Tamil Nadu is a state in southern India. Modern popular music in the region includes filmi and other varieties of Indian popular music . Carnatic classical music has also had a long history in Tamil Nadu, which has produced a number of famous performers, as well as an associated kind of classical dance called Bharatha Natyam . Folk music in the region remains popular, especially in rural areas; elements of traditional styles are sometimes used in film music. There are contemporary enthusiasts, like Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan and Pushpavanam Kuppuswamy , who have worked to revive popular interest in the folk music of Tamil Nadu.

Folk instruments in Tamil Nadu include the sarangi. Traditional songs tend to use intricate talas and ancient classical ragas like Thodi and Sama.

The rural hill tribes of Tamil Nadu each have their own folk traditions. The Pulayar , for example, perform melodies called talams which are said to come from the cooing of birds. Each talam is named after a deity, including Kunhanada talam, Mangalanada talam and Karaganachi talam. Singaram are a kind of orchestra consisting of several percussion and other instruments

Kulavai is a kind of women's work song, known especially in Thanjavur. Passersby who notice the women's singing are greeted in a chorus, and customarily leave a small tip for the women.

External links

• samples
• History of classical music in Tamil Nadu