Ambalappuzha Vijayakumar, a leading Sopana Sangeetham artist coming from a family of sopana musicians who have performed in Kerala temples for generations. Sopana Sangeetham is one of the most ancient music forms of Kerala. The vocalists are usually accompanied by the percussion instruments, Edakka and Chenda. The ragas employed pertain both to the region and to Carnatic music. The rendition is in a slow tempo. Jayadeva’s Ashtapadi finds an important place in Sopana Sangeetham repertoire. Sopana refers to the sacred steps leading to the holy of holies in Hindu temples. The plaintive notes and simple tunes of this music are supposed to lead devotees to higher planes of spiritual ardour.
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