Traditional music to liven up Thaipusam
Sought-after band to accompany devotees
GEORGE TOWN: The urumi melam, a traditional Indian musical instrument, will continue to mesmerise the people during the upcoming Thaipusam, a festival observed by Hindus as a day of penance dedicated to Lord Murugan.
Without fail, the urumi, thavil, jaalra and
thappu ensemble will make a grand appearance during Thaipusam to accompany devotees to fulfil their vows to Lord Murugan.
The urumi is a double-headed hourglass-shaped drum, thavil a barrel-shaped drum, jaalra a pair of clash cymbals, and
thappu a round-shaped drum.
A. Kalimuthu, 45, one of the founders of the Sri Nagathamman Urumi Melam, said their performance is in great demand during Thaipusam and that they have been fully booked this year.
He said they are the first group in Penang to form an urumi melam group in 1990 and the performance, which originated in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India, was first performed in Penang in 1991.
“Thaipusam will never be complete without the rhythmic beats performed by the drum ensemble accompanying the kavadi bearers as they dance their way in a trance to Lord Murugan in fulfilment of their vows,” he told Bernama.
Kalimuthu said all the instruments were imported from India and he learned to play the instruments through observing others play.
“In those days, Penang did not have an urumi melam group and we had to ask the group from Sitiawan (Perak) to perform for us on special occasions and during Thaipusam,” he said.
Kalimuthu said his son, Munishwaran, 17, is one of about 30 members of the group.
One of the group’s leaders, P. Jonathan, 26, said his interest in playing the traditional Indian musical instruments started during his primary school years because of the uniqueness of the music.
“I play the urumi because it’s my cultural music and I learned the skill from my seniors in the group.
“It requires one to really master the skill for about a year.
“Today, I can play all the musical instruments and sing accordingly,” he said.
Hindus celebrate Thaipusam on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai. This year, that date falls on Jan 31.