Video of newly-married Kerala couple dancing to musical form Shinkari Melam with band goes viral
- 17 Feb 2020
The video of a newly-married couple from Kerala dancing to the tune of Shinkari Melam, a musical form, with cymbals and drums has gone viral on social media. The video has garnered 1.7 million views on YouTube.
The couple, Zakhil Suresh and Laxmi Joshi, are settled in Bangalore. Zakhil is studying for his Chartered Accountancy, and is in his final year, while working in a startup named Flobiz. Laxmi is an Android developer.
Zakhil says, “I have learned Shinkari Melam (that's what it is called) when I was young. And two years ago, I happened to watch a video on YouTube of this team named Ponnan's Blue Magic. I was awed by their energy and told myself that I'm going to get them to perform for my wedding one day.
“And once the wedding was fixed, I contacted them and booked them. And then since I already know how to play, I told them that I want to perform with them. It was like a dream come true for me since I have literally watched each and every one of their YouTube videos. They set a new style in Shinkari Melam.
“Their team leader, Ponnan Peringodu, agreed and then we took it from there. The bride also performed with me which took everyone by surprise. Because many of my relatives and friends know that I can play 'Chenda' (a cylindrical percussion instrument) but she getting on to the stage was a real surprise.”
The wedding happened in Kodungallur, Kerala at Muziris International Convention Centre. The video was aired three weeks ago on YouTube and Facebook and has already crossed 3 million views, with plenty of positive response.