Vaadipatti Melamada
From Bharathi Kannamma · 1997
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Gangai Amaran
- Music director
- Deva
- Details
- Bharathi Kannamma1997
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Haei hae hae…..ae….ae…. | Haei hae hae...ae...ae... |
| Haei hae hae…..ae….ae….ae…. | Haei hae hae...ae...ae...ae... |
| Male | |
| Vaadipatti maelamadaa | It is the Vadipatti drum rhythm, my friend! |
| Varusa naadu ketkumadaa | The entire Varusanadu region will hear it! |
| Kottu saththam ketkaiyilae | When hearing the sound of this drumbeat, |
| Koodal vittu pogumadaa | All bodily exhaustion will depart! |
| Male | |
| Kalyaana veeda | Is it a wedding house? |
| Illaatti kaadhukuththu veedaa | Or an ear-piercing ceremony house? |
| Katchi maanaadaa oottu thedi | Or a political party conference? Seeking votes, |
| Vaadipatti vaadaa | Come on, Vadipatti beat! |
| Male | |
| Vaadipatti maelam kettaa | If you hear the Vadipatti melam, |
| Vachcha saedi pookkumadaa | Even a planted sapling will bloom! |
| Karpaththula ulla pulla | Even a child inside the mother's womb, |
| Kaiya thatti aadumadaa…. | Will clap hands and dance! |
| Male | |
| Sudhiyum venaamdaa engalukku | We don't need pitch or scale, my friend, |
| Suramum vaenaandaa | Nor do we need formal musical notes! |
| Oru thaalak kattukulla adikkira | Beaten within a rhythmic frame, |
| Sangeethamthaandaa | This is pure, soul-stirring music! |
| Male | |
| Naalu ezhuththu kaththathilla naanga | We haven't learned even four letters of formal education, |
| Raagam padichcha vithvaan illa | Nor are we scholars who studied classical ragas. |
| Appan aaththaa potta pitchai | It is the alms gifted by our parents, |
| Chumma oori kidakku raththathillae | Thoroughly soaked inside our very blood! |
| Male | |
| Hoi anthakaala vaaththiyamthaan | Hey, those ancient instruments of olden times, |
| Rompa azhinju pochchu paadhiyilae | Have largely perished halfway through history. |
| Vaadipatti kottu mattum chummaa | Yet this Vadipatti drumbeat alone, |
| Kalanthu pochchu vaazhkkaiyilae haei…. | Has become inextricably blended into our lives, hey! |
ஹேய் ஹே ஹே....ஏ.....ஏ......
ஹேய் ஹேய் ஹே....ஏ......ஏ.....ஏ........
Haei hae hae...ae...ae...
Haei hae hae...ae...ae...ae...
வாடிப்பட்டி மேளமடா
வருச நாடு கேட்குமடா
கொட்டு சத்தம் கேட்கையிலே
கூடல் விட்டு போகுமடா.....
It is the Vadipatti drum rhythm, my friend!
The entire Varusanadu region will hear it!
When hearing the sound of this drumbeat,
All bodily exhaustion will depart!
கல்யாண வீடா
இல்லாட்டி காதுகுத்து வீடா
கட்சி மாநாடா ஓட்டு தேடி
வாடிப்பட்டி வாடா.....
Is it a wedding house?
Or an ear-piercing ceremony house?
Or a political party conference? Seeking votes,
Come on, Vadipatti beat!
வாடிப்பட்டி மேளம் கேட்டா
வச்ச செடி பூக்குமடா
க ர்ப்பத்துல உள்ள புள்ள
கைய தட்டி ஆடுமடா.......
If you hear the Vadipatti melam,
Even a planted sapling will bloom!
Even a child inside the mother's womb,
Will clap hands and dance!
சுதியும் வேணாம்டா எங்களுக்கு
சுரமும் வேணான்டா
ஒரு தாளக் கட்டுக்குள்ள அடிக்கிற
சங்கீதம்தான்டா
We don't need pitch or scale, my friend,
Nor do we need formal musical notes!
Beaten within a rhythmic frame,
This is pure, soul-stirring music!
நாலு எழுத்து கத்ததில்ல நாங்க
ராகம் படிச்ச வித்வான் இல்ல
அப்பன் ஆத்தா போட்ட பிச்ச
சும்மா ஊறிக்கிடக்கு ரத்தத்திலே
We haven't learned even four letters of formal education,
Nor are we scholars who studied classical ragas.
It is the alms gifted by our parents,
Thoroughly soaked inside our very blood!
ஹோய் அந்தக்கால வாத்தியம்தான்
ரொம்ப அழிஞ்சு போச்சு பாதியிலே
வாடிப்பட்டி கொட்டு மட்டும் சும்மா
கலந்து போச்சு வாழ்க்கையிலே ஹேய்...
Hey, those ancient instruments of olden times,
Have largely perished halfway through history.
Yet this Vadipatti drumbeat alone,
Has become inextricably blended into our lives, hey!
Haei hae hae…..ae….ae….
Haei hae hae...ae...ae...
Haei hae hae…..ae….ae….ae….
Haei hae hae...ae...ae...ae...
Vaadipatti maelamadaa
It is the Vadipatti drum rhythm, my friend!
Varusa naadu ketkumadaa
The entire Varusanadu region will hear it!
Kottu saththam ketkaiyilae
When hearing the sound of this drumbeat,
Koodal vittu pogumadaa
All bodily exhaustion will depart!
Kalyaana veeda
Is it a wedding house?
Illaatti kaadhukuththu veedaa
Or an ear-piercing ceremony house?
Katchi maanaadaa oottu thedi
Or a political party conference? Seeking votes,
Vaadipatti vaadaa
Come on, Vadipatti beat!
Vaadipatti maelam kettaa
If you hear the Vadipatti melam,
Vachcha saedi pookkumadaa
Even a planted sapling will bloom!
Karpaththula ulla pulla
Even a child inside the mother's womb,
Kaiya thatti aadumadaa….
Will clap hands and dance!
Sudhiyum venaamdaa engalukku
We don't need pitch or scale, my friend,
Suramum vaenaandaa
Nor do we need formal musical notes!
Oru thaalak kattukulla adikkira
Beaten within a rhythmic frame,
Sangeethamthaandaa
This is pure, soul-stirring music!
Naalu ezhuththu kaththathilla naanga
We haven't learned even four letters of formal education,
Raagam padichcha vithvaan illa
Nor are we scholars who studied classical ragas.
Appan aaththaa potta pitchai
It is the alms gifted by our parents,
Chumma oori kidakku raththathillae
Thoroughly soaked inside our very blood!
Hoi anthakaala vaaththiyamthaan
Hey, those ancient instruments of olden times,
Rompa azhinju pochchu paadhiyilae
Have largely perished halfway through history.
Vaadipatti kottu mattum chummaa
Yet this Vadipatti drumbeat alone,
Kalanthu pochchu vaazhkkaiyilae haei….
Has become inextricably blended into our lives, hey!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This energetic folk song celebrates the raw, primordial energy of Vadipatti Maelam, a legendary traditional drum ensemble from Southern Tamil Nadu. The lyrics highlight how the infectious rhythm transcends formal musical training, pitch, or scales, asserting that folk music is an inherited art form pulsing naturally through the blood of common folk. It describes the music's universal pull, capable of invigorating exhausted bodies, bringing plants to bloom, and stirring unborn children to dance. The song acts as a testament to the enduring power of native folk traditions amidst the fading away of ancient cultural arts.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi Ani)
“Karpaththula ulla pulla kaiya thatti aadumadaa”
Exaggerating the effect of folk rhythm by stating that an unborn baby inside the womb claps hands and dances upon hearing it.
Monai (Initial Assonance/Alliteration)
“Sudhiyum venaamdaa engalukku / Suramum vaenaandaa”
Matching initial sounds across adjacent lines ('Sudhiyum' and 'Suramum') to enhance rhythmic fluidity.
Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Vaadipatti maelamadaa / Kottu saththam ketkaiyilae”
Repetition of second-letter sounds ('tti' in Vaadipatti and Kottu) creating structural harmony.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Vadipatti Maelam' refers to the iconic folk percussion style originating from Vadipatti in Madurai district, renowned across Tamil Nadu for its exhilarative, high-tempo beats played during village temple festivals. The soundtrack for 'Bharathi Kannamma' (1997) was composed by Deva, who masterfully blended authentic rural percussion styles into Tamil cinema.
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