Attend A Festival Of Traditional Percussion

If it weren’t for the annual Keli Classical Rhythm Festival, Mumbaikars would probably be unfamiliar with terms like thayambaka, melam and chenda (see image). Each year, the festival brings groups of musicians from Kerala, who perform traditional forms of percussion that are typically associated with temple worship. The 20th edition of the three-day festival begins on Thursday, January 10, at the Y.B. Chavan Auditorium with a performance of thayambaka—a style in which a group of artists playing the chenda drum follow the chief performer’s lead—by the well-known artist Kalloor Ramankutty Marar and his group from 6.45pm. The festival then shifts to the Horniman Circle Garden (a charming place for a music festival except for the mosquitoes), where on Friday, January 11, from 7.30pm, veteran percussionist Peruvanam Kuttan Marar will lead an ensemble called pandi melam, which involves the chenda, cymbals, a reed instrument called kuzhal and a horn called kombu. The festival will close on Saturday, January 12 with a performance, from 7.30pm onwards, by Annamanada Parameswara and his group of panchavadyam or orchestra of five instruments: three types of drums, the thimila, maddalam and idakka; the ilathalam (cymbals) and kombu (horn).

Free passes will be available at Rhythm House in Kala Ghoda (022 4322 2727); Prithvi Theatre in Juhu (022 2614 9546); Giri Stores in Matunga; and Maharashtra Watch Company in Dadar (022 6163 5405) from Tuesday, January 8.

Y.B. Chavan Auditorium and Horniman Circle Garden

LocationY.B. Chavan Auditorium
Jagannath Bhosle Marg
Opposite Mantralaya
Nariman Point

Horniman Circle Garden
Opposite Asiatic Library
Fort

PhoneY.B. Chavan Auditorium: 022 2285 2081

Relevant DatesThursday, January 10 to Saturday, January 12

Ticketing & Price InfoFree