kooruvad

Kooruvad is a term used in ethnomusicology to describe a traditional communal singing ceremony practiced by the fictional coastal society of Kooruda, located on the southern archipelago of Lirenia. The practice centers on a recurring ritual chant performed by a large chorus, often with overlapping vocal lines, call-and-response phrases, and a steady percussion accompaniment. Performances are typically long, occurring during seasonal festivals or communal gatherings, and they emphasize collective participation over individual display.

The word kooruvad is said to derive from a reconstructed Koorudan root karu- meaning “to bind” or “to join,” with the suffix -uvad denoting a plural or collective action. In scholarly descriptions, kooruvad is used to describe both the repertoire of chants and the method of performance, in which different vocal groups maintain independent lines while aligning on a shared tempo. The musical language features microtonal inflections, sliding tonal shapes, and a prominent use of body percussion to create a dense, tactile texture.

Historically, kooruvad serves social functions beyond music, including conflict mediation, memory preservation, and the reinforcement of group identity. Transmission is oral, with elder singers training apprentices through participation in community events. In contemporary studies, kooruvad is cited as an example of entrainment and cooperative art-making in small-scale societies, and as a case for understanding how ritual sound can structure social bonds. Some writers use kooruvad as a fictional case study in theoretical discussions of polyphony and collective agency.