A team item in which a group sings Kerala folk songs together, with rhythm, call-and-response and the earthy flavour of rural song traditions judged as one performance.
Nadan Pattu (Group) is the team version of the Kerala folk-song item. Nadan pattu, literally “country song”, covers the songs of village life: work songs, songs of the fields and rivers, ritual and festival songs, lullabies and storytelling ballads. They are usually sung in Malayalam in a direct, rhythmic style, often with clapping, a simple percussion beat and a lead voice answered by the rest of the group.
In a group round the team comes on stage together and sings one song, or a short linked set. The panel listens for a shared pulse, voices that blend without losing the rough, open character of folk singing, and a lead-and-chorus pattern that is clean and confident. Movement is usually small, such as swaying, clapping or simple steps that support the song, rather than a choreographed dance.
On the Muscat Kalolsavam template in eTalenter the item is a team entry open to boys and girls together, in three age bands: Group Below 10, Group 10 to 18 and Group 18 Plus. Each entry is marked out of 100. The template prints no time limit, team size or criteria table, so the organiser announces those with the schedule. The same template also carries the individual Nadanpattu item, which is a separate solo entry.
Organisers run it because it brings in large numbers of entrants with little formal training: a folk song can be learnt by ear, taught in a few rehearsals and sung by children and adults alike. It also keeps a regional singing tradition visible in a community programme, and it is lively to listen to.
Where Nadan Pattu (Group) is run
In eTalenter’s data, Nadan Pattu (Group) is carried by one template, a Malayalee community arts festival in Oman, where it runs in three team age bands. Group folk singing is a regular category at Kerala-style school and community arts festivals; where a festival uses this title, expect Malayalam folk songs sung by a team rather than a trained classical or film-song chorus.
- Oman (Malayalee community arts festival, per the template data)
- Kerala, India, and Malayalee community festivals elsewhere, where group folk song is a usual category
Key facts
- Team item: a group sings together and is marked as one entry
- Open to boys and girls together on the Muscat Kalolsavam template
- Three age bands there: Group Below 10, Group 10 to 18 and Group 18 Plus
- Marked out of 100; no criteria table, time limit or team size is printed, so the organiser announces them
- Not the same as Nadanpattu, the individual item on the same template
- Language is not fixed on the template, though nadan pattu is conventionally sung in Malayalam
On eTalenter, Nadan Pattu (Group) is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Nadan Pattu (Group) is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Dance, Music, Drama, Mimicry, Debate, Elocution, Story Telling, Group Song, Action Song eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Nadan Pattu (Group)
What a Nadan Pattu (Group) panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Unison and blend: voices that start and end together and sit in the same pitch, without one loud singer covering the rest
- Rhythm: a steady shared pulse, whether kept by clapping or a simple drum, that does not rush or drag
- Lead and chorus: a lead voice that is clear and confident and a group answer that comes in on time and with energy
- Folk idiom: a style that sounds like a village song rather than a polished concert piece, with natural phrasing and clear words
- Pitch (sruti): a steady starting note held by the whole team through the song
- Presentation: simple, natural movement and costume that support the song instead of distracting from it
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Nadan Pattu (Group) under Scoring Setup, or start from our guide to song competition judging criteria.
How to prepare for Nadan Pattu (Group)
How entrants and their teachers usually get Nadan Pattu (Group) right on the day:
- Choose a song every member can sing from memory; a well-known simple song well done beats a long one half learnt
- Teach the lead part to two or three singers so there is a back-up if one is nervous on the day
- Fix the starting pitch in rehearsal and have the team hum it before beginning
- Practise the clapping or percussion pattern on its own until everyone keeps the same beat
- Rehearse the chorus entries by marking exactly where the group joins after the lead
- Write the lyrics out for the youngest team members and check the words are pronounced the same way by everyone
- Check the time limit, team size and whether any instrument is allowed with the organiser before settling the arrangement
- For the Below 10 band keep the song short and repeating; for older bands add verses, harmony lines or a second lead
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nadan Pattu (Group) judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is Nadan Pattu (Group) the same as Nadanpattu?
No. On the Muscat Kalolsavam template Nadanpattu is an individual item, while Nadan Pattu (Group) is a team entry marked as one performance.
How many singers make a team?
The template prints no team size, so the organiser sets it. Ask before arranging the song.
Can the team use instruments?
The template does not say. Folk songs are often sung with clapping or a simple drum, so confirm with the organiser what is allowed.
Which age bands are there?
Group Below 10, Group 10 to 18 and Group 18 Plus on the Muscat Kalolsavam template, all open to boys and girls together.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read our guide to song competition judging criteria, or browse every on stage competition item.
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