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| Dappankuthu | |
|---|---|
 A typical Dappankuthu move | |
| Other names | Dappan Kuthu Kuthu |
| Stylistic origins | Tamil music |
| Cultural origins | Tamil Nadu |
Dappankuthu (or simply Kuthu) is a folk dance and music genre with an emphasis on percussion performed in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of several popular genres employed in film music, mainly in Tamil cinema and other South films, filmed and produced by people of Tamil culture. It has been imported to Telugu culture and cinema under Telugu name teenmaar (“three sounds”).
Unlike classical Indian dances such as bharatanatyam or kathakali, dappankuthu is relatively informal in that it has no structured, repeated steps and dancers do not learn through formal dance classes. It shares its emphasis on percussion with older folk dances of Tamil Nadu, such as kummi and kolattam.
Musical instruments
A percussion instrument called parai in Tamil, without the jingles, is often used for dappankuthu or similar dance forms. Unlike normal tambourines, this requires a wooden stick to play. Telugu teenmaar uses daf drums, associated there with Siddi people. The urumee drum is also often used. A customised trumpet (called Nadaswaram locally) is also sometimes employed. The rhythm of the dappankuthu is often signified by a mix of beat patterns layered and flowing into one another. Other percussion instruments may be employed in dappankuthu. A similar instrument called TamaTe in Kannada resembling a Ganesh tambourine is also used for such dance forms in border areas such as M.M. Hills. The most-used time signature for dappankuthu songs is
8.
Outfit and embellishments
Even though any attire can be worn when one dances the dappankuthu, a lungi (colourful cloth wrapped around the waist) is commonly worn and most preferable, with the bottom raised and folded upwards over the knees in the middle. Ideally, it should be worn over pattapatti (lined trousers). The shirt worn would have only two or three buttons in place, while the chest portion is left wide open and at the lower part of the shirt is knotted (using the two portions of the shirt). It is also common to tie a handkerchief or bandana around one's forehead and/or wrist.
Loud clapping and whistling by spectators often accompany the dappankuthu dance. Spectators are also known to set off firecrackers called locally as "Pattaasu" on the ground during the performance.
Facial expressions are employed for effect by the dancers. For example, the tongue, folded over and held in position with the front teeth, is brought out at regular intervals.
In Male Mahadeshwara hills of Karnataka bordering Tamil Nadu, the music for this dance will be played for money, and the believers can dance for longer time. Particularly in this hill, there is a saying that god feels happy if his believers dance for him.
Kuthu pop
The genre has been a staple of Tamil cinema, with the composer Ilaiyaraaja credited with popularizing kuthu and other folk music in 70s cinema scores. Early on, the composers incorporated kuthu rhytms (and instruments) as a brief element to otherwise "classical" songs. Cinema is also responsible for incorporating singing into the instrumental genre of dappankuthu, with the trend flourishing in 2000s and giving birth to the modern kuthu pop. Because of the closeness of Kollywood and Tollywood industries, kuthu spread in Tollywood under the name “teenmaar,” derived from Hyderabad military drumming traditions.
The genre was noticeably used in the songs "Boyz" and "Bird Flu" by M.I.A. on her 2007 album Kala. It was also used in the Academy Award winning song "Naatu Naatu", giving kuthu again more global attention.
References
- "Versatility is his forte". Business Line. 6 October 2003. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ Thapliyal, Adesh (10 March 2023). "A Brief History of South Indian Kuthu and Teenmaar Music in 10 Songs". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- Varma, Karthik (1 April 2013). "Variations on the 6/8". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- Frederick, Prince (2 July 2011). "Pen, pencil, percussion". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- Ravi, Bhama Devi (26 July 2008). "Abhishek does a Vijay". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
- Ramesh, Prithvi (5 July 2008). "My Five". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2008.