IRULA MUSIC AND DANCE
After some time as the sun was setting forty to fifty Irulars had come to one central area of the hamlet. Immediately they formed a large circle with the musicians in the middle. There was one man who played a reeded pipe called a konah, a man who played a pot shaped drum called a herayah, and a man who played a long tube shaped drum called a dhavil. There was also a man who played a cymbal that was called an ilatalum, which was made out of a short piece of brass pipe and a small rectangular brass plate. These musicians prescribed the songs and daces while the women, children, and some of the young men performed different group dances while circling around the musicians.
As they danced they sang many different songs in chorus. Some of the songs were traditional call and response songs. When one of the drummers, or the ilatalum player would get tired, someone else would take his place. Some of the small children even took turns at the different insturments. All of the people who played them were equally good. The Konah player was the only one that stayed constant. He used a style of breathing called circular breathing that is also used by the Australian Aborigine didjeridoo players. This style of breathing allows the musician to play continuallly with out having to stop to take a breath.
After many hours of dancing and singing, we returned to our place of residence.
A few days later we visited another hamlet where they were conducting a performance of the Ramayana known as RAMAKUTHU.