About

Percussionist, graphic designer and artist, Montry Manuel, founded Thaalavattam in 2011. Growing up in the Southern Indian port city of Cochin, he was inuenced by his father, who instilled in him a deep love for music and the Planet. He owes his musical foundation to his guru, the loving and inspirational Jerry Peter. Montry played in the popular Indian Indie band Swarathma for 7 years, before breaking away to pursue his dream of making a difference for the environment, through music.

Thaalavattam, which means ‘A Circle of Rhythm,’ is a unique percussion-project from India that harnesses the universal power of music to inspire people to REDUCE, REUSE AND RETUNE. We fashion all our musical instruments from FOUND OBJECTS creating cutting-edge sounds and inspiring creative action for the Planet.

Our ‘organic grooves’ emerge from discarded tubes, industrial waste materials, paint cans, plastic bottles, bicycle parts, etc. These are reborn as hybrid percussion kits, oating jugs, tubes, didgeridoos and more, and then electronically sampled to offer a musical experience that is earthy and organic, yet ethereal and otherwordly.