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One of the most popular south Indian languages is Malayalam. It belongs to the state of Kerala. Kerala is known for its cultural richness. It is also a tourist hotspot and popularly renowned as ‘God’s Own Country’.
The rich cultural heritage of the state is truly reflected in its music. Music runs in the streets of Kerala. In fact, India would have been poorer without the significant contribution made by Malayalam music.
The fascinating aspect of Kerala is co-existence of several religions. Hindus, Muslims and Christians exist peacefully in this wonderful state. The music of the state reflects the harmonious co-existence and amalgamation of these cultures. Many forms of music exist in Kerala.
Film songs, devotional songs, folk songs, classical songs have strong presence in Malayalam music industry. When it comes to classical music, carnatic music reigns supreme. The best part about carnatic music is that it is credited with providing base to all other genres of Malayalam songs.
The songs of Kerala are unique mix of melody and rhythm. Despite the onslaught of western music, classical music is still very popular in the region. Apart from carnatic music, Hindustani classical music is also in use in these parts of the country. That shows openness of Malayalam music to the concept of music.
One of the gifts of Malayalam music is Sopana Style. It refers to emphasis on rhythm based on emotions. Low in tempo, Sopana style of music is very calming and soothing. Melody rules Malayalam music.
In recent times, new forms of music like film songs, pop, rock and rap have also become popular.
Some of the popular artists in Malayalam music are, K.J.Yesudas, P. Jayachandran, noorudheen nafih, M.G. Sreekumar, Majiri Babu Rajendran, Shiju John, Unni Menon, Miss Jyotsna, Sujatha Mohan, Gayathri Ashokan, Sankaran Embranthiri, Rejeev Thomas, Vijay Yesudas, G Venugopal, Dheeraj Koliyat, Saji dev, Mohan Sithara, Madhu Balakrishnan and K.S. Chitra.
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