Traditional musical instruments like the tabla, sitar, and veena from India, the koto and erhu from East Asia, the oud and darbuka from the Middle East, and the djembe and kora from Africa, reflect rich cultural traditions and regional music styles.
Musical Instruments
The classical Sinhalese Orchestra consists of five categories of instruments. But, the drum, is the king of local percussions instruments and without it, there will be no dance.
The vibrant beat of the rhythm of the drums form the basic of the dance. The dances feet bounce off the floor and they leap and swirl in patterns that reflex the complex rhythms of the drum beat.
This drum beat may seem simple on the first hearing but it takes a long time to master the intricate rhythms and variations, which the drummer sometimes can bring to a crescendo of intensity.
