The Music and Musical Instruments of Southern India and the Deccan c10.31

c10.31

Nautch music is termed Taffa or Kéylika and is performed exclusively by a caste of Nautch people called in Southern India Mélakâra-jâti. This is a composite class of dancing women and male musicians, distinguished by a marked social division from the higher orders of the musical profession. The dancing men and women of the Mélakâra caste, who together form a complete chorus, constitute what is called a Chinnaméla (or smaller music), in distinction to the Peryaméla (big music), which is a band of male musicians who play upon the Nâgasâra with drums and accompaniments differing from those of the dancers.⁶ The Peryaméla, or Pathamélam as it is also called, is the ordinary native band formed by the Mángalavândlu caste and already described.