The Corona virus has grabbed away Kerala’s festival season (November to May) this year too. Festivals and events were either called off or passed off as token rituals. Glum are the artistes; so too are the connoisseurs. This is the time when nostalgia galore. Watching the YouTube clips, talking about the past events, etc. can lighten the stress.
The Common Factor
Kerala’s festive events are incomplete without caparisoned elephants and Melams (percussion ensemble). Melam variants include Chenda (The signature percussion of Kerala) Melam and Panchavadhyam (confluence of five instruments). In Chenda Melam itself there are categories based on the rhythm pattern. But in any form of Melam, the common factor is the Elathalam, Kerala’s own crash cymbal pair. Elathalams are widely used in the temple rituals and art forms. The clink of Elathalam gives the filler effect in the ensemble and sustains the wholesome feel. Simply put, Elathalam can be likened to salt in the curry. There is no way that a curry is complete without that pinch of salt.
Elathalam’s rendition produces Thari and Dhwani. Thari is the sizzling sound caused by the sliding movements of the edges and the “Dhwani” is the crash produced by tapping the metallic body against the other. A skilled artiste produces the right combination of Thari and Dhwani to make a wonderful milieu. Elathalam represents the Laghu aspect of the beat pattern (the other being Guru) Elathalam artistes are the time keepers in a Melam and they signal the Kalasam (cadence) and Thalavattam (cycle change). In Kathakali it is carried by the supporting vocalist.
Some Specifics
Anatomically, Elathalam is made of Bronze. The pair resemble folded (or the praying) palm. Each part has a raised center portion and a flat landing. A hole is drilled at the center through which a strap or grip runs through. A standard Elathalam pair weighs about 2 kilo grams and has a diameter of about 10 inches. However dimensions vary. The weight and the size determines the quality of sound they produce. The Larger the specifics, louder is the voice and longer is the sustain. No wonder then that Elathalams are customized according to their use. Elathalam used for a Melam or Panchavadhyam thus differs from the one used in Kathakali.
Elathalams are handmade or die-cast. Handmade ones, though excel in quality, have become rare as the traditional families who are engaged in the activity have dwindled. Under this process the molten metal is poured into temporary sand mould to make it round. The malleable amalgam is then beaten into shape with heavy duty wooden hammer. Die-casting is a much simpler and faster process. The liquefied metal is poured into a re- usable mould made of clay or metal and then cured.
Unsung Heroes
Are Elathalam artistes happy lot? Perhaps not. They stand through the performance, many times braving the scorching sun, giving the Melam the wholesome effect. Nevertheless they hardly gets attention. The real unsung heroes, Elathalam artistes hardly find a place in the list for awards and accolades.
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