Maddalam and Chenda Keli

Maddalam and Chenda Keli is a traditional Kerala temple percussion ensemble that features a chenda and a maddalam artiste in the lead role and an ilathalam (pair of cymbals) player supporting them, lending the beat.

Such kind of a keli are held inside temple precincts, and spans an average of 20 minutes. It is held either ahead of major chenda melams (mostly the panchari melam) or ahead of a night-long Kathakali performance -- in both cases after dusk.

A chenda-and-maddalam keli is basically an interaction between the two percussion instruments, with one of them playing the supportive role when the other improvises on the given rhythm.

There are several rhythmic passages in the keli that have helped develop the more elaborate chenda percussion concert called thayambaka.

Maddala Keli

A Maddala Keli is a Kerala temple percussion concert performed by one or more maddalam, and accompanied accompanied by ilathalam. When the maddalam would total five, it is called panchamaddala Keli.

Maddala keli is, mostly, a kind of prelude to a chenda melam, mostly the panchari melam.