|
Jaffna Music Festival memories:
Uniqueness of Parai Mela Koothu
Anuradha Abeysekera
Parai Mela koothu is an ancient art form where the percussions and
dance were used in a delicate genre to communicate different emotions to
the audience. It heirs a timeless history and is performed by Batticaloa
Tamils.
 |
|
Parai Mela
Koothu. Picture by Malan Karunaratne |
The koothu contains numerous fundamental dance and movement patterns
which resemble the 'Nritya' dance form of the Northern Tamil tradition.
The art form has been used in mother god worship and performs in kovil
courtyards and funeral processions.
The uniqueness of parai mela koothu is that the prai drummers perform
facing each other while evoke contrasting feelings to be expressed by
their counterpart with the rhythmic body movements appropriate to the
theme and emotions. There are 18 different drum patterns used in the
melam. It provides exercise to both mind and body as they perform lively
to the drum beat.
The paraya community was marginalized as one of the lowest casts
among Tamils but very rich in their artistic skills. The parai drummers
were well treated by the kings in the history as they were used to
communicate massages to the public, especially during the wars and other
ceremonies.
The art form is being rapidly declining as the young generation of
the community is not interested in breathing life to their tradition.
The social factor of cast consciousness has been counter productive to
the development of this unique art form.
T Pradevan who studied the art form at the Swami Vipulanadan
institute of aesthetic studies and popularizing the art with few
undergrads of the Batticaloa university said that the society should be
acquainted the beauty and richness of this art form beyond their narrow
personal point of views and must protect it as an art form.
"These beats and rhythms do not belong to any particular cast, creed
or religion, those are universal and part of our existence," he
explained.
|
