Activity 2-unit 2-update 2024. English translation
kandy
1.
2. Kandy proud heritage and splendid lakeside setting has long
made it a favorite haunt for Sri Lanka travelers. This bustling
hill-country capital is the natural gateway to a lush central
region of tea plantations, gurgling streams and stirring Sri
Lanka Kandy history.
3.
4.
5. The classical Sinhalese Orchestra consists of five categories
of instruments. But, the drum, is the king of local
percussions instruments and without it, there will be no
dance.
The vibrant beat of the rhythm of the drums form the
basic of the dance. The dances feet bounce off the floor
and they leap and swirl in patterns that reflex the complex
rhythms of the drum beat.
This drum beat may seem simple on the first hearing but it
takes a long time to master the intricate rhythms and
variations, which the drummer sometimes can bring to a
crescendo of intensity.
6. There are three types of drums:
• one faced
• two faced
• flat faced
There are five basics drums, and they can be recognized when in use.
• Gatabera - The typical Sinhala Dance is identified as the Kandyan dance and this drum is
indispensable to this dance.
• Yak-bera - This is the demon drum or the, drum used in low country dance in which the
dancers wear masks and perform devil dancing, which has become a highly developed form of
art.
• Dawula - It is a barrel shaped drum, and it was used as a companion drum in the past, to
keep strict time with the beat.
• Thammattama - A flat, two faced drum. The drummer strikes the drum on the two surfaces
on top with sticks, unlike the others where you drum on the sides. This is a companion drum
to the afore mentioned Dawula.
• Udekki - A small double headed hand drum, used to accompany songs. It is mostly heard in
the poetry dances (vannam).
7. Then, the metal percussions is almost always made
up of cymbals and "Thalampata" - 2 small cymbals
joined together by a string.
8. The wind section, is. This is not normally used for the
dances. This is important because the Sinhalese dance
is not set to music as the western world knows it.
9. The flutes of metal such as silver & brass produce
shrill music to accompany Kandyan Dance, while the
plaintive strains of music of the reed flute may
pierce the air in devil-dancing. The conch-shell
(Hakgediya) is another form of a natural
instrument, and the player blows it to announce the
opening of ceremonies of grandeur.
10.
11. The costumes used by the performers for Kandyan Dance are very striking. Decorative
head gear is also worn by the performers during the dance. They also wear silver angles
as part of the costume. A Kandyan Dance is generally accompanied by a drum which is
known as Geta Beraya. Thalampota or a kind of cymbals is also played to accompany the
dance. Originally the Kandyan Dance in Sri Lanka allowed only male dancers to
participate. But later different schools also started training women dancers.