South Indian Drums - Pancha Vadyam and other Chenda Melangal

South Indian Drums - Pancha Vadyam & Chenda Melams

pancha vadyam

Panchari Melam

Pandi Melam

Thayambaka

Shingari Melam

The Chenda (Malayalam: ചെണ്ട) is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, Tulu Nadu of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as chande. A Chenda is a cylindrical wooden drum, and has a length of two feet and a diameter of one foot. Both ends are covered (usually with animal's skin) with the "Chenda Vattam".

A "Chenda Melam" means percussion using Chenda.

Panchavadyam( പഞ്ചവാദ്യം Malayalam), 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 idakka — belong to the percussion category, while the fifth, kombu, is a wind instrument.  panchavadyam is characterised by a pyramid-like rhythmic structure with a constantly increasing tempo coupled with a proportional decrease in the number of beats in cycles.

There are 7 types of "melangal"  Panchari melam, Champa, Chempada, Adantha, Anchadatha, Druvam and Pandy melam. The earlier 6 melams are called "Chempada melangal". Other than these seven "melams"" two more melams are there in Kerala "Navam" and "Kalpam".  "Shingari Melam" is not considered as a classical form of art.

Panchari melam, comprising instruments like chenda, ilathalam, kombu and kuzhal. Panchari is a six-beat thaalam (taal) with equivalents like Roopakam in south Indian Carnatic music and Daadra in the northern Hindustani classical.

Pandi Melam - the chenda and accompanied by ilathalam (cymbals), kuzhal and Kombu. A full-length Pandi, a melam based on a thaalam (taal) with seven beats, lasts more than two-and-a-half hours, and is canonically performed outside temples. It has basically four stages, each of them with rhythmic cycles (thaalavattam) totalling 56, 28, 14 and seven respectively.

A thayambaka performance on the chenda has thus its focus on the stick-and-palm rolls produced on the itantala (treble) of the chenda, while the rhythm is laid by his fellow instrumentalists on the valanthala (bass) chendas and ilatalam (cymbals).[1] Thayambaka, believed to have flourished during the feudal era, spans an average of 90 minutes. It begins at a slow pace before scaling on to a medium tempo and eventually culminating in high, frenzied speed.

"Kaalam" (കാലം) is a degree of geometric speed. A "Kalam" starts with an "Onnam Kaalam" (ഒന്നാം കാലം) or the first degree of geometric speed. Which is the "thalam" (താളം) or the basic rhythm throughout the percussion performance (melam). Once the "Onnam Kaalam" is practiced the students learn to exercise the "Randam Kaalam" (രണ്ടാം കാലം) or the second degrees of geometric speed, then the "Muunaam Kaalam" (മൂനാം കാലം) or the third degrees of geometric speed Then the "Naalam Kaalam" or the fourth degree of geometric speed and so on. Depending up on the practice and experience a Chenda performer can perform in 7, 8, 9 or even 10 "Kaalam".

Thalam : Thalam is the division of time.

Thalavattam : Thalavattam is the prescribed time to complete the rhythmic cycle.

Kalam : Kalam is the variation in speed to complete the assigned job. (e.g. Onnam Kalam, Randam Kalam etc.)

Aksharakalam : Time to recite one akshara (nearly one second). This is used to understand the structure of thalam. (eg. Na Ka Da etc.)

Kalasam : A seto of Thalavattams

Nerkol : Beating directly perpendicular to the surface of chenda 

Kerala Kalamandalam, deemed a University of Art and Culture by the Government of India, is a major center for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the Southern states of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the small town of Cheruthuruthy in Thrissur, Thrissur District on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river.