Sopanam

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About Us

Sopanam Vaadya kalaa Sangham

Sopanam Vadyakala Sangham was founded in Bahrain in 2009 with a mission to introduce, train, popularize and preserve the traditional temple-performing percussion arts (Vaadyakala) of Kerala. Guru Shri. Santhosh Kailas, maestro of Vaadyakala arts, hailing from Kozhikode, Kerala, is the founder of Sopanam Vadya Kala Sangham. He has been instrumental in training students in the varied art forms such as Chenda Melams, Thayambaka, Panchavadhyam, Sopanam Sangeetham, Keli, Edakka, Maddalam, Kurumkuzhal, Kombu etc.

For more than a decade, Sopanam has been conducting its annual events such as Melotsavam and Vadyasangamam led by eminent artists Padmashri Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, Padmashri Mattannur Sankaran Kutty Marar, Guru Shri Kanjilasheri Padmanabhan etc., with more than 300 artists coming together, making it the largest such event outside Kerala. 

Apart from these main events, Sopanam also has been performing at various events throughout the Kingdom of Bahrain and in India. Bharata Yatra, a musical pilgrimage from Kanyakumari to Kailasam, is another initiative of Sopanam to familiarize and popularize the Vadyakala arts of Kerala, throughout India wherein Sopanam members perform Melarchana (musical offerings in the form of Melams) in famous temples all over India. Sopanam Vadyakala Sangham has been committed to honour and recognize the Vadyakala artists for their life time contribution and honoring them with the Thouryathrikam award. 

With the blessings of the Guru, in the past 13 years, 300 people have given their debut performance after extensive training and practice in the traditional arts. Around 200 people are currently pursuing their journey of learning. From its humble beginnings, Sopanam has grown into a growing community of Vadyakala percussionists in Bahrain, the largest of its kind outside India. Children, women and men across the length and breadth of Kerala and outside, are all part of this community

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