KELI'S FUTURE MISSION

Keli Classical Rhythm Festival 2008

Celebrating 15 years of Artistic Expression

The year long celebrations devised by Keli to mark its 15th Anniversary now enters its final stage. The celebrations took off with a Thayambaka Festival in January, a Nangiar Koothu Festival featuring the forebidden female characters in September, a Kathakali Festival featuring Red beard characters in October.
No the forthcoming and final phase will be devoted exclusively to the traditional *rhythmic ensembles from Kerala and will feature some of the most outstanding artists of our time. These ensembles are capable of creating stunning effects on the listeners by their supreme harmony. These ensembles consisting of a large number of artists, presenting without doing any rehearsals is a unique nature of the rhythm tradition of Kerala.
The four day festival will feature Thayambaka  (a Solo performance), Panchavadyam (a combination of five instruments like Thimila, Maddalam, Kombu, Idakka & Conch), Panchari Melam and Pandi Melam (huge percussion ensembles with an active participation of over 100 artists).
We have great pleasure to invite you to take part in the festival and enjoy the rare experience of rhythm.
Free entry passes available at Rhythm house, Prithvi Theatre, Y. B. Chavan Centre, and Giri Stores, Matunga, three days prior to the festival.
* Rhythm as generally understood could be define as movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements or of opposite and different conditions. It is a characteristic of every type of human activity. It is primarily concerned with movement, duration and periodicity. Thala is a measure of time. We can have many rhythms worked into the frame work of a single Thala. And Thala can be measured and analysed, dissected and put together scientifically to synthesise an aesthetic symphony of rhythm. In India, while music has attained an independent existance apart from its role of assisting nrutha and nruthya , in Kerala rhythm has remarkably attained an independent role of performance.
Ramachandran (Festival Director)
9820835737
ramk.keli@gmail.com

Day 1

Venue    :    Y. B. Chavan Centre,
Date      :              Monday, 7th January 2008
Time      :              6.45 p.m.

Thayambaka (by Kalpathy Balakrishnan & Group.

Thayambaka is an intricate and aesthetically formulated rhythm work. It is chiefly an individualistic performance. It starts with a very slow rhythm exploring a musical possibilities of rhythm and take the performance to a very fast rhythm through a gradual play of different thalas.

Day 2

Venue    :              Horniman Circle Garden
Date      :              Tuesday, 8th January 2008
Time      :              7.30 p.m.

Panchavadyam (by Chottanikkara Subhash & Group)

Panchavadyam is an ensemble of five different type of instruments, the leading rhythmic instrument being the Thimila. The other instruments are Maddalam, Edakka and Kombu. The Conch is blown at the beginning of the performance. Panchavadyam is an integral part of temple festivals in Kerala. No festival or divine procession is complete without Panchavadyam.

Day 3
Venue    :              Horniman Circle Garden
Date      :              Wednesday, 9th January 2008
Time      :              7.30 p.m.

Panchari Melam (by Peruvanam Kuttan Marar & Group)

The art of Melam ensemble of rhythm instruments is the manifestation of artistic emanations of  a group of performers. The practice of over 100 artistes coming together only at the time of a particular performance and without a conductor or even a single rehearsal, presenting a rendition of complicated rhythms as a well co-ordinated ensemble is something peculiar to Kerala and has always taken the world of music by stunned surprise. Panchari Melam is a powerful rhythmic exploration based on 12 basic beats.

Day 4

Venue    :              Horniman Circle Garden
Date      :              Thursday, 10th January 2008
Time      :              7.30 p.m.

Pandi Melam (by Peruvanam Kuttan Marar & Group)

It is a very big orchestra of about 100 artistes led by Chenda. This is a rhythm of basic 14 beats. It is presented in three stages of slow, medium and fast timing. The pyramidical sharpening of these beats constitute the strength and beauty of the symphony.