Mappila songs - a rhythmic treat

Mappila Paatt (Mappila Songs) are traditional folk Muslim songs of Malayalam. They are mostly sung by the members of the Muslim community in Malabar.

Mappila Songs use a colloquial blend of Malayalam and Arabic languages. Sometimes languages like Tamil, Persian, Kannada and Hindi also find their place in these songs.

Their themes are diverse- devotion, love, satire, heroism etc. are some among them. Traditionally, they were transferred from one generation to another orally.

The rhythm of these songs is a perfect blend of Arabic and Malayalam folk tunes. Their metre is denoted by the term Isal. Khasi Mohammed, Kunjayan Musaliyar and Moyinkutti Vaidyar are regarded to be the pioneers of this unique musical branch.