Chenda
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The Chenda (Malayalam: ചെണ്ട, [tʃeɳʈa]) is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State 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". The animal skin is usually of a cow, in a traditional Chenda other skins are not used (skin of bull, ox etc. are not used), to have a quality sound the skin from the abdominal part of the cow is taken. The Chenda is suspended from the drummers neck so that it hangs vertically. Using two sticks, the drummer strikes the upper parchment. This instrument is famous for its loud and rigid sound. A Chenda has two sides, the left side called "Edamthala" (Left Head) and the right side "Valamthala" (Right Head). The "Edamthala" is made of only one/two layer of cow skin and the "Valamthala" will have a five/seven layer skin, so as to have a bass sound. The skin are dried in sunlight and fastened on wooden rings (Chenda Vattam) made of the trunk of a locally available palm tree (Eeranpana), using a gum prepared from the seed of a tree called "pananchi maram". The body of the Chenda which is 2 feet long is made of the soft wood of the jackfruit tree (Varikka Plavu). Usually only the wooden rings with the skin (Chenda Vattam) is replaced once the quality of the sound is not up to the mark. For regular Chenda artistes an average of 15 rings are required every year.
The Chenda is mainly played in Hindu temple festivals and as an accompaniment in the religious art forms of Kerala. The chenda is used as an accompaniment for Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Kannyar Kali, Theyyam and among many forms of dances and rituals in Kerala. It is also played in a dance-drama called Yakshagana (Tenku Thittu) which is popular in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka. There is a variant of this instrument used in northern school of Yakshagana called Chande. It is traditionally considered to be an Asura Vadyam which means it cannot go in harmony. Chenda is an unavoidable musical instrument in all form of cultural activities in Kerala.
In Kerala the craft of making Chenda is now associated with some few "Perumkollan" (smith) families at Peruvembu, Nemmara, Lakkidi, Vellarkad and Valappaya villages. Many famous Chenda percussionist in Kerala make there Chendas from Vellarkad village for it is famous for the quality of the instrument.
Chenda Melam
A "Chenda Melam" means percussion using Chenda. The Chenda is used as a percussion instrument for almost all Kerala art forms like Kathakali, Kodiyattam, Theyyam etc. Chenda melam is the most popular form in Kerela, for more than 300 years. A Chenda melam is an integral part of all festivals in Kerela. There are 7 types of "melangal" viz 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".
The "Chenda Vattam" or the skin used on Chenda should be very thing for classic Chenda Melam like Panchari melam, Pandi Melam or for Thayambaka but for Shinkari Melam Chenda the "Chenda Vattam" are hard, which are very cheap to make. "Shinkari Melam" is not considered as a classical form of art.
Learning
A Chenda is taught in a traditional way, the students have to practice on a stone using a strong and thick stick usually made of tamarind tree bark. Usually the learning stick would be 29cm in length, 3 cm in diameter on one side and 2.5cm on other side of the stick. Once the learning on stone is finished, the original Chenda is used to play with a long and thin stick.
In Kerala a traditional Chenda learning always start and end with "Ganapathi Kai", it is a prayer and dedication to the Hindu god Ganapathi.
A "Ganapathi Kai" consists of 37 beats.
Gi...... Kam...
Na.Ka. Tha.Ra. Kaam...
Dhi.Ri. Ki.Da. Tha.Ka. Tha.Ra. Kaam...
Na.Ka. Tha.Ra. Kaam...
Dhi.Kka. Nna.. Nna.. Kaam...
Du...... Du......
Dhi.Ri. Ki.Da. Tha.Ka. Tha.Ra. Kaam...
Here the letters starting with "G" (ഗീ) and "K" (ക) are beaten using left hand and others by right hand.
ഗീ.... കാം......
ണ ക ത ര കാം
ധി രി കി ട ത ക ത ര കാം
ണ ക ത ര കാം
ഡ് ക്ക ണ ണ്ണ കാം
ഡ്...........ഡ്.........
ധി രി കി ട ത ക ത ര കാം
References
See also
