Mappila Kolkali: A Community’s Ethos through Performance

by Shaheen Abdulla

Kolkali Artists, Photo by Thoufeeq K

Kunhikoya sings his lungs out, beginning with praising Allah and his Prophet, while slowly striking a pair of wooden wands. Other artists replicate it. The song picks pace with Kunhikoya, starts to move in a circle with a rhythm, and makes synchronized beats striking the wands with each other.

The 49-year-old has dedicated his life to Kolkali, a group folk dance that originated in the Malabar region — the northern part of Kerala, India — inspired by the local martial art, Kalarippayattu. 

“I have played it since childhood and I couldn’t stop doing it,” says Kunhikoya, who works as a construction worker for a living. He is a Kurikkal, or instructor, for dozens of young people who are learning Kolkali. 

The name Kolkali is a combination of two Malayalam words, Kol—stick and Kali—game. Accompanied by songs, a set of 16 to 20 artists moves rhythmically in a circle while striking specially made sticks in different, unified styles to make music. The circles expand and contract as the dance progresses and people perform in pairs, called ullu (inside) and puram (outside).

Kolkali uses sticks made of Eeran Pana, a superior variety of palm wood, that’s sourced to ensure the sound from striking them remains rhythmic. During the performance, they attack anklets with sticks.

Usually, performers wear a vest, lungi (a large piece of cloth that is used to wrap around the lower body) with square prints, a traditional green belt, and a handkerchief wrapped on the head. These days many also wear a white vest and lungi for the performances. 

According to Dr T. Mohamed Saleem, Principal of Farook Training College, Kozhikode, Kerala, and a veteran Kolkali player, there are two styles of Kolkali; Vadakkan (Northern) Kali and Thekken (Southern) Kali.

Mappila Kolkali, a form of Vadakkan Kolkali, focuses on ‘Korkal’ — the action of the sticks — and is faster compared to other forms of Kolkali. Artists dance to songs like those written by Moyinkutty Vaidyar, Abdu Racak Haji Masthan, Echa Masthan, and others. Songs are accompanied by Vaitarru, or commands that are shouted to give the cue to the performers about the next act. “These songs can be about a wide range of topics. There are songs about epidemics and famines. In the past, some were even used to propagate ideas of community and resistance, for example, during the Malabar rebellion,” says Saleem. 

A single performance is usually 30 minutes long. In a full performance, there are five Korkal; major set-pieces, and one Cherukali; a minor set piece. A set-piece is completed when each performer returns to his original position after revolving around the circle. 

A Practice Session with Kunhikoya Kurikkal’s Group, Video by Shaheen Abdulla

“It takes at least a month for the students to learn for competitions,” says Majeed Kurikkal, a successful instructor who trained teams that win state-wide student competitions. “There are over 500 set pieces, according to our elder tutors. We are still learning many of them”. 

Mappila Kolkali also has linguistic distinctions. Vaitarru are cues in Arabi-Malayalam, a variant of Malayalam language with Arabic script. For example, Minfo — a cue meaning ‘skip and move’ is pronounced ‘minni po’ in Malayalam. According to Azhar Kurikkal, Vaitarru could even be in Maigurud, a secret language used by the community during the Malabar uprising against the British. In this way, Kolkali has a rich linguistic, historical legacy.  

Origin and History 

“Only a handful of books are written about Kolkali but none are comprehensive,” says Azhar Kurikkal. Most of the details are in the oral record. There are different versions that are open to many interpretations.

The oral record of the first performed Kolkali dates back to the 1860s when people recalled a fisherman, Paithal Marakkan, who performed at the crowning of King Arakkal Ali, then ruler of North Malabar. “We know this because Moinkutty Vaydyar, a noted Malabar poet, who was an invitee of Kondotty Thangal, was so mesmerized by the performance, he wrote a song about his experience of it,” adds Azhar. 

Although all the veterans of Mappila Kolkali agree that Paithal Marakkan was the first known master of Kolkali, they also say that it must be practiced way before the 1860s. “Paithal Marakkan is said to have performed a set piece called ‘Oppana’ in Kolkali - and that is not a beginner set piece. So, there have to be months, if not years of practice that already existed prior to Marakkan’s performance,’ says Azhar Kurikkal, a veteran in the art form from Areekode, Malappuram. 

At that time, Kolkali, was likely developed as an exercise for Kalaripayattu artists. All the footwork in Kolkali is adapted from the martial art. But it was probably, at first, a kind of entertainment. Through Kolkali, a Kalaripayattu group could practice together with songs and have a fun time together. 

Kunhikoya’s team at a Kolkali practice session, Photo by Shaheen Abdulla

Today, Kolkali has developed into much more. It’s its own art form that’s used by the community to recall and inform each other of their histories. It’s a space for the community to come together and bond with their past and while walking into the future.

Kolkali in the modern age 

Over the course of the 20th century, Kolkali Kalari became an integral part of the Malabar villages. Some villages had over one Kalari, or camp, where they practiced Kolkali routinely. According to Abubakar Kurikkal, each Kalaris could have over 40 performers.

Over the years, these camps were beginning to disappear as people seemingly moved on with their modern lives and modern influences. “Spaces to perform also shrunk as many new art forms came into society,” says Kunhi Koya. 

However, Kolkali was added to the School Kalotsavam, a state-level student talent festival conducted by the government of Kerala, in 1992. This revived the folk dance to some extent. It became a popular event in the competition, attracting more schools and more students who were eager to train and compete. The vigorous dance also gained interest from other communities, making Kolkali a popular art form all over Kerala.

“First prize in Kolkali again goes to Kottoor school”, MediaOne TV Live

In Kalolsavam, a Kolkali performance is to be within 10 minutes, pushing the kurikkals to innovate and develop the traditional ways. In the competitions, the performers have to sing the song, unlike regular performances. News songs are composed for the competitions with the same rhythm. In these ways, Mapilla Kolkali is moving into the modern age.

The new popularity of the Kolkali competition has increased the demand for performances at weddings, reviving the Kalari in many parts of Malabar. Presently, Kurikkals are in high demand during the competition season, creating a new revenue model for practitioners who otherwise just practiced voluntarily. 

The Kerala Folklore Academy, an independent center for cultural affairs established in Kannur district in 1995 has been offering financial assistance to folk artists. They conduct economic aid programs and academic councils to promote the traditional art forms of Kerala, including Kolkali. Such organizational support is crucial to the revival and growth of art forms like Kolkali.

For Kunhikoya, Kolkali, has become a ritual he hates to miss. Every Thursday, he finds himself transforming into a Kurikkal with dozens of young men revolving around him as he sings. The synchronized beats go on till the dead of the night and Kunhikoya finds solace, a purpose. He sings as if it is a prayer.  

Shaheen Abdulla is a freelance, multimedia journalist and independent researcher from Kerala, India. He covers human rights and minority communities.

References

*All information in this piece has been obtained through interviews with the Kolkali Kurikkals who are passing on their oral historical record.