Chenda Melam Brisbane started our endeavor in 2012 with the support of a few Chenda Melam enthusiasts and with a handful of people interested in learning and mastering it. The group learned a few varieties of Shingari Melam and started performing in local programs. From then, we have grown to a state where Chenda Melam has become an indispensable part of most cultural programs conducted in the Malayali community in Brisbane. Each year, we bring in new Thalams (rhythms), and the number of performances by Chenda Melam Brisbane has increased and expanded to other Indian communities and multicultural events which shows the interest in the community towards this traditional art form. For most, it is very nostalgic and links directly to their roots in their homeland while for the young ones who haven’t experienced this before is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm or amused by the passion displayed by the older folks. We have come together with the aim of

• Developing a performing group of artists of Chenda Melam, a traditional percussion instrumental music from the state of Kerala, INDIA.
• Performing Chenda Melam and associated programs in Australia.
• Protecting and maintaining musical instruments, equipment and assets required for the upkeep, practice and performance of Chenda Melam and associated art forms.
• Promoting and encouraging cultural activities including but not limited to the performing art forms and music from the state of Kerala, INDIA.

We take pride in our yearly performance at the Queensland’s prestigious Woodford folk festival that commences during the Christmas-New Year period. We are a regular in the yearly India Independence Day Fair at The Roma Street Parklands in August. We also perform on important occasions at the Sri Selva Vinayakar Koyil, South McLean. Some of our regular events are the Ipswich carnival, church festivals in and around Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, and a few times in Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. We have generated a lot of interest in the East Coast with our performance in New Castle and Townsville.

Today, we are a team of experienced performers in Shingari Melam and have bigger steps to take. We are ready to taste the sweetness of classical Chenda Melam. We have already taken the initial steps to learn Panchari Melam. Our strength has been the overwhelming and continual support we received from the community. We owe to the community and the multicultural platform Brisbane and Australia has provided us. We wish we are able to bring in the feelings and experience of Naadu (homeland) among Malayalis. We aspire to give back as much as we can by showcasing new and versatile thalams at its best.

Our Vision

Australia, the true multicultural society embraces Chenda Melam and dances with its rhythms, and we are able to be the flag bearers in making Australia the land to be proud of the plural society and uphold our pride in the traditional values of Malayala naadu…