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Lavani
Lavani is a musical
discussion. It has something in common with
the bow-song. It is performed in the months of April-May to herald the coming of
spring chiefly in Thanjavur district, the culturally important areas in
Tiruchirappalli district and in Madurai district.
One team argues that Manmatha or Kaman, the god of love was
burnt to death by lord Shiva and that it was a physical act reducing him to
ashes. The other team argues that it was an allegory. What was burnt was Kama or
Carnal desire and maintains that Kaman never died and that he has ingrained
himself in the heart of countless souls. In counter-arguments and rebuttals,
ideas or religion and ethics are put forward to the accompaniment of drum music
provided by each of the singers in the group. References are made to the Puranas
and the Shastras. The performance lasts a whole night and groups of singers
treat the crowd to great entertainment by their fluency of thought and speech.
At the end of the Lavani performance, a replica of Manmathas mount is burnt. The
earlier and original Kaman pandigai of the Tamils is said to have consisted of
dirge songs in front of a symbolical representation of Manmatha.
Kappal Pattu
Kappal Pattu or Padagap Pattu is a boat-song, sung by travellers
in chorus to overcome the fear of tides and to prevent the monotony of travel on
lakes and rivers.
Pura Pattu
Pura Pattu or pigeon-songs
have been sung in Tamil from the
eleventh century. Its favourite theme is love. A love sick maiden addresses
animals and birds and natural objects like the plough and the wind to inform her
lover about her love sick condition.
Sanku Vadyam
The conch or Sanku is an object of veneration for the folk.
Music is produced from a conch to which a silver pipe is attached. The end
of the pipe serves as the mouth-piece. The pipe does not contain any
air-holes. The player produces the required sound by skillfully
adjusting the volume and pressure of the air that he/she blows through the
pipe. The sound so produced resembles the combined sound of a clarinet and
mukaveena (mouth organ).
In
Palani, members of a family of traditional Pandarams play on
the conch certain characteristic musical lines to the accompaniment of
percussion instruments. Regular music concerts also are given on the
conch. For this purpose the conch used is called Dhavala Chank. It
has an extra fitting 5" pipe connected to the mouth piece of the
conch. It is played entirely through the skillful control of the air blown
through the conch.
The conch-shell is used as a musical instrument in the fields.
It is believed by the folk that this music will help to increase production. This
view is now shared by some scientists as well.
Kanian Attam
This consist of descriptive folk songs sung by two
buffoons- a
man and a woman, even as they are walking. Therefore there is no stage for this
performance. This one-act play is on the decline, even in the temple, of
the local goddesses.
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