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The people of Maldives have enjoyed their own forms of song and dance for centuries. Some types of dances are especially performed by women while both genders participate in others.
The most popular form, as all Maldivians would agree, is ‘Boduberu’, widely enjoyed by both the young and old alike. It would be extremely rare that you would miss the sound of ‘Boduberu’ drums in any celebrated function of the Maldives. According to some historians, this popular form of music, enjoyed by the young and old alike, was introduced to the country in the early 19th century by African slaves. During the reign of King Mueenuddeen I these slaves were liberated and sent to Feridhoo in Alif-Alif Atoll. It is believed that Boduberu spread out from there to become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the country.
The Boduberu which is in the form of small barrels, are made from hollowed coconut wood with both ends sealed with goat hide or manta ray skin. The Boduberu troupe consists of a lead singer, background singers and a number of members who plays an assortment of percussion instruments.
In many celebrations, three or four such drums would be beaten, producing a rhythm which quickly grips the crowd and gets them to move and jerk with the catchy beat. As the troupe lead by the head of the troupe chants the lyrics, the crowd begins to chant along with them, clapping to the rhythm as more and more people join the dance. The rhythm builds as the song builds to a frenzied crescendo, followed by wild applause.
The Boduberu is played across all the islands of the Maldives in almost all events worthy of celebrating.
 Bandiyaa’ are the amphora type metal pots used women to carry water. In ‘Bandiyaa jehun’, women use these pots and sway in colourful garments while tapping the rhythm on the pots with rings that adorn their fingers. This unique dance is very popular among the locals and an entertaining sight as the young women sing and dance to melodious tunes ,swinging with their pots.
With the changing world, traditional music of Maldives was greatly influenced by Eastern music. However, the
traditional forms still survive among the locals. ‘Raivaru’ , ‘Farihi’ and ‘Bandhi’ are all unique styles of singing that are short, poetic and meaningful. These are still practiced to some extent by the locals.
 ‘Dhandi jehun’ is another form of entertainment during festive events such as Eid. This type of dance is performed and enjoyed by both sexes. ‘Dhandi’ are the two pieces of sticks roughly the length of drumsticks, which are
colourfully decorated and used in the dance. As the dancers sing, the two sticks are brought together according to the beat. Women performers use shorter sticks and move to faster beats, moving in patterns in colorful costumes as they bringing their sticks together while also beating
their sticks against those of the other dancers.
When Dhandi is performed by men, they use only one piece of stick which is about three feet long. They move to slower music.
 Thaara is also a very traditional form of music but one which is
performed by men. The men are attired in white in long-sleeved shirts
and sarongs, wearing white turbans. These performers sit on the ground
in two rows and sway to a slow song beating the ‘thaara’ which is a
tambourine-like instrument minus the bells. Some dancers dance between
the rows, turning slowly with the slow lyrics chanted in unison. Thaara
is believed to have been introduced from the Middle East in the
seventeenth century.
Though Thaara still holds a special place in local entertainment, today it is only played at national events.
 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 from the Indian Ocean region. It may be said that Bodu Beru 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 15 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. Bodu Beru evolved among the common citizens as an alternative to court music. In the early days, the people gathered together to perform Bodu Beru, and it became widely accepted as the music of the common people. The performing of the music is often referred as "vibrating the island". A notable point about Bodu Beru is its noise and sometimes meaningless lyrics sung. The lyrics do not have a meaning, because it consists of a mixture of local, neighbouring and some African words. Today, meaningful songs written in the local language Dhivehi are sung to the rhythm of Bodu Beru. Bodu Beru is usually sung after a hard day's work. The location is up to the performers. Today, Bodu Beru is an important item of entertainment at stage shows, celebrations and festivals. The costume of the performers is a sarong and a white short sleeved banian.
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