Thrissur: All the four star percussionists of Thrissur Pooram heading pandi melams and panchavadyams -Parakkad Thankappan, Kongadu Madhu, Peruvanam Kuttan Marar and Kizhakkoottu Aniyan Marar - took part in a interactive session with the media persons on Saturday to share their experience and views about the use of traditional percussion at Thrissur Press Club.
While Padmasree Peruvanam Kuttan Maran will be heading the largest pandi melam ensemble in the world at the Elanjithara at Vadak-kumnadan Temple from 2.10 pm to 4.30 p.m. for Paramekakvu Devaswom on April 25 for Thrissur Pooram, Parakkad will head the Panchavadyam ensemble for the Devaswom.
Kongadu will lead the Panchavadyam of Thiruvambady Devaswom for the the Madathilnninnulla Varavu and Kizhakk-oottu will hold the reins for pandi melam for the devaswom .
Peruvanam Kuttan Maran said that it was as per the scriptures that percussion became a custom in temples and then gradually developed into a musical art form.
"The structures of the melam and panchavadyams are already in place and there would be some innovations within those structures while the percussion is performed.
“The improvisations made during the performances are made intuitively and we resort to it if there is enough time for the performances. At times, duration of 'edakalasams' (phases with fast rhythms) may increase or get cut short as per the discretion of the persons heading the pandi on chenda and the leading artist performing on Thimla for Panchavadyam," he noted.
For keeping different timings for 'edakala-sams' and 'kalasams' (the final round of performances) he often got mixed reactions from the audience. "Some may say bringing down the timings was excellent while a few may say the duration of kalasams needs to be extended. Anyway, there is no pre-planning during any performances including at Elanjit-hara and I make the calls as per the situation," Peruvanam added.
Parakkad Thanka-ppan said that while Elanjithara and Mada-thilnninnulla Varavu percussion of the Thrissur Pooram got most of the limelight, the Panchavadyam at Paramekkavu got no media attention even though there were several percussion buffs who turn up for the panchavadyam event at the temple on the pooram day.
