Children of Rhythm
From times immemorial, as rhythm and music evolved all over the world, rhythm accompanied music. But in the case of Kerala it was the other way round. Here rhythm ingested music, and orchestrated a different aural art tradition through highly developed rhythm-structures. This film is on the child percussion performers of a rhythm village, Peruvanam which has a performance history of 1432 years
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Ramachandran KDirector
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Ramachandran KWriter
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Children's Film Society, IndiaProducer
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Genres:Live Action, Children film, Musical
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Runtime:25 minutes 55 seconds
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Completion Date:June 30, 2015
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Country of Origin:India
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Country of Filming:India
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Language:Malayalam
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Work as an Art Organiser
I have been an active and effective presence in the field of performing and contemporary arts, both visual and aural for over two and half decades. I am a founder member and principal mentor of Keli, a Mumbai based cultural organization. Under the banner of Keli, I have had the privilege to lead it’s relentless pursuit of excellence in the arts and organised significant cultural festivals in Mumbai for the last two decades. It was also my privilege to initiate and execute the publication of two books by Keli, one “Proud Imprints of Natyaveda” documenting the life and work of some of the most prominent masters of a variety of art forms and another, ‘Abhinethri’ (The Actress) by Usha Nangyar on the female presence in the world’s most ancient theatre tradition, Koodiyattam. These works exemplify the creative impulses that Keli represent. It is the strength and dynamism that I derived from such endeavours that motivated me to attempt the task of documentary films in greater depth and pervasiveness.
Children of Rhythm
Rhythm
From times immemorial, as rhythm and music evolved all over the world, rhythm accompanied music. But in the case of Kerala it was the other way round. Here rhythm ingested music, and orchestrated a different aural art tradition through highly developed rhythm-structures. Percussion performances like the thayambaka, the panchavadyam,and the melam, are some of the unique art forms in this genre that Kerala has contributed to world music and rhythm. This unique art tradition is basically formed and developed through temples and preserved by certain temple associated communities and came out later to the common society in the due course of time.
Melam
The Melam, presented by a group of over 150 performers, is perhaps the most popular among these percussion ensembles. It is performed through an assemblage of different instruments. These artists assemble at the venue just before the performance and perform the Melam, which lasts for more than three hours, without a conductor or even a single rehearsal. Quite clearly, it is one of the most sophisticated and perhaps the oldest percussion marvels in the world.
Thayambaka
Thayambaka is the solo performance on the percussion instrument called Chenda.
A Rhythm village
Peruvanam is a village of rhythm located in the mid Kerala with a written history of 1432 years. Its annual summer festival is well known for the aural feast of huge percussion ensembles in which thousands of rhythm artists participate.
Children of Rhythm and music of this artistic village.
The theme of the proposed documentary film is about the Art and the contemporary life of child performers of this village and their concern towards this centuries old aural art tradition.