Maldivian folk music & musical instruments

The Maldives, being a sea-faring island nation, has since time immemorial been open to different cultural influences. Such influences especially from maritime cultures of countries bordering the Indian Ocean, such as east Africa, southern India, the Arab world, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia are clearly found in the Maldivian music. But centuries of environmental and social effects have created a mix which expresses the life style of Maldivians, their hopes and their aspirations. This type of music is regarded by everyone as a very indigenous element of the true Maldivian culture.

The folk dance and music, which we see and hear today, are only art of the wider range of music played by the old Maldivians.

Bandiya Jehun
Bodu Beru
Bolimalaafathi Neshun
Dhandi Jehun
Fathigandu Jehun
Gaaodi Lava
Kandaa Maali
Lan’giri
Maafathi Neshun
Thaara

 

Bandiya Jehun It could be said that Bandiyaa Jehun is an adaptation of Indian pot dance. It is performed only by young women. In this performance the dancers mark time to the beat on the metal water pots they carry. In order to produce sufficient sound, the dancers wear metal rings on their fingers. Although there is no definite costume, a uniform dress is worn by the performers which is mostly a long skirt and a blouse, and today it is usually "Dhigu hedhun", a local dress. Today, most of the groups use a number of musical instruments including drum and harmonica, and the dance is performed both standing and seated. The costume and music too have undergone considerable transformations so as to keep pace with the changing trends.

Bodu Beru

Bodu Beru is similar to some of the songs and dances found in east Africa. It is likely that the music was introduced to the Maldives by sailors from the Indian Ocean region. It may be said that Bodu Beru known commonly as "Baburu Lava" (Negroid Song) first made an appearance in The Maldives in the 11th Century AD, or maybe before. Bodu Beru is performed by about 15 people, including three drummers and a lead singer. They are accompanied by a small bell and an "Onugandu" - a small piece of bamboo with horizontal grooves, from which raspy sounds are produced by scrapping. The songs may be of heroism, romance or satire.

The prelude to the song is a slow beat with emphasis on drumming, and dancing. As the song reaches a crescendo, one or two dancers maintain the wild beat with their frantic movements ending in some cases in a trance.
Bodu Beru evolved among the common citizens as an alternative to court music. In the early days, the people gathered together to perform Bodu Beru, and it became widely accepted as the music of the common people. The performing of the music is often referred as "vibrating the island". A notable point about Bodu Beru is its noise and sometimes meaningless lyrics sung. The lyrics do not have a meaning, because it consists of a mixture of local, neighbouring and some African words. Today, meaningful songs written in the local language Dhivehi are sung to the rhythm of Bodu Beru.
Bodu Beru is usually sung after a hard day's work. The location is up to the performers. Today, Bodu Beru is an important item of entertainment at stage shows, celebrations and festivals. The costume of the performers is a sarong and a white short sleeved banian.


Bolimaafathi Neshun

This is a dance performed by women. The dance shows the old tradition of women offering gifts to the sultan, on special occasions such as Eid festival. The gifts, usually shells, are kept in a small vase or box known as the "Kurandi Malaafaiy". It is kept closed and is intricately decorated from outside. The vase is covered in a piece of colourful silk cloth. The women who carry the case too wear bright coloured local dresses which are fumigated by burning incense.

In the dance there are about 24 people performers. As they dance and sing to the tune of music, they form into small groups of two, three, four or even six, and walk towards the sultan to offer the "Kurandi". The songs usually express their sentiments or are based on national themes. With the change of government from monarchy to a republic in 1968, the tradition of offering gifts to the sultan ceased. But the dance has survived, and today it can be seen on stage shows. Bolimalaafath Neshun is still regarded as the most important of all the dances performed by Maldivian women.


Dhandi Jehun

This dance is attributed to the atolls and the performing style vary from atoll to atoll. The participants are all men and they dance in a single group of about 30 people. The dance which lasts about one hour can be held at day or night, in a street or in a ground, on nay day of celebrations. In Dhandi Jehun, the songs are "Thaara" songs or "Unbaa" songs and they sung by a lead singer.

However, the group too participates in the song, and as they sing, they dance and walk to the beat of the song. Sometimes drums or tambourines are held by two additional people who would walk behind the group.
In the dance which lasts about an hour, each dancer holds a "Dhandi" (stick) of about three feet long. As he dances, he claps hi "Dhandi", to one belonging to a partner facing him and continue dancing and singing to the beat of the music as well as to the sound generated by the clapping of sticks. The dancers do not have any special dress. However, in any given performance, they will wear a uniformed dress usually it is a sarong, a T-shirt, a white head cloth, a sash around waist and a white under-garment.
Dhandi Jehun is believed to have come form Malik (Minicoy Islands). Is said there is a similar dance there known as "Malik Dhandi".


Fathigandu Jehun
Fathigandu Jehun is an evening stage music in which a group of men or a seated single person dance in tune with the songs. To bring out the sound of music two pieces of bamboo stick that are about six inches long are held in each hand of all dancers. The two pieces of sticks on either hand with their outer side touching each other are then clapped together while at the same time the dancers show their skills in twisting their torso in tune with the music and song. There is also a drummer who beats on a tin and at the same time lead the song. In Fathigandu Jehun the songs are usually epics. The story is narrated in the style of a song and to the beat of the music. A famous Fathigandu song is "Burunee Raivaru" which tells the story of a sultan who went in search of a wife.


Gaaodi Lava

Gaa Odi Lava is a music and dance which expresses the satisfaction by a group of people on completion of a task involving hard manual work. Some say Gaa Odi Lava was first sung during the reign of Sultan Mohamed Imadudeen I (1620-1648AD). In his effort to defend Male', he wanted to build a break water around the island. For this purpose he divided the work force to various "odi" or vessels, for carrying coral stones from the many reefs. Upon completion of the task, workmen from each "odi" paid a ceremonial visit to the Sultan, singing songs to express their happiness. And hence Gaa (stones) Odi (vessels) was born.

In the time of Sultans, whenever a job ordered by a Sultan was completed, the workers involved would walk to the ground in front of the royal palace,  in a special dance called "Dhigu magu negun". In this type of walking, the dancers each carry a special stick and walk in two rows while singing and dancing. Once in front of the palace, the songs gradually increase in tempo until the whole team forms a ring around a special container, still continuing the dance and singing. Inside the container are gifts for the dancers, given by the Sultan. The taking away of the container is called "Dhafi Negun" which is also the motive of dancing and singing. In the olden days, the songs sung in Gaa Odi Lava were in Arabic.


Kandaa Maali

This dance, of which the origin is unknown and dates back a few centuries, survives only in Kulhudhuffushi in south Thiladhunmathi Atoll. The performance is initiated by the beating of a number of drums and a "Kadhaa", an instrument made up of a copper plate and a copper rod. With the music which is emanated from the beating of the drums and the Kadhaa, a large number of people usually about 30 men, dressed in different postures and costumes, take part in the dance. The costumes depict different types of evil spirits and ghosts. These evil spirits or ghosts are referred to as "Maali".

The dance is associated with the traditional congregation of the elders of the island who practice a late night walk around the island to ward off the evil spirits believed to be associated with terrible sickness and epidemics prevalent in the island community. The midnight walking usually begins after the late evening prayer, would continue for three consecutive nights and on the third night as to mark the end of the working the island community will engage in different types of music and dancing. This is a prelude to Kadhaamaali which is the final and the major event of the night.
While Kadhaamaali is being performed, people of different trades will come to the venue on a group by group basis bringing along with them their instruments, displaying their skill and craftsmanship in the form of a dance. Once their performance is over they would simply go leaving the Kadhaamaali dancers who would continue dancing until it was all over by about midnight.
At present Kadhaamaali is performed only during festivals. But, even now in times of terrible sickness the dance is still performed after the "three-night-walking".


Lan'giri

The Original Langiri goes back to the time of Sultan Shamsuddin III who ruled The Maldives in the early 20th century. The youth of that time developed and modified the then popular Thaara to their taste giving the name Langiri. Langiri is a dance and music played by young men as an evening stage show. To perform Langiri each dancer holds two sticks that are about two feet long. The sticks known as "Langiri Dhandi" are decorated, each having a colourful artificial flower at the head end.

In the dance the performers sit in two rows of twelve or in six and as they sway their bodies waist up and at the same time keep clapping the Langiri Dhandi in different styles. Each dancer will hit six Langiri Dhandi belonging to his three neighbours seated in the front row. There is also a lead singer who sits in the front of their right row. The length of a Langiri show varies but usually it lasts until seven or six songs.


Maafathi Neshun

The movements in Maafathi Neshun are similar to Langiri. But the performers are all women, and they wear national dress. This is a group dance in which women dance in two rows of ten. Each performer has a semi circular string which is about three feet long with artificial flowers attached to it. They hold the strings and dance in different style in small rows or groups of two or three displaying different symbols.

Thaara

Thaara is the Dhivehi word for tambourine. It is performed by about 22 people seated in two parallel rows facing each other. It is a type of music which has a semi religious touch, and is distinct to men only. In Thaara, there is both singing and dancing. The early songs which accompanied Thaara were in Arabic. The songs start with a very slow tempo and gradually increases to reach a crescendo. The performers wear white sarongs and white shirts with a green scarf tied around their necks.

Thaara was introduced to The Maldives by the Gulf Arabs who came here in the mid 17th century. A type of music similar to Thaara is still practised in the Gulf and in south Arabia.
Thaara was played in the fulfilment of vows, and special times was accompanied by a pseudo act called "Wajid" which is now banned by the government, but the singing and dancing still continue as an entertainment.