Voice of Kerala: Where timeless melodies resonate in the heart of Kozhikode

At the heart of Kozhikode, where the aroma of halwa and ice Orathi( pickles) fills the streets and the soulful strains of ghazals linger in the air, stands a modest little shop on Oyitty Road that quietly keeps the legacy of music alive. Located near the historic Muthalakkulam, past the statue of S K Pottakkad at Mananchira, Voice of Kerala draws in people, from wide-eyed millennials to nostalgic Gen Z, into a world of timeless melodies.

Inside, it’s a music lover’s paradise. Wall-mounted radios and players, vintage gramophones, and neatly arranged records gleam through glass cabinets here. Peer inside and you’ll spot rare tape reels, vinyl, and shellac records that are several decades old. Amid a lineup of forgotten record players and amplifiers, melodies from the past continue to echo--songs you can never tire of listening to.

Standing amidst all this musical time capsule stands V.P. Abdul Salam, the store’s proud owner, is always ready to share stories from the '50s and '60s, the golden era of music. The collection at Voice of Kerala boasts an array of vintage audio devices including gramophones, amplifiers, radios, speakers, etc that span different time periods. To those who gaze at his collection in wonder, Salam begins narrating a story that began three decades ago.

“This shop has been around for 30 years. It started as an electronics store and later evolved into one selling vintage music equipment. Today, we stock, sell, and service gramophones, records, radios, and old music players. My love for music is the force behind it all,” he says.

A time when radios didn’t play songs

Salam hails from Panniyankara, Kozhikode. His grandfather, P.M. Abdullah Koya, once ran three stores in Valayangadi that sold gramophones and HMV records. Back then, gramophones were the only way to listen to songs. When a new record arrived, the store would test-play it, drawing a crowd eager to hear it. In those days, movie songs and Mappila songs couldn’t be heard anywhere else, not even on the local radio station in Kozhikode.

A childhood tuned to gramophones
Salam remembers being enchanted by his grandfather’s gramophones. While other kids played outside, he would sit in the shop, listening to records with his 'Vallyuppa.' His uncle, D Hassan Koya, was a music teacher and ran classes at Cherooty Road. He also headed a music club named Hassan’s Orchestra, where Salam was an active member. These early experiences shaped a lifelong love for music. He also recalls being part of the music troupe during his college days at Malabar Christian College, where he studied pre-degree.

The beginning of Voice of Kerala
After a stint in the Gulf as an accountant, Salam returned home and took over his father-in-law’s shop, which sold electronic spare parts. With increasing competition, he decided to pivot. Thirty years ago, he transformed the shop into a hub of vintage audio equipment. “Only someone with real passion and deep knowledge of old music can run a store like this,” he says. “That realisation is what drove me.” Though he trades in vintage equipment, Salam admits that he rarely parts with his most treasured pieces in the shop.

A giant gramophone, Made in Kozhikode
“I built the world’s largest gramophone,” Salam says with pride. Though it no longer fits in the shop due to its size, it now resides at a friend’s café on Gujarati Street. “His name is Gaddam. He runs a teashop fused with music and the gramophone fits perfectly there,” he explains. The inspiration for making that gramophone struck when Salam noticed an old Indian rosewood window lying unused at home. With the help of local carpenters, he converted it into a beautiful gramophone body.

Nostalgia sells
People from across Kerala and even from outside the state come searching for rare records and players. Some want functioning gramophones, others buy them purely out of nostalgia. Many bring in their old players for restoration. “Price isn’t the issue. They just want it fixed and working again,” Salam says. Still, with modern music dominating the scene, demand for vintage players has inevitably declined.

Personal Playlist
Salam’s favourite era in music spans the 1960s and ’70s. His top choice for a music composer is M.S. Baburaj, while K.J. Yesudas holds the crown among Malayalam singers. His most favourites include Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Elvis Presley, and Cliff Richard. “Old songs with classical touches still sound fresh. That charm will last for another 50 years,” he says with conviction. While he believes music transcends language, he admits he doesn’t feel much connection with today’s music.