About
Thaalavattam is an experimental percussion project founded in 2011 by musician Montry Manuel, dedicated to creating music using innovative instruments made from upcycled waste, plastic and metal. Around forty instruments, built from paint cans, PET bottles, shock absorbers, bicycle parts and PVC pipes, form the heart of a project that fuses music, design and an environmental message.
Montry Manuel, a percussionist, began Thaalavattam in 2011 as an experimental solo project born of a fascination with new sounds and a concern for the environment. Building dozens of instruments from discarded materials, he grew it into a collaborative platform that performs across corporate shows, clubs, sustainability summits, festivals and community spaces, using music and design to spread an ecological message, and complementing it with a merchandise line of upcycled products.
The artistry
Because each of Thaalavattam's upcycled instruments produces a unique, often untunable sound, the art lies in how they are played together to build organic, driving rhythmic music. Conceived by Montry Manuel not as a band but as a project and an experience, it thrives on collaboration, with musicians, dancers, designers and visual artists, and pairs its inventive soundscapes with a message of reduce, reuse and recycle.
[Atlas Perspective] Thaalavattam is a genuinely original project that pairs musical inventiveness with a strong sustainability message. For sustainability, CSR and innovation-focused events, and for festivals wanting something distinctive, it is a compelling, differentiated choice.
Thaalavattam has pioneered a distinctive fusion of music, design and environmentalism in India, turning waste into instruments and performance and using art to carry a message of sustainability. It stands out as a project where cultural innovation and ecological purpose meet.