KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 25, 2024 (Malaysia News): During Thaipusam, thousands of people fill the streets to watch the kavadi aattam — a frenetic dance performed by kavadi-bearers — to fulfill their religious vows to Lord Murugan. The kavadi-bearer gyrates as a group of drummers render devotional songs while fervently thumping the urumee — an hourglass-shaped double-headed drum — with long curved sticks. This traditional folk music, known as urumee melam, comprises three important instruments: urumee, thavil (a barrel-shaped percussion instrument) and pambai (a pair of cylindrical drums). Shoban Babu Munian, 44, a veteran urumee melam drummer developed an inclination for traditional Indian music since he started singing thevaram (Tamil devotional hymns) at the age of seven. In 1999, he co-founded the Siva Mathura Kaali Urumee Melam team with his three friends, including the late Bathamanathan Ponnusamy, who mentored the team.

Interestingly, Shoban said the folk music is played very differently in Malaysia compared to in Tamil Nadu, India. “Urumee drums originate from devatundumi, which is believed to be the music played by the Gods for Lord Shiva, in Tamil Nadu. “Over there, the urumee, thavil and pambai are played separately for different occasions. Only in Malaysia, all three instruments are played together as urumee melam. “Another difference is that kavadi processions in Tamil Nadu only rely on the instrumental music produced from thavil and nadaswaram (a double-reed wind instrument). “In Malaysia, we sing devotional songs that evoke powerful emotions while beating the drums to get the kavadi-bearers dancing,” he told Malay Mail, when met at the Sri Maha Kala Muneeswarar temple in Sentul recently.

Example: https://youtu.be/6VQMZrdCApY?si=WKWg-lWEYaZUeT0A

More at source.
https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/local-urumee-melam-team-drumming-235623562.html

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