Arabana muttu at 59 th school kalolsavam Aalappuzha

Aravana muttu or arabana muttu is an art form prevalent among Muslims in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

state of south India, named after the aravana, a hand-held, one-sided flat

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called " zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, tho ...

or drumlike musical instrument, derived from Arabia. It is made of wood and animal skin, similar to the duff but a little thinner and bigger. In the opinion of Becker Edakkazhiyur, a noted arabana musician, "the ritualistic performance of `Arabana Reefa Ee Raathib Muttu' has been mistaken for `Arabana Kali Muttu,' which is purely for entertainment. While the former is almost extinct, the latter, known for its aesthetic appeal, is the one presented nowadays." The arabana muttu, which is performed to welcome dignitaries, is a more difficult art than the

duff muttu Duffmuttu (also: Dubhmuttu) is an art form prevalent in the Malabar region of the states of Kerala and Karnataka in south India. It derives its name from the duff, a percussion instrument made of wood and ox skin. The word duff is of Arabic or ...

. There are traditional and modern methods of playing the aravana. Traditionally, with participants sitting in a semicircle, the leader of the group will start singing. When the initial song is over, the players will start to play following the song of the leader and beating on the aravana musically; others will beat in the same way by giving chorus to the song. Even though the duff and Aravana are two different types of arts, the word duff is used interchangeably for Aravana, because the duff is more familiar than the Aravana. This art is nowadays the basis for competitions in Kerala. "Winning note", ''The Hindu,'' (19 December 2008)
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References

External links

* http://www.indiavideo.org/kerala/arts/ritual-art-forms/arabanamuttu-604.php {{Culture of Kerala Arts of Kerala Indian styles of music Indian musical instruments Mappilas

See also

References

External links