Going the ethnic way

Isal Mehfil 2006 is the first Mappilappattu (Muslim folk songs) competition to be held in this region.

Asia Music Institute will be organising Isal Mehfil 2006, the first GCC level mappilappattu (Muslim folk songs of Kerala) competition in early February.

The first of its kind, the event will be held at the Sharjah Indian Association Auditorium and will be telecast on Asianet, the popular Malayalam TV channel.

The competition is open to all Indian expatriates living in Gulf.

"It is the first such authoritative competition for Mappilappattu in the Gulf,'' says Manaf Guruvayoor, managing director of the Asia Music Institute. Renowned personalities from the field of music will be invited to judge the event," he says.

The event will be split into 14 episodes and each will also have a dance item set to the tune of popular classic Mappilappattu hits from Malayalam movies. The dance numbers will be presented by students of the Asia Music Institute.

A special stage programme will also be conducted after the event in which the winners of the semifinal and the final rounds will display their talents.

The Asia Music Institute was founded in 1996 and has branches in Dubai and Sharjah. The institute has been organising and coordinating quite a good number of stage programmes in different parts of the Gulf over the years. It has also been associated with many Malayalam television programmes during the last few years.

More details can be obtained by calling 050-6545823.

What is Mappilappattu

One of the most popular art forms of Kerala, Mappilappattu is peculiar to the Muslim community of Kerala, particularly the Malabar region. Literally translated, Mappilappattu means songs of Muslims.

The verses have a distinctive style and cover a wide range of themes.

Mappilappattu songs also use words and phrases from other languages such as Arabic, Hindi, Persian and Tamil.

For centuries, these songs have been passed down the generations through the oral tradition. Interestingly, their popularity has never lulled.

If anything, Mappilappattu has grown in strength and is today a must at almost any Muslim function and extravaganza in the State or wherever there is a sizeable Muslim population.