Introduction The state of Kerala has a very extensive and rich musical tradition. The songs formed contain remnants of Malayalam literature dating back to the ninth century CE. The significance of folk poetry and music was established through the Malayalam language.
The music in this area was developed in a number of different directions. These branches comprised classical Carnatic music as well as popular music from albums, movies, and other genres. Chenda Melam is renowned for his music.
Kerala music has a complex history distinct from Malayalam poetry, with which it is often associated. Though it is often driven by poetry, Kerala also has its roots in Carnatic music. Songs have always been a significant part of early Malayalam literature dating back to the 9th century CE. The significance of music in Kerala's culture can be deduced from the musical poetry that developed in the Malayalam language long before prose. As music evolved in the region, various branches emerged from it
History
The earliest written record of Malayalam is the Edakal-5 inscription, dating to around the 4th century CE. Early Malayalam literature comprised three types of composition: Classical songs (Naadan Paattu). Manipravalam of the Sanskrit tradition, which permitted a generous interspersing of Sanskrit with Tamil. Folk songs rich in native elements. Malayalam poetry up to the late 20th century CE exhibits varying degrees of fusion among three distinct strands. The oldest examples of Pattu (classical songs) are Ramacharitam and Vaishikatantram, both from the 12th century. These works play a significant role in defining the cultural heritage of Kerala.
Classical music
Kerala is renowned for Sopana Sangeetham, a form of classical music originating in the temples of the region. Sopanam, its precursor, has religious roots and evolved through the chanting of invocatory songs at the kalam of Kali, later extending to performances inside temples. Its popularity surged with the increasing fame of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda or Ashtapadis. Sopana Sangeetham, meaning "music of the steps," is typically sung beside the holy steps (sopanam) leading to the sanctum sanctorum of a shrine. It is sung with plain notes, often accompanied by the idakka, a small hourglass-shaped drum, and the chengila, a metallic gong for rhythm. Traditionally, Sopanam is performed by men from the Marar and Pothuval communities, who belong to Ambalavasi (semi-Brahmin) castes and have inherited the practice as their profession. Notable sopanam singers include Neralattu Rama Poduval, Janardhanan Nedungadi, and Damodara Marar.
Kerala is renowned for its contributions to Carnatic music. Notable figures such as Swathi Tirunal, Irayimman Thampi, Shadkala Govinda Marar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, V. Dakshinamoorthy, P Leela, K. J. Yesudas, K.G Jayan (Jayavijaya), Palghat Mani Iyer, Vidwan Gopala Pillai, Chertala Gopalan Nair, M. D. Ramanathan, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, M. K. Sankaran Namboothiri, Mavelikara Krishnankutty Nair, Neyyattinkara Mohanachandran, Neyyattinkara Vasudevan, T. N. Krishnan, and T. S. Nandakumar have emerged as prominent musical exponents from the region. In the younger generation, individuals like L. Athira Krishna, a child prodigy violinist, and P. Unnikrishnan, a Carnatic vocalist, have garnered recognition in the international music scene, contributing to the preservation and continuation of the rich tradition of Carnatic music.
Kerala also boasts a notable presence of Hindustani music. The king of Travancore, Swathi Thirunal, played a significant role in patronizing and contributing to Kerala's musical heritage.
Popular music The popular music of Kerala has evolved alongside its classical music tradition until they diverged. Film music has played a significant role in enriching the popular music scene in Kerala. Other forms of popular music include light music, pop music, and devotional songs.
Kathakali Music
The songs used in Kathakali performances are typically in Manipravalam, a blend of Malayalam and Sanskrit. While most songs adhere to ragas from Carnatic music, they are rendered in a distinctive style known as the Sopanam style, which is rooted in Kerala's temple singing tradition. Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair was one of the foremost artists in this field. Kalamandalam, located in Vallathol Nagar near Shornur, Thrissur, is a prominent training center for Kathakali. Despite initial resistance due to its association with temple art, Kathakali gained widespread popularity, with artists like Hyderali transcending cultural barriers. However, Hyderali's interpretation softened the original Asura nature of the art. Kalamandalam Gangadharan, one of the last proponents of the traditional style, has largely retired from active performance.
Malayalam film music
Film music, a genre synonymous with playback singing in Indian music, holds significant cultural prominence nationwide. In Kerala, film music stands out as the most widely embraced form of musical expression, enjoying widespread popularity among the state's populace. Before the emergence of Malayalam cinema and its distinct film music, the people of Kerala avidly followed Tamil and Hindi film songs, a practice that persists to this day. The history of Malayalam film songs traces back to the 1948 film Nirmala, produced by Artist P.J. Cherian, which marked the introduction of playback singing in Malayalam cinema. The film's music composer was P. S. Divakar, and the songs were rendered by P. Leela, T. K. Govinda Rao, Vasudeva Kurup, C. K. Raghavan, Sarojini Menon, and Vimala B. Varma, credited as the first playback singer in Malayalam cinema.
In the early years, Malayalam film music often incorporated tunes from popular Hindi or Tamil songs. However, a shift occurred in the early 1950s with the emergence of several poets and musicians in the Malayalam music scene. By the mid-1950s, the Malayalam Film Music Industry began to develop its own distinctive identity. This transformation was spearheaded by music directors such as Brother Laxmanan, G. Devarajan, V. Dakshinamurthy, M.S. Babu Raj, and K. Raghavan, alongside lyricists including Vayalar Rama Varma, P. Bhaskaran, O. N. V. Kurup, and Sreekumaran Thampi. During the golden age of Malayalam music (1960 to 1970), major playback singers included Kamukara Purushothaman, K. P. Udayabhanu, A. M. Raja, P. Leela, Santha P. Nair, P. Susheela, P. Madhuri, and S. Janaki. These singers gained significant popularity across Kerala. In later years, several non-Malayali singers, such as Manna Dey, Talat Mahmood, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Hemalata, and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, also contributed to Malayalam films. Similarly, composers from other language industries, including Naushad Ali, Usha Khanna, M. B. Sreenivasan, Bombay Ravi, Shyam, Bappi Lahiri, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, Salil Chowdhury, Ilaiyaraaja, Vishal Bhardwaj, and A. R. Rahman, were involved in scoring music for Malayalam films to some extent. The cross-industry contributions in South Indian film music can be attributed to its parallel growth pattern across the region.. The period from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s is often regarded as the golden era of Malayalam film music, characterized by its distinct identity. During this time, prominent music directors such as M. B. Sreenivasan, M. K. Arjunan, Pukezhenty Vellappan Nair, M. S. Viswanathan, A. T. Ummer, R. K. Shekhar, and Salil Choudhury, along with lyricists like Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair, Mankombu Gopalakrishnan, and Bharanikkavu Sivakumar, produced numerous timeless and highly popular songs. The music was known for its soft melodies and high-quality lyrics, which captivated music lovers.
K. J. Yesudas, who made his debut in 1961, and P. Jayachandran significantly influenced the Malayalam film music industry, becoming widely acclaimed along with K.S. Chitra. The trio of Vayalar, G. Devarajan, and Yesudas produced unforgettable songs, akin to the earlier trio of Kamukara, Tirunainaarkurichy, and Brother Laxmanan. Yesudas gained popularity not only among film music enthusiasts but also within the classical music audience. He, along with P. Jayachandran, significantly contributed to the evolution of Malayalam playback singing during the 1960s and 1970s. K. S. Chithra, who made her debut in 1979, rose to prominence by the mid-eighties, becoming one of the most sought-after female singers in South India.
By the late 1970s, there was a shift in musical trends towards more rhythm-oriented songs with a Western touch, led by music directors like Shyam, K. J. Joy, and Jerry Amaldev. During this period, lyricists often had to adapt their lyrics to fit the tunes, which sometimes led to criticism regarding the quality of the songs. However, from 1979 to 1980, music directors such as Raveendran, Johnson, and M. G. Radhakrishnan spearheaded a second reformation of Malayalam film music, creating melodious and classical-oriented compositions rooted in the cultural heritage of Kerala. Lyricists like Poovachal Khader, Kavalam Narayana Panicker, and Bichu Thirumala in the 1980s, and Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri and Gireesh Puthenchery in the 1990s, played significant roles in this musical transformation. Contributions from composers like Kannur Rajan, Bombay Ravi, S. P. Venkatesh, Mohan Sithara, Ouseppachan, Sharath, Vidyadharan, Raghukumar, and Vidyasagar were also notable during this period. Singers such as K. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chitra, M. G. Sreekumar, G. Venugopal, Unni Menon, and Sujatha Mohan were active during this time as well. A notable aspect in the later years was the extensive use of classical Carnatic music in many film songs of the 1980s and 1990s, with films like Chithram (1988), His Highness Abdullah (1990), Bharatham (1991), Sargam (1992), and Sopanam (1993) incorporating classical Carnatic elements.
Currently, prominent figures in the Malayalam music scene include composers such as M. Jayachandran, Bijibal, Rex Vijayan, Rahul Raj, Prashant Pillai, Shaan Rahman, Sushin Shyam, Jakes Bejoy, Gopi Sundar, Alphonse, and Rajesh Murugesan. Notable lyricists include Rafeeq Ahmed, Anwar Ali, B. K. Harinarayanan, Vinayak Sasikumar, and Vayalar Sarath, while singers like Vineeth Sreenivasan, Vijay Yesudas, Shweta Mohan, Manjari, and Jyotsna Radhakrishnan also contribute significantly to the industry, among others.
National Award-winning music composers of Malayalam cinema include Johnson (1994, 1995), Bombay Ravi (1995), Ouseppachan (2008), Ilaiyaraaja (2010), Issac Thomas Kottukapally (2011), Bijibal (2012), and M. Jayachandran (2015). Johnson's 1995 award for the film score of Sukrutham (1994) marked the first instance of the award being given for a film score rather than songs, a distinction he shared with Bombay Ravi, who won for composing songs for the same film. In 2010 and 2011, awards were specifically given for film scores, with Malayalam films winning both years: Pazhassi Raja (2010, Score: Ilaiyaraaja) and Adaminte Makan Abu (2011, Score: Issak Thomas Kottakapally). Ravindran received a Special Jury Award in 1992 for composing songs for the film Bharatham.
Lyricists who have won the National Award include Vayalar Ramavarma (1973), O. N. V. Kurup (1989), and Yusuf Ali Kechery (2001). Among male singers, K. J. Yesudas has won the award multiple times (1972, 1973, 1987, 1991, 1993, 2017), along with P. Jayachandran (1986) and M. G. Sreekumar (1991, 2000). Yesudas also won two additional National Awards for singing in Hindi (1977) and Telugu (1983) films, making him the most awarded male playback singer with seven awards. Female singers who have won the award include S. Janaki (1981) and K. S. Chithra (1987, 1989). Chithra has also won the award for Tamil (1986, 1997, 2005) and Hindi (1998) film songs, making her the most awarded female playback singer with six awards.
Mappila Pattu