Traditional music and dance
An island floating in the heart of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives has naturally been influenced by India, the Middle East and East African countries. And it is from the latter that the most famous musical tradition of the Maldives comes from: the bodu beru. Probably introduced in the 11th century by African slaves brought to the island by merchant sailors, the bodu beru is a set of dances and songs featuring about twenty people, three large drums (also called bodu beru), a bell and an onugadu (a piece of bamboo that is scraped with a stick). The songs, in Arabic or Dhivehi, are generally performed by the dancers in motion, accompanied by a choir and evoke heroism or romance when they are not purely abstract. Close to trance music, the slow rhythm becomes progressively more animated, until it reaches a paroxysmal frenetic rhythm. A practice as bewitching as spectacular, emblematic of the Maldives archipelago. This is undoubtedly why performances can be seen in many places, with hotels and guesthouses remaining the preferred addresses. These include Batuta Maldives Surf View Guest House in Thulusdhoo, Amazing Noovilu in Mathiveri or Jupiter Sunrise Lodge in Keyodhoo. As for the performers, Ali Rameez, probably the most famous Maldivian artist of the early 2000s, has inspired his music from bodu beru
.Another very popular traditional genre in the Maldives, the thaara was also introduced by sailors, but this time from Persia, in the 17th century. Meaning "tambourine" in Dhivehi, the term also refers to dances and music of a semi-religious nature. They are performed by twenty-two men (the discipline is exclusively male) seated in two parallel rows facing each other. Like the bodu beru
, here too the songs begin at a very slow tempo that gradually accelerates. The dancers wear loincloths and white shirts and tie a green scarf around their neck.Derived from the thaara from which it borrows its songs, the dhandi jehun is a one-hour ceremony in honour of the atolls. Performed by thirty men, it revolves around a lead singer, with the other members singing in chorus and dancing to the rhythm of the song. Although its form changes from atoll to atoll, it generally sees each dancer, generally dressed in white, being equipped with a dhandi, a 90-centimetre long stick struck on his partner's stick in order to give the dance a rhythm. Also derived from thaara , of which it is a modern adaptation, langiri is a choreographic tradition that emerged in the early 20th century. Performed by young men carrying a 60-centimetre stick and seated in two rows of twelve, this dance sees its protagonists swing their upper bodies and strike their langiris dhandis
to generate different rhythms.The Maldives also cultivates purely female dances, such as the bandiya jehun
, a local adaptation of an Indian tradition known as the "pot dance". Performed exclusively by young girls, it sees them dancing while sitting or standing, carrying metal pots in their arms which they strike rhythmically. To increase the intensity of the sound produced, they also wear metal rings. Nowadays, dancers are accompanied by musical instruments such as drums and harmonicas. Somewhat less common are traditions such as Bolimalaafath Neshun, a purely female dance that relates to an ancient tradition of women giving gifts to the sultan on special occasions; Fathigandu Jehun, a male folk form that still uses sticks to beat out the rhythm while a group sings great epics; and Gaa Odi Lava, a unique performance that usually expresses the satisfaction of having completed hard work. Restricted to Thiladhunmathi Atoll, there is also Kadhaa Maali, a form of traditional music and dance with drums, performed by about 30 men dressed in different costumes.Popular music
The national instrument-or at least the Maldivian favorite-is the kottafoshi, a plucked zither with a small keyboard, also called bulbul tarang in the Indian world and a cousin of the Japanese taishōgoto. Jeymu Dhonkamana is considered one of the great players of the instrument. Many of singer Naifaru Dohokko's hits are also accompanied by bulbul
. If you ask Maldivians who is the most popular local band that has ever existed, you will probably be told Zero Degree Atoll. With roots in traditions such as Raivaru, a type of traditional poetry, their music has been a huge hit since its debut in the 1990s. Their hits Heyambo, Marufali and Envaguvee remain classics in local music. One of the band members, Ahmed Nashid (also known as Fuloo Nashid), had a daughter, Nishfa, also a singer and a worthy representative of the young Maldivian guard. And speaking of the young guard, let's not forget to mention Mariyam Unoosha, known for her exceptional voice and recognized as a judge on the popular show Maldivian Idol.
