Chenda

“Chenda: The Rhythmic Heartbeat of Kathakali”

Chenda is a significant percussion instrument of Kerala. It is a hollow cylindrical drum, made of wood with both openings fastened with cowhide. The strings looped along the sides of the drum are adjusted for the desired tension. The greater the tension the thinner the quality of sound. The instrument is played with two sticks.

The Chenda in the early days was part of percussion orchestras called Thayambaka and Melams. It was attached to Kathakali much later by the king of the Vettathu province (Vettathu Raja). The inclusion of Chenda in Kathakali, demonstrated its potential in enhancing a Kathakali performance. By controlling the intensity of the sound produced by certain techniques, synchronizing the beats to the movements and gestures of the actor, and creating dramatic pauses to enunciate a certain moment or event in the play, the Chenda has become indispensable to Kathakali.

A Kathakali Chenda artist needs to be focused on the actor and the vocal music. He has to follow the movements and gestures of the actor and play accordingly. In fact in some parts of the play it is the Chenda player who gives the clue to change an act or scene. Often Chenda artists are seen to lead the play. In Kathakali, Chenda is used to support the acting of male characters. In certain scenes such as battle, more than one Chenda is used to create an effect of mayhem. The female characters are supported by other two persussions called Maddalam and Itakka.