It’s always a good refresher for anyone to listen to music from a genre separate from what they’re used to. Broadening your horizons in this way is a wonderful way for anyone to increase the amount of knowledge they have, not just about specific subgenres of music, but also about the way that people live. After all, music is a vessel that is a mere extension of the various intricacies surrounding how different types of people live. In today’s review, we will explore an album akin to the musical traditions of Eelam Tamils, a specific group of Tamils who reside in Sri Lanka.
The artist who will give us an opener into this specific world is Matheesan Thanabalsingham, popularly known as Pooval Matheesan. He is an independent musician credited with practicing and promoting traditions within the Sri Lankan Tamil music industry. He has a history with music, having written lyrics and composing tunes since he was a young boy. That also helped him transition into the limelight, where these skills are what he’s known for best. Music seems to run in the family, as he hails from a lineage linked to participation in musical bands. His own father was a drummer associated with the act ‘Kannan Koshti‘, a popular band from the early 80s.
Another interesting fact about Pooval Matheesan is the fact that he’s composed allegedly up to 150 songs- correlating with his exponential rise to fame. He has also been featured in more than 20 short films as well as documentaries, most of them being critically acclaimed and reognised. His last release ‘KOTTAVAI’ was met with great reception amongst the Sri Lankan music industry, and in this release titled ‘Kumari Kanda Kumaran’, we shall find out if it lives up to his reputation.
Upon first listen, I am not quite impressed with how predictable the first track, Kadale, seems. I know this is specifically Eelam Tamil music, with regards to the thematic nature of the land of Kumari Kanda and the strife of Tamils in this lost land, as well as their relation to the God of War Murugan, but I myself am familiar with Tamil music and I found the compositional structure of the song to be on the generic end- yes, it represents a sort of melancholy and strife mixed into one, but I’ve heard this structure in too many Tamil compositions. I must admit, I have been spoiled with the variety and typical experimentation of Tamil musicians (think Harris Jayaraj or A.R. Rahman), or even the typical Eelam devotional that goes through many different melas (scales) in one song. The production value is passable, as the mastering is okay, but this song did not necessarily stick out to me.
The second track, Thalaimakane, caught my attention a little more with the way it robustly started, as well as the addition of staccato strings as well as staccato-esque choral vocals in the background to serve as an echo to the initial track. This song has more depth and compositional quirks, especially the melodic solo in the midst of the song. Finally, Poovan plays with more scales and musical intent. I really appreciate the percussion towards the mark at 1:15, with the main male vocalist almost reminding me of S. P. Balasubrahmanyam’s vocals, with a robustness and masculine direction in his song. The slight pause within the notes of the percussion actually give the song more character, and the various modes of vocals in the background (male, and female) give the song a refreshing touch. A wonderful song.
The third track, Illai Ini Inge Vidivu appeals to my ears the most, because of the unique scale the woman is singing in. Even though this track is just an except, being 48 seconds long, the time signature and the scale definitely makes this excerpt stand out. The multi-layered vocals mixed with the tender piano definitely aids in accentuating the ‘curviness’ of the scale, as it glides through the notes. Honestly, I think the best part of the track is the time signature. It reminds me of the time signature in Naane Varugiren by A.R. Rahman.
The fourth track, Vel Vel Vettrivel glides through various modes of Asiatic scales- some almost sounding pseudo-Arabic, as if they lent influence from hijaz to form this mela itself. Did you know that there’s so many melas to the point where if you were to think of a scale from another tradition, there probably is an equivalent to it in the system of melas? The main vocal in this track is definitely rough and fits the gruff nature of the track, providing it with a sense of excitement. The album definitely gets a bit more experimental, as this track also bears an interesting time signature. All of the instruments are mastered quite nicely with this particular track, especially that low horn sound that I do hear. I’ve heard it in multiple Indian songs, as well as this album, but I am not quite sure of the name of the instrument. The slight ad-libs with the vocals also help the song obtain a bit of musical complexity.
The fifth track, Kuraivaikkooththu, starts off pretty amazing. It starts off pretty dramatic with a horn, as well as anticipatory percussion as well as the low-deep instrument. This song to me, mimics traditional Tamil devotional songs the most. The unique time signature as well as the cadence of the multi-layered and multitoned vocals help to drive the intent of the song. It is almost circular as the notes constantly ascend and descend. The strings in the background accentuate the cadence of the lyrical mantra, while the strings give it a touch of urgency and class. Excellent.
The sixth track, Velum Mayilum, starts off with a very typical upbeat South Indian drum pattern as well as chords with a warm and resolute tone. This track really reminds me of celebratory scenes from Tamil movies, as well as the cadence of the main vocalist’s voice- it is warm, endearing, but also playful at the same time. The call-and-response between the female backing voices and the male vocalist help to give the song an extra dimension. The second female vocalist’s voice is kind of melancholic but also adorable. This song is definitely a dance number, I can almost imagine the scenes associated with this song- lots of colour, happiness as well as elevation.
All in all, this album was pretty interesting. It is very well-mastered. The use of odd time meters and time signatures helped to elevate the otherwise seemingly predictable nature of this album. If you’re not used to Tamil music, this album might be completely new to you and you will definitely not feel as if the compositional qualities of this album are predictable, but to me and a lot of others who are aware of it, it does lack a slight form of experimentation that leading Tamil composers do try to infuse with their music. You can either go two routes- a totally experimental route, or a route that deals with going deeper into Tamil devotional music traditionalisms to help make the music more exciting, such as the use of scales or whatnot. Some people may deem the sound of the latter too traditional, but I think that’s completely needed to give general Tamil music a breath of fresh air- the predictability throws me off sometimes. These tracks could easily work in a Tamil film from 2005, but it’s 2024.
Otherwise, the musicians and the vocalists are pretty competent in each track. Every instrument is mastered quite well. The flow of the songs are extremely cohesive, as it tells you a story as the album goes on. That, in of itself, will keep you hooked.
Rating/Good – Kumari Kanda Kumaran is an album that explores the sensibilities of Eelam Tamil tradition in music form. If you’re new to the genre, this album will definitely serve as a good introductory tool to the world of Tamil music. It is well mastered, and reflects well on the ethos of its own people- but definitely needs a touch of experimentation or depth to spice things up.
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