam to world theatre. Then, of course, there was a dozing Nambiar at a Chakyar Koothu performance who famously created one of Kerala’s most popular dance traditions.
Mohiniattam – The dance of the Enchantress
“In the white and gold costume, the dancer had transformed into a completely different person – her presence seemed so arresting and powerful. And then with her flawless abhinaya, she played out the Gajendra moksham story. As the elephant lord cried out to Lord Vishnu to save him, I choked.”– a Mohiniattam enthusiast.
Mohiniattam is about the soft and subtle – the feminine grace of life. It’s about lyricism and lasya (moods), about Kerala’s swaying palms and paddies. It’s about Mohini, the enchantress, and about attam, the dance. And it’s also about the costume and hairstyle that have been immortalized in Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings – the elaborate coiffure, the posture.
The origins of Mohiniattam, traditionally performed by women, are traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries, the golden era of culture in Kerala. A few scholars consider the 18th century Balaramabharatam, written by Karthika Thirunal Balarama Varma of the Travancore royal family, to be the authentic treatise on Mohiniattam. Others point to the earlier references to Mohiniattam in the 17th century Vyavaharamala, a Sanskrit text written by Mazhamangalam Namboodiri. But most agree that the dance closely corresponds to the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of the Natyashastra, written in 2 BCE. Mohiniattam is the only dance form of India that was revived several times. Some scholars believe that like Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam was associated with the devadasi tradition, but many others disagree.
Kathakli – The Poor Man’s Rich Art Form
“In Kathakali, we learn the form first. Then, through practice, life is filled into that form, and then it becomes alive.” – Kathakali guru Ettumanur Parameswaran Kannan.
The youngest of the classical forms and one of the most refined pantomime dancedramas, Kathakali probably is one of the most colourful and recognisable dances of India.
Akin to the Japanese Kabuki, it is as much about the makeup as about the costume, expressions, dialogues and the story (Katha kali literally means ‘story performance’).
There are those who trace its origins to Ramanattam, librettos penned by Kottayath Thampuran, based on Rama’s life as described in the Ramayana.
To others, it is reminiscent of the masque dances of Europe, like popular writer David Bolland, who in his book A Guide to Kathakali wrote, “Kathakali, as we now see it, dates back to about the time that Shakespeare was writing his plays. The performances given in Malabar at that time by troupes of actors who were formed by and enjoyed the patronage of the local rajahs and other noblemen (especially the Namboodiris) must in many ways have been similar to masques which were in vogue.”
Between the 2nd and 16th centuries, Kathakali incorporated elements from various dance forms in Kerala. Performed in accordance with the Thouryatrika tradition, it incorporates the four precepts of classical Indian theatre – Angika (physical expression), Satwika (facial expressions), Vachika (rhetoric aspects) and Aharya (art of costume and makeup). Its characters are broadly classified into four types, namely pacha (green), kathi (knife), tadi (beard) and munukku (radiant), depending upon their guna (qualities).
Theyyam: Dance of the Folk Gods
“Theyyam is more about the participation of the local people than the actual performance… It’s about the abundance of bright colours, particularly red. In one performance of Theyyam called ‘Thee cha mundi’, in which the performer wears tender coconut leaves, watching the way he jumps into a huge bonfire is an experience which words cannot express.” – a tourist on seeing a Theyyam performance in a village in Malabar.
Although confined to the northern hamlets of Malabar, Theyyam is the foremost folklore ritual art form of the state. The word ‘Theyyam’ refers to both the performance and the performer, who is said to attain supernatural powers during the performance.
The roots of most Theyyams can be traced to the mythological incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Shiva, about whom there are many legends. The method of worship in Theyyam is highly ritualistic and closely linked to the worship of Sakthi, Bhootha, Naga, ghosts, ancestors, warriors and blood. A similar folklore ritual known as Bhootha Kola is also observed in Karnataka.
Interestingly, village Theyyams were one of the first to embrace the communist movement in Kerala, largely because its performers belonged to the poorest of the poor. Equally interesting is the fact that Theyyam dance-drama, unlike other temple performances, is not idol-centric. In Theyyam, the performer assumes temporary incarnate powers – he is god and master, the manifestation of the divine. In many ways, this folk art form provides an outlet of protest and opposition in the name of god.
While other classical dance forms depend on a variety of about five or six talas (rhythm), Theyyam adapts an astonishing 28 talas that highlight the organic relationship between the artistry of Theyyam and the aesthe tics of North Malabar. Art forms such as Kathakali are highly indebted to this ritual art form for both aesthetic and rhythmic inspiration. The pure dance steps (kalasham) of Kathakali are partly drawn from the footwork of Theyyam, which also bears a strong resemblance to the Kantian dance tradition of Sri Lanka.
Thullal: Dance of Satire and Humour
“Everybody around me was laughing.” – a viewer’s reaction to a Thullal performance.
A revolutionary turning point for the arts in Kerala came about during the lifetime of poet and social critic Kunjan Nambiar, who visualised and promoted the Thullal tradition in the 18th century. Thullal, which consists of Seethankanthullal, Ottanthullal and Parayanthullal, is a semi-classical folk art form in which a solo actor in colourful costumes recites songs and dances. It explores the use of satire and humour as a tool of social change. Hence the widespread popularity of this dance.
Music
For people in the rest of India, Yesudas might be the first name that comes to mind when the music of Kerala is mentioned. However, the legendary playback singer represents just one aspect of a rich and diverse musical tradition that has evolved over centuries. Leela Omcherry, a renowned musicologist, categorises the different strains of music of the state as folk, Vaideeka (sacred music sung in temples), Laukeeka (secular music, which received patronage from kings and the public) and Natya, which she defines as the “blissful imitation of the three, if not their fusion”. While the basic principles and grammar of the various styles are the same, their songs, singers, instruments, aims and the sphere of performance are different.
A style of music unique to Kerala is Sopana Sangeetham. Sopana (literally ‘staircase’) refers to the music that was sung in the inner sanctorum of the temple when it was closed for ceremonial offerings to the deity. It is usually sung to the accompaniment of the idyakka (or edakka, an hourglass-shaped drum) and the chengila (a kind of gong). Gradually this music broke free from the bounds of the temple and is now performed everywhere.
Kerala is also one of the centres f Carnatic classical music. Govinda Marar, Mavelikkara Prabhakara Verma, TN Krishnan and Palghat Mani Iyer are some of the renowned Carnatic musicians from the state.
Mappilapattu is the music of the Muslim Mappila community of Malabar. Its songs are folk or devotional in nature and were traditionally sung at weddings. Moyinkutty Vaidyar, a 19th century poet, is perhaps the most renowned exponent of Mappilapattu. Other famous songwriters and singers are VM Kutti, SA Jameel and Bappi Velliparambu. Nowadays, Mappilapattu is heavily influenced by pop music – a trend decried by purists.
Each kind of music has certain instruments associated with it, though not exclusively so. A large number of instruments, – such as chenda (percussion), kombu (wind), mizhavu (copper drum) and nanthuni (string) – are used in traditional, theatrical and ritual music. Some traditional meloms (ensembles) consist of as many as 100–150 instruments. While many of these are rarely played, some, such as the chenda, are used on almost every festive occasion. The veena, violin, flute, mridangam (percussion) and nagaswaram (wind) are used in Carnatic classical music.
Music flourished under the patronage of various rulers, especially under Swati Tirunal (1829–1847) of the Travancore dynasty whose reign is considered a golden era for arts and culture. Tirunal was a talented musician who composed more than 150 pieces in various styles and languages and tried to achieve a synthesis between Hindustani and Carnatic classical music.
As in the rest of the country, music has been an integral part of Malayalam cinema since its inception. Balan, the first ever Malayalam talkie, released in 1938, had 23 songs in it. The 1960s and 70s marked the age of melody in Malayalam films. Kamukara Purushothaman, KP Udayabhanu and P Leela, and non-Malayali singers such as P Susheela and S Janaki, became household names. And then came Yesudas. With his melodious voice, and particularly his songs in movies such as Bhargavi Nilayam, Murappennu, Nadi, Anarkali, Yakshi and Chembarathi, he practically swept Keralites off their feet. Yesudas has ruled the playback world ever since.
Today the music scene in Kerala is vibrant. One can experience this in films, theatre and dance as well as in the various music festivals that take place around the year such as the Swathi Sangeetholsavam, the Nisha-gandhi Festival and the Navrathri Sangeetholsavam.
Inputs by Ravi Menon
Kerala
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