INDIAN MUSIC IN Malaya before the 20th century was mainly of the Indian Classical and Carnatic modes, and these were performed in temples for religious celebrations and festivities by classical musicians brought in from India.
This was a boon for many in the local Indian community who also benefitted in receiving a musical education.
Beyond Temple Walls
Around 1920[1], estate worker Kaliya Perumal Devar Vathiyar[2] founded Tamil Street Theatre. Its plays, inspired by the Purana Tales, were staged and performed in Sungai Rambai (present-day Bukit Mertajam). The theatre gained steady popularity throughout Malaya in the 1930s, and to encourage more interest, performing troupes (Nadaga Kullu) from India led by T.K.C. and M.S. Draupathi, together with other actors from India, visited Malaya for performances and to impart knowledge of the art form, so that the local Indian community too could capitalise on acting as a potential income source.
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