Chenda draws them all, young and old

KOZHIKODE: Chenda trainer Arun Nanmanda is overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of people to learn percussion instruments. In his Chenda class at Cheroth Kariyathan temple, Koolipoyil near Kakkoor, the disciples range from a seven-year-old kid to a retired headmaster. The same euphoria is witnessed in half a dozen classes he conducts in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

“People mostly acknowledge the link between tradition and percussion arts. The ambience of music and ‘Melam’ acts as a stress buster for many,” he says. The class at Kariyathan temple has 50 disciples including girls taking lessons in ‘Panchari Melam’ and ‘Chenda Melam’. Evening batches and Sunday batches provide convenience for working men to chase their passion.

“I was attracted to Chenda since my childhood but could not learn it due to several constraints. I joined the class because of the realisation that childhood passion is still there intact,” says Roshni Viswanathan, a bank officer who takes Chenda classes. A six-month training would make the students fit for their debut.

The Chenda class commences with a beating on pieces of the coconut tree and tamarind tree. “I was drawn to Chenda after reading a story on actor Jayaram’s craze for percussion arts. But now, it is my world,” beams T. Achuthan Nair, a retired superintendent of the revenue department. Jayaraj U.V., a Chenda trainer in Meppayur, thinks the ‘Melam’ craze is slowly picking up in Malabar like Thrissur. “It’s no longer confined to temples. Elders who come for classes have sound academic knowledge about the art,” he says.