When thavil met magudam and thappu on the Marina

A historic musical collaboration featuring thavil, magudam, and thappu celebrated Chennai's UNESCO City of Music designation on Marina Beach.

On Sunday (March 1, 2026), the sands of the Marina Beach reverberated with the resonant strains of the thavil — a classical percussion instrument — alongside the earthy rhythms of the magudam and mantham, folk instruments traditionally accompanying Kaniyaan Koothu, and the vibrant beats of thappu melam.

The unique ensemble was organised by the Tamil Nadu government’s Department of Art and Culture to commemorate UNESCO’s declaration of Chennai as a City of Music. Two-day musical events were held at Valluvar Kottam and the Marina.

Leading the performance was thavil exponent and Padma Shri awardee Kongapattu A.V. Murugaian. He was joined by magudam players Ganesamurthy and Daniel Jebaselvan, and thappu player P. Kalaivanan and his brother P. Mutharasan. Though their traditions are distinct and their playing techniques markedly different, the artistes — without the benefit of rehearsal — achieved a remarkable musical synergy, blending classical precision with folk vitality to create a memorable sonic experience.

“It is a moment of pride that the thavil, a Carnatic classical percussion instrument, joined hands with two folk percussion traditions. It is a somewhat difficult task to perform together. I listened to them play and concluded that we could collaborate without rehearsal,” Mr. Murugaian said.

Magudam, the high-pitched percussion instrument, and mantham, which provides the bass, normally accompany Kaniyaan Koothu performed in Sudalaimadan temples in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Sudalaimadan, regarded as an avatar of Lord Siva, is the presiding deity of cremation grounds. Kaniyaan Koothu is staged during the Kodai (annual festival) of these temples. Though rooted in folk tradition and evoke primal feelings, the artistes demonstrated an ability to evoke rhythmic patterns comparable to those of classical percussion.

B. Hemanathan, Deputy Director of the Art and Culture Department, said it was the first time the thavil and these folk percussion instruments had come together in an ensemble. “The folk percussion artistes hail from Tirunelveli district and produce rhythms unmatched by other folk instruments. Normally, such an ensemble would require hours of practice and rehearsal. But these artistes achieved synchronisation without rehearsal or written notation. It was pure imagination. The performance energised the audience,” he said.