Bodu-Beru

The Maldives, being a sea-faring island nation, has since time immemorial been open to different cultural influences. Such influences especially from maritime cultures of countries bordering the Indian Ocean, such as east Africa, southern India, the Arab world, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia are clearly found in the Maldivian music.
Bodu Beru is similar to some of the songs and dances found in east Africa. It is likely that the music was introduced to The Maldives by sailors or released slaves. It may be said that Bodu Beru (Big Drum) known commonly as "Baburu Lava" (Negroid Song) first made an appearance in The Maldives in the 11th Century AD, or maybe before.
Bodu Beru is performed by about 10 people, including three drummers and a lead singer. They are accompanied by a small bell and an "Onugandu" - a small piece of bamboo with horizontal grooves, from which raspy sounds are produced by scrapping. The songs may be of heroism, romance or satire. The prelude to the song is a slow beat with emphasis on drumming, and dancing. As the song reaches a crescendo, one or two dancers maintain the wild beat with their frantic movements ending in some cases in a trance.