Dialects
Malayalam is classified as a South Dravidian
language. It is the official language of Kerala. About 31.8 million people
consider Malayalam as their mother tongue. Possessing an independent written
scipt, it also has a rich modern literature. There are at least five main
regionaldialects of Malayalam and a number of communal dialects. It belongs
to the Dravidian family. Many words have been borrowed from Sanskrits.
There are 37 consonants and 16 vowels in the script. Malayalam has a written
traditional dating back from the late 9th century and the earliest work
dates from 13th century. The script used is called Kolezhethu (Rod-script)
which is derived from ancient Grandha Script. Malayalam differs from other
Dravidian language as the absence of personal endings on verbs. It has
a one to one correspondence with the Indo Aryan Devanagari syllabarry.
Introduction Culturally, Kerala presents a pageant not found anywhere
else in India. The famous pantomime dance-drama, Kathakali, the Sopana
style of music, the contributions of Swathi Thirunal and Raja Ravi Varma
in the realms of music and painting respectively are some of Kerala’s
unique contributions which have enriched the cultural heritage of India.
Kerala’s folk music, though not refined, is rich with a rugged beauty
that is really genuine, with its rhyme and rhythm.
These are mostly devotional in nature, like the Sarpapattu, Bhadrakalipattu,
Ayyappanpattu etc. The Thullalpattu demands the skill and artistry of
a professional. Among the instrumental performances, Thayampaka, Panchavadyam
and Kelikottu deserve special mention. The chenda, and chengala are some
of the typical percussion instruments of Kerala. Although Carnatic music
is in vogue in Kerala as the classical music, Kerala appears to have evolved
a somewhat distinctive style of singing known as the sopana style. It
is believed that this style derived its name from the sopana or flight
of steps leading to the sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) the place for the
ritual singing of Ashtapadi. Kathakali has adopted this style of singing
which is low in tempo and emotional in content. Kerala has produced great
masters in the realm of music. The greatest composer is Swathi Thirunal,
the Maharaja of Travancore (early 19th century) who left a rich legacy
of songs in six languages-Sanskrit, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada
and Hindi. They represent the finest flowering of the Carnatic tradition
in Kerala. Irayimman Thampi, a contemporary of Swathi Thirunal, was another
great composer Kerala has produced. The greatest musician in Kerala history,
Shadkala Gonvinda Marar, who lived during the days of Swathi Thirunal,
was a wonderful genius who elicited admiration even from the great Thyagaraja.
The dance forms of Kerala can roughly be divided into five categories,
viz; tribal dances,folk dances, classical dances, neo-classical dances
and modern dances.
Text
by P.K.Parameswaran Nair
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