Maddalam and Chenda Keli

Maddala (an Indian drum instrument) Keli or Maddalapattu(Maddala Song)

(Some of the words are in Malayalam, a language, written in English without translating) This involves no chenda (an Indian drum instrument), but a set of maddalam drums as the main instrument, with support from a row of ilathalam. If one Maddala Keli has five maddalam artistes, it is called Panchamaddalakeli; and if has ten it is called Dashamaddalakeli. It sticks mainly to eight-beat rhythmic cycle called Chembada (or adi talam in [Carnatic (a region in India) music]). It also has a segment called 'Kooru', where rhythmic cycles can be the six-beat panchari (pancharikkooru), the 14-beat adantha (adantha-kkooru) and the ten-beat chamba (chambakkooru). Scholars say the ensemble of thayambaka was developed from "maddala keli".

See also

• Pandi Melam
• Panchari melam
• Thayambaka
• Panchavadyam
• Maddalam
• Kathakali
• Chenda