Traditional musical instruments and photographs of musical maestros from Kerala will be on display at the Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan till December 25. The exhibitions, which began on Wednesday, are being conducted as part of ‘Thalam’, a show of percussion art forms.
The instruments on display are from Joseph Fernandez’s private collection and feature some of the most rare and exotic musical instruments from India and abroad. Instruments on display include the Xtalaparta from Spain, which is normally used in funerals, the harp of David and the Tibetan gong. Among those from India are the crocodile veena, Sabari veena, uruttu chenda, parayan chenda and India’s biggest ‘dolu’ from Punjab.
Says Fernandez, proprietor of Joy’s Musical Industries, ‘’Kerala has perhaps the largest collection of musical items in the world, of which only about ten percent are used today. The closest collection is from Africa, which is much more vast geographically.’’
Attractions include a harp shaped like a boat, the crocodile veena which has strings attached to the back of a crocodile and the century-old Sabari veena, which closely resembles a harmonium complete with keys. Many instruments showcased at the exhibition are not used in mainstream music and had to be reproduced after research.
The photo exhibition features photographs of the greats of percussion music in Kerala, such as Kalamandalam Kesavan.
The exhibition, put up by Prakash Pazhambalakkodu, has a shrine dedicated to Pallavoor Appu Marar, in whose memory ‘Thalam’ is being held. Also on display are Appu Marar’s personal effects, including books recording collections made during ‘kacheris’, his final medical records and prescriptions.
Descriptions of the various styles and instruments used in percussion music are also being showcased. The photographs of the percussionists were specifically compiled for display at the exhibition.
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