Kerala

Inroads have also been made by television (especially "mega serials" and cartoons) and the Internet.^[53] Yet Keralites also have high rates of newspaper subscription — 50%^[54] — spend some seven hours per week reading novels and other books,^[53] host a thriving "people's science" movement, and participate in such activities as writer's cooperatives.^[45]. [14]. These are viewed by Keralites at dozens of stadiums across the state, including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi and Chandrashekaran Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Venues and dates have been confirmed - the Frog will be playing shopping centres and major hospitals. In modern times, attention to these activities has been largely supplanted by more modern sports such as cricket, kabaddi, soccer, badminton, and others. On November 23, 2005, music news site Undercover announced that the Crazy Frog will be touring Australia, beginning in Perth on December 4 and continuing through other major capital cities. Other popular ritual arts include theyyam and poorakkali. PLEASE FOR ALL THINGS GOOD AND HOLY DO NOT MAKE A SHOW.

Kalarippayattu (kalari ("place", "threshing floor", or "battlefield") and payattu ("exercise" or "practice")) is attributed by oral tradition to Parasurama and is among the world's oldest martial arts. The German production company The League of Good People is in talks with broadcasters about a TV series based on Crazy Frog. Several martial arts are also native in origin. Other products available include a board game, a desktop nodder, keyring, backpack, lunchbox and air freshener. Kerala's cuisine — pachakam — is typically served as a sadhya on green banana leaves; such spicy dishes as idli, payasam, pulisherry, puttucuddla, and puzhukku, rasam, and sambar are typical. These items are picked as big sellers for Christmas 2005, particularly the Annoying Thing Singing Plush which plays the ringtone when squeezed. Kerala has its own Malayalam calendar — this used for timing agricultural and religious activities. A recent string of Crazy Frog merchandise has been released in the UK [13] , under the name "The Annoying Thing" due to copyright and licensing restrictions.

The popular music of Kerala — as in the rest of India — is dominated by the filmi music of Indian cinema. Crazy Frog Racer, released in December 2005, is a racing game for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and PC[12]. Kerala also has various styles of folk and tribal music. On July 1, 2005, UK-based publishers Digital Jesters announced that they had acquired the rights to the video game licence for the Crazy Frog. Panchavadyam is a different form of percussion ensemble where up to one hundred artists use five types of percussion instruments. It reached #5 on the UK Albums Chart and #19 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Up to 150 musicians may comprise Melam ensembles, and performances may last up to four hours. Samples from the song are available on the Crazy Hits website.

Melam (including the paandi and panchari variants), is a more percussive style of music; it is performed at temple-centered festivals using the chenda. [11]. South India's carnatic tradition dominates Keralite classical music; this was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularization of the genre in the 19th century.^[51][52] Additionally, raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. An album entitled Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits was released on July 25, 2005. Kerala's music also has ancient roots. Main article: Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits. Later, such contemporary writers as Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy (whose 1996 semi-autobiographical bestseller The God of Small Things is set in the Kottayam town of Ayemenem) have garnered international recognition. Australian Singles Peak Positions.

Parameswara Iyer) are recognized for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics and towards a more lyrical mode. CD2 Of 2 (Import Not Released In The UK). The "triumvirate of poets" (Kavithrayam: Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This CD1 Of 2. Malayalam literature is ancient in origin, and includes such figures as the 14th century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), whose works mark the dawn of both modern Malayalam language and indigenous Keralite poetry. Popcorn (Crazy Frog song) CD1 Of 1. The men wear a lose piece of cloth around their waist called mundu, while the women wear a golden bordered strip of cloth called saree. CD3 Of 3 (DVD Import - Not Released In UK).

The clothing of malayali people are variations of the unstiched drape for both men and women. CD2 Of 3. Additionally, Malayalam cinema has provided Keralites an alternative to both Bollywood and Hollywood. Axel F CD1 Of 3. These people look to more contemporary art and performance styles, including those employing mimicry and parody. This song sampled the Crazy Frog sound. However, many of these artforms largely play to tourists or at youth festivals, and are not as popular among most ordinary Keralites. It reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart.

Native to Malabar, oppana combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalizations. was released in the UK. These include oppana, popular among Keralite Muslims. On June 27, 2005, a song called "Ring Ding Ding (Frog)" by L.O.C. Other arts are more religion- and tribal-themed. As the name suggests, this CD is about killing the Crazy Frog. Later, Kerala's culture was elaborated upon by centuries of contact with overseas lands.^[50] Native performing arts include koodiyattom, kathakali (from katha ("story") and kali ("performance")) and its offshoot Kerala natanam, koothu (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam ("dance of the enchantress"), thullal, padayani, and theyyam. Since the song did not appear in the top 250 of the UK Singles Chart, it is unclear whether the single was postponed, or simply failed to sell enough copies.

Kerala's culture is mainly Dravidian in origin, deriving from a greater Tamil culture region known as Thamizhagom. On June 20, 2005, a song called "Kill The Frog" by Frog Must Die was released in the UK. Indeed, a steadily aging population — 11.2% of Keralites are over age 60^[23] — and low birthrate^[37] makes Kerala (together with Cuba) one of the few regions of the Third World to have undergone the "demographic transition" characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway.^[24]. It reached #11 on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks after the Axel F version had charted. These propagate via gurukula discipleship.^[48] They comprise a fusion of both medicinal and supernatural treatments,^[49] and are partly responsible for drawing increasing numbers of medical tourists. The track is called "Ring Ding Ding," and was released on 6 June 2005. Aside from ayurveda (both elite and popular forms),^[46] siddha, and unani, many endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine — including kalari, marmachikitsa,^[47] and vishavaidyam — are practiced. Clips of the live action frog can be found here.

Kerala's above-unity female-to-male ratio — 1.058 — also distinguishes it from the rest of India.^[41][45] The same is true of its sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate of 12 per 1000 births.^[20] Indeed, the state's healthcare system has garnered international acclaim, with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) designating Kerala the world's first "baby-friendly state". On March 19, 2005, Pondlife held open auditions to find a live action Crazy Frog to star in their accompanying music video. This is the result of efforts begun before 1911 by Cochin and Travancore states to boost social welfare.^[42][43] This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.^[44][23][25] However, Kerala's unemployment and suicide rates are unusually high by Indian standards. The people behind this were radio DJs Wes Butters, Trevor Jordan and Daryl Denham along with studio-owner Maurice Cheetham. For example, Kerala's literacy rate — 91%^[41] — and life expectancy — 73 years^[41] — are now the highest in India. On February 17, 2005, a group of producers naming themselves Pondlife announced that the Crazy Frog would be released as a single. Kerala's social development indices — elimination of poverty, primary-level education, and healthcare — are among the best in India. It entered the Austrailian chart at #4 on 28 November [10] and in the UK Singles Chart at #5 on 18 December.

However, Christians, Muslims, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiri and Ezhava follow makkathayam, a patrilineal system.^[39] Kerala's gender relations are among the most equitable in India and the Third World.^[40] However, this too is coming under threat, this time from such forces as patriarchy-enforced effeminization of women, global capitalism, modernization, and "Sanskritization" (the subaltern poor's emulation of higher castes).^[38]. The Christmas single release for the Crazy Frog is a cover of "Jingle Bells" and also a cover of the MC Hammer single "U Can't Touch This". Nevertheless, there have been signs of increasing influences from religious extremist organisations.^[35][36] Kerala's society is also less patriarchical than the rest of the Third World.^[37][38] Many Keralites — especially the Nair caste — follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkatayam. Main article: Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism. It was released on August 22nd 2005 in the UK, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart. Kerala's people are most densely settled in the coastal region, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated.^[7] Kerala's principal religions are Hinduism (56.1%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19%),^[34] as well as remnants of a once substantial Cochin Jewish population — most of which made aliyah to Israel or emigrated to other First World nations. It is a remix of Gershon Kingsley original "Popcorn" from 1969 and best known as Hot Butter's hit from 1972.

Whereas Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 — adding 156 lakh (15.6 million) people to reach a total of 291 lakh (29.1 million) residents in 1991 — the population stood at less than 320 lakh (32 million) by 2001. The next official Crazy Frog single, "Popcorn", premiered on Top of the Pops in the UK. However, Kerala's population growth rate is far lower than the national average. Main article: Popcorn (Crazy Frog song). Kerala is home to 3.44% of India's people, and — at 819 persons per km²^[33] — its land is three times as densely settled as the rest of India. They also link to a site where you can batter the frog with a baseball bat. Kerala is also home to 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis (1.10% of the populace), who are mostly concentrated in the eastern districts.^[31][32] Malayalam is Kerala's official language; Tamil and various Adivasi languages are also spoken by ethnic minorities. The Register reports that iTunes has the single with an illustration of an emasculated frog.

Other than Dravidians, thousands of Arabs, Jews, Portuguese, Dutch, and British have settled in Kerala. Blobby and Bob The Builder were included. Virtually all of Kerala's 3.18 crore (31.8 million)^[30] people are of Malayali Dravidian ethnicity. Both VH1 and TMF have also omitted it from their Number Ones marathons, despite the fact that other chart-topping "annoying" novelty singles such as Mr. Kerala's unemployment rate is 19.2%,^[27] althought underemployment of those classified as "employed" is a significant problem.^[28][29]. Despite the song's popularity, the music video has received very little airplay in the UK. Tourism, manufacturing, and business process outsourcing comprise other significant economic sectors. The bounty hunter receives notification of a $50,000 reward for the capture of the Crazy Frog, who is only identified as "The most annoying thing in the world", a reference to Wernquist's original name for the creature.

Home gardens and animal husbandry also provide work for hundreds of thousands of people. The animation is set in the future and centers on the pursuit of the Crazy Frog by a bounty hunter. Some six hundred varieties^[6] of rice are harvested from 310,521 ha of paddy fields; 688,859 tonnes are produced per annum.^[26] Other key crops include coconut (899,198 ha), tea, coffee, rubber, cashew, and spices — including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The Ministry of Sound commissioned Kaktus Film and Erik Wernquist, the original creator of the Crazy Frog, to produce a full-length animated music video to accompany the release of "Axel F" and featuring the Crazy Frog character. Agriculture dominates Kerala's economy. As of the summer of 2005, the song remained in the Top Ten in many European music charts and #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. However, Kerala's Human Development Index and standard of living statistics are the nation's best.^[23] This seeming paradox is often dubbed the "Kerala phenomenon" or the "Kerala model" of development,^[24][25] and arises mainly from Kerala's unusually strong service sector. An example of this is Robert Mackle's "Crazy Frog vs Coldplay"[9], which parodied the chart drama between the two.

This has resulted in slow economic progress compared to neighbouring states, and relatively few major corporations and manufacturing plants choose to operate in Kerala.^[20] This is mitigated by the remittances of overseas Keralites contributing 20% of State Domestic Product (SDP) .^[21] Kerala's economic productivity and per capita GDP — 11,819 INR^[22] — lags behind that of the rest of India. This is the official song endorsed by Jamster! and actually samples the original sound; subsequent songs created their own samples of the sound. Kerala has a democratic socialist welfare economy. The single was released on May 23, 2005 and reached the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart ([8]), outselling the nearest contender, Coldplay, by three or four copies to one. Keralites, when compared to most other Indians, participate highly in the political arena. A German dance duo named Bass Bumpers made a dance single starring the Crazy Frog, mixed with Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F". Nevertheless, Kerala numbers among India’s most left-wing states. Main article: Axel F (Crazy Frog song).

At present, the UDF is the ruling party and Oommen Chandy is the current Chief Minister. In March 2005, anti-virus vendors discovered the W32/Crog.worm computer virus (a contraction of Crazy Frog), which spreads through file-sharing networks and MSN Messenger, exploiting the Crazy Frog's notoriety with a promise of an animation depicting his demise[6][7]. Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF — led by the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (led by the — Communist Party of India (Marxist)). On 21 September 2005, the ASA ruled that the Crazy Frog, along with other Jamba ringtone advertisements, must be shown after 9pm (pdf) [5]. In addition, auxilliary authorities — panchayats, for which elections are regularly held — govern local affairs. As the authority had already adjudicated on the matter and confirmed the matter was not within its remit, the unusual step was taken of adding a notice to their online and telephone complaints system informing viewers that Jamster!-related complaints should be directed towards the broadcaster or the regulator, Ofcom[3][4]. In turn, the Council of Ministers answers to the Legislative Assembly. (source: Media Guardian, 20 June 2005).

Lastly, the executive authority — composed of the Governor of Kerala (the de jure head of state and appointed by the President of India), the Chief Minister of Kerala (the de facto head of state; the Legislative Assembly's majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor), and the Council of Ministers (appointed by the Governor, with input from the Chief Minister). An estimated 10% of the population saw the advert more than 60 times. The judiciary is composed of an apex High Court of Kerala (including a Chief Justice combined with twenty-six permanent and two additional (pro tempore) justices) and a system of lower courts. 87% of the population saw the Crazy Frog adverts an average of 26 times, 15% of the adverts appeared twice during the same advertising break and 66% were in consecutive ad breaks. In turn, Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker (or the Deputy Speaker, if the Speaker is absent). According to The Guardian, Jamster bought 73,716 spots across all TV channels in May alone – an average of nearly 2,378 slots daily – at a cost of about £8 million, just under half of which was spent on ITV. The legislature — the Legislative Assembly — is composed of elected members as well as special offices (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by assemblymen. The intensity of the advertising was unprecedented in British television history.

There are three branches of government. In May 2005, viewers inundated the ASA with new complaints regarding the continuous airing of the latest Crazy Frog advertisements. Like other Indian states, Kerala is governed via a parliamentary system of representative democracy with universal suffrage granted to residents. It costs £3 a week to subscribe to Jamster!'s service. In lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as kadu (stinging catfish — Heteropneustes fossilis)^[18] and choottachi (orange chromide — Etroplus maculatus; valued as an aquarium specimen) can be found.^[19]. The complaints were upheld; the full adjudication (PDF) is available online. Kerala's birds are legion — Peafowl, the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis), Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Cormorant, and Jungle Myna are several emblematic species. Viewers felt that it was not made sufficiently clear that they were subscribing to a service, rather than paying a one-time fee for their ringtone.

Other flora includes bamboo, wild black pepper (Piper nigrum), wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm (Calamus rotang — a type of giant grass), and aromatic vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides).^[16] Among them, such fauna as Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), and Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Protoxerus stangeri).^[16][17] Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and crocodile. In April 2005, television viewers complained about misleading advertisements produced by Jamba!, trading as Jamster! and RingtoneKing. Here, sonokeling (binomial nomenclature: Dalbergia latifolia — Indian rosewood), anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), mullumurikku (Erthrina), and caussia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. complaints dismissed (PDF). Eastern Kerala’s windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. Similar action occurred in Australia, with similar results. These forests are protected by a decades-old blanket ban on clearfelling. The full adjudication (PDF) is available online.

Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.^[16] Two of the world’s Ramsar Convention-listed wetlands — Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands — are also in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km² of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. However, Jamba! voluntarily censored the character's genital area in later broadcasts of its advertisements. Its 9,400 km² of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations — 3,470 km²), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations — 4,100 km² and 100 km², respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations — 100 km²). The ASA did not uphold the complaints, pointing out that the advert was already classified as inappropriate for airing during children's television programmes as it contained a premium rate telephone number, and furthermore added that it was the broadcasters' decision as to how often an advertisement should be shown. Kerala harbours significant biodiversity,^[15] most of which is concentrated in the east. There were also complaints regarding the frequency with which the advertisement appeared on television, reportedly up to twice an hour across most of the day[2], with some channels showing it more than once per commercial break. The city of Ernakulam (on Ernakulam district's coast) is the state's judicial capital. Some parents complained that this made inappropriate viewing for children, claiming that the commercial had prompted embarrassing questions.

Kochi is the largest city and considered the commercial capital of the state. In February 2005, viewers submitted a number of complaints to the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority regarding Jamba!'s advertising campaign, complaining that Crazy Frog appeared to have genitalia. Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. Jamba! also have available "The Crazy Frog is Puking", "Crazy Frog and Its Girlfriend", in which he is apparently making out, and "The Crazy Frog is F**king", in which gasping and smacking skin can be heard. Mahe, a part of the union territory of Pondicherry, is an enclave within Kerala. These include the sitar-based "Crazy Frog India", reggae-flavoured "Crazy Frog Jamaica" and Jimmy Barnes-esque "Crazy Frog Australian Rock". Lastly, the Travancore region (southern Kerala) is composed of Idukki, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam (Quilon), and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). There is also a series of Crazy Frog World Tour tones featuring the Frog performing his usual vocalisations against backgrounds of various countries' musical styles.

Kochi (central Kerala) includes Thrissur (Trichur) and Ernakulam (Cochin) districts. Jamba! have also produced other successful animated creature ringtones, including Sweety the Chick and Nessie the Dragon, and produced other ringtones featuring the Crazy Frog including Crazy DJ Frog. Malabar (northern Kerala) includes (from north to south) Kasargod, Kannur (Cannanore), Wayanad (Wynad), Kozhikode (Calicut), Malappuram, and Palakkad (Palghat). Jamba! have earned an estimated £14 million from the ringtone ([1]), making it the most commercially successful ringtone of all time. The districts are distributed between Kerala's three historical regions: Malabar, Kochi, and Travancore. It soon became the most recognisable commercially available ringtone in the United Kingdom. Fourteen districts comprise Kerala. Jamba! (trading under names such as Jamster!, RingtoneKing, and others) accompanied the release of the ringtone with a barrage of advertising.

It is also prone to occassional droughts,^[11] as well as rises in sea level and cyclonic activity resulting from global warming.^[12][13] Kerala’s average maximum daily temperature is around 36.7 °C; the minumum is 19.8 °C.^[7] Mean annual temperatures range from between 25.0–27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to between 20.0–22.5 °C in the highlands.^[14]. In 2004, the Germany based Jamba! group (ultimately owned by VeriSign) licensed the animation and sound for distribution as a mobile phone ringtone. In summers, most of Kerala is prone to gale-force winds, storm surges, and torrential downpours accompanying dangerous cyclones coming in off the Indian Ocean. The character then disappears into the distance at high speed. As a result, Kerala averages some 120–140 rainy days per year. As the imaginary engine starts, the character begins to levitate as exhaust fumes are discharged from his body. Kerala's rains are mostly the result of seasonal monsoons. In the animation, the character imitates the hand movements required to rotate the twistgrip controls of a motorcycle while making the sound of an engine ignition.

Parts of Kerala's lowlands may average only 1,250 mm annually while the cool mountainous eastern highlands of Idukki district — comprising Kerala's wettest region — receive in excess of 5,000 mm of orographic precipitation (4,200 mm of which are available for human use) annually. Also present is a set of ambiguous but controversial genitalia. This compares to the all-India average of 1,197 mm. An upper right front tooth is missing. Kerala receives an average annual rainfall of 3,107 mm — some 70.3 km³ of water. His toes are webbed, and the iris of the left eye is significantly larger than that of the right. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. The character wears only a white motorcycle helmet with the chinstrap unfastened, a leather jacket, and goggles.

Kerala's climate is mainly wet and maritime tropical,^[10] heavily influenced by the seasonal heavy rains brought by the Southwest Summer Monsoon. The title character in The Annoying Thing is an anthropomorphic amphibian that is quite frog-like in appearance. Most of the remainder are small and entirely fed by monsoon rains.^[7] These conditions result in the nearly year-round waterlogging of such western regions as Kuttanad, 500 km² of which lie below sea level. Erik was convinced, and gave due credit to Daniel for his creation. Indeed, around 8% of India's waterways (measured by length) are found in Kerala.^[9] The most important of Kerala’s forty-four rivers include the Periyar (244 km in length), the Bharathapuzha (209 km), the Pamba (176 km), the Chaliyar (169 km), the Kadalundipuzha (130 km), and the Achankovil (128 km). He contacted Erik, apparently giving an impromptu performance to confirm his claims. Lake Vembanad — Kerala’s largest body of water — dominates the Backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is over 200 km² in area. Eventually, word reached Daniel that his impressions had been used in a now well-known animation.

Kerala’s western coastal belt is relatively flat, and is crisscrossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. The animation was a popular attraction at Erik's website, but the sound was credited to "Anonymous". Here, rolling hills and valleys dominate.^[7] Generally ranging between elevations of 250–1,000 m, the eastern portions of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills include such formations as Agastyamalai and Anamalai. Erik used the LightWave 3D modelling application to produce the animation and posted it on his website. Just west of the mountains lie the midland plains, comprising a swathe of land running along central Kerala. In 2003, Malmedahl's fellow Swede Erik Wernquist encountered the sound effect and was inspired to create the 3D animation "The Annoying Thing" to accompany it. The Western Ghats rises on average to 1,500 m elevation above sea level, while the highest peaks may reach to 2,500 m. The most notable example was the Insanity test, which required test subjects to keep a straight face while staring at a photograph of Rubens Barrichello in a Ferrari Formula 1 car as the sound effect was played.

Here, the Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad; here, a pass known as the Palakkad Gap breaks through to access the rest of India. The sound effect was quickly included in other Flash animations that spread virally among Internet users. Forty-one of Kerala’s west-flowing rivers — as well as three of its east-flowing ones — originate in this region. After Daniel's television debut, recordings of his performance began appearing on peer to peer file sharing networks and various websites under the filename "2TAKTARE.MP3" ("Tvåtaktare" is Swedish for "Two stroker"). Eastern Kerala lies immediately west of the Western Ghats's rain shadow; it consists of high mountains, gorges, and deep-cut valleys. He posted this on a website and caught the attention of a Swedish television researcher, who convinced Daniel to perform the sound live on air. Located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Kerala lies near the center of the Indian tectonic plate; as such most of the state (notwithstanding isolated regions) is subject to comparatively little seismic or volcanic activity.^[8] Geologically, pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene formations comprise the bulk of Kerala’s terrain. In 1997, 17-year-old Swede Daniel Malmedahl recorded himself impersonating the sounds produced by internal combustion engines.

These include the eastern highlands (rugged and cool mountainous terrain), the central midlands (rolling hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). . Geographically, Kerala roughly divides into three climatically distinct regions. Negotiations are also underway for a TV series based on the character. Kerala’s coast runs some 580 km in length, while the state itself varies between 35–120 km in width. The Crazy Frog has also spawned a range of merchandise and toys which were very popular for Christmas 2005. Situated between north latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and east longitudes 74°52' and 72°22',^[7] Kerala lies well within the humid tropics, near the equator. The album Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits and second single "Popcorn" continue to enjoy worldwide chart success.

Kerala’s 38,863 km² (1.18% of India’s landmass) are wedged between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats — identified as one of the world's twenty-five biodiversity hotspots^[6] — to the east. The Crazy Frog spawned a worldwide hit single with a remix of "Axel F", which reached the number one spot in the UK, Australia and most of Europe, although relatively unknown (aside from a few internet pop-up ads, and several commericals) in the United States. Subsequent radical reforms introduced by the Namboodiripad government favoured tenants and labourers — this facilitated, among other things, improvements in living standards, education, and life expectancies. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba! (known as Jamster! in some markets), the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl while attempting to imitate the sound of a two-stroke moped engine. Namboodiripad. Crazy Frog is a character used in the marketing of a ring tone based on 'The Annoying Thing', a computer animation created by Erik Wernquist. These resulted in a communist-led government^[4] — one of the world's first^[5] — headed by E.M.S. Article on negotiations.

Finally, the Government of India's 1956-11-01 States Reorganisation Act inaugurated a new state — Kerala — incorporating Malabar District, Travancore-Cochin, and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara.^[4] A new Legislative Assembly was also created, for which elections were held in 1957. Jingle Bells - #4. In the same time, the Madras Presidency became Madras State in 1947. Popcorn - #10. After India's independence in 1947, Travancore and Kochi were merged to form the province of Travancore-Cochin on July 1, 1949 — on 1950-01-26 (the date India became a republic), Travancore-Cochin was recognized as a state. Axel F - #1 (4 Weeks). Due to this pressure, outcastes were allowed admittance to temples across Kerala. Jingle Bells (U-Myx Format).

Kerala saw little mass defiance against the Raj — nevertheless, several rebellions occurred, including the October 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar revolt.^[3] Many mass actions instead protested such social mores as untouchability; these included the 1924 Vaikom Satyagraham. U Can't Touch This (U-Myx Format). Meanwhile, Malabar and South Kanara became part of the Madras Presidency. Jingle Bells (Video). The Raj then forged tributary alliances with Kochi (1791) and Travancore (1795). U Can't Touch This (Video). However, Tipu Sultan was ultimately forced to cede Malabar District and South Kanara, (including today’s Kasargod District) to the Raj in 1792 and 1799, respectively. Jingle Bells (Boucne Mix Instrumental).

Ali’s successor, Tipu Sultan, launched in the late 18th century numerous campaigns against the growing British Raj, resulting in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. U Can't Touch This (Boucne Mix Instrumental). Meanwhile, Mysore’s Hyder Ali conquered northern Kerala, capturing Kozhikode in 1766. Jingle Bells (Bounce Mix). In turn, the Dutch were ousted at the 1741 Battle of Kulachal by Marthanda Varma of Thiruvithamcoore (Travancore), who received aid from the British. U Can't Touch This (Bounce Mix). Later conflicts between the cities of Kozhikode (Calicut) and Kochi (Cochin), however, provided an opportunity for the Dutch oust the Portuguese. Jingle Bells (Resevoir Mix).

While seeking to convert Nasranis to Roman Catholicism, they also established fortresses and settlements, thereby ending an Arab trade monopoly. U Can't Touch This (Resevoir Mix). More than 1,100 years later, Vasco da Gama’s 1498-05-20 arrival inaugurated a period of Portuguese colonial administration, with the goal of controlling a lucrative spice trade. Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This (Medley Mix). Later, in 345 CE, Kerala’s Nasrani community was founded by Jewish Christian settlers under a Jewish merchant Knai Thomman. Jingle Bells (Club Vocal Mix). Later arrivals included Muslim Arab merchants in the 8th century, while a disputed theory has Christianity arriving with Apostle Thomas in 52 CE. U Can't Touch This (Video Mix).

In subsequent centuries, settlers from abroad established Kerala's Jewish community. Last Christmas (Album Exclusive). Later, figures such as Katyayana, Patanjali, Pliny the Elder, and the unknown author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea all displayed familiarity with Kerala. Jingle Bells (Radio Mix). In written records, Kerala was first mentioned in the Sanskrit epic Aitareya Aranyaka. U Can't Touch This (Album Mix). A Keralite identity, distinct from the Tamils and associated with the second Chera empire and the development of Malayalam, evolved during the 8th–14th centuries. Jingle Bells (U-Myx Format).

Allied with the Pallavas, they continually warred against the neighboring Chola and Pandya kingdoms. U Can't Touch This (Video). The ancient Chera empire, whose court language was Tamil, ruled Kerala from their capital at Vanchi and was the first major recorded kingdom. Jingle Bells (Video). Later, Kerala became a linguistically separate region by the early 14th century. I Like To Move It (Club Mix). These were produced by speakers of a proto-Tamil language.^[1] Thus, Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, ethnicity, and culture. Jingle Bells (Club Vocal Mix).

Legend states that Kerala was created by an act of Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu.^[1][2] Meanwhile, historians note the 10th century BCE emergence of prehistoric pottery and granite burial monuments — which resemble their counterparts in Western Europe and the rest of Asia. U Can't Touch This (Video Mix). . Jingle Bells (Radio Mix). Another theory has the name originating from the phrase chera alam ("land of the Chera"). Popcorn (Video). Natives of Kerala — "Keralites" — thus refer to their land as Keralam. Popcorn (Bounce Mix).

Accounts of the etymology underlying "Kerala" differ; according to the prevailing theory, it as an imperfect portmanteau that fuses kera ("coconut palm tree") and alam ("land" or "location"). Popcorn (Resevoir Instrumental Mix). More than a millennium of overseas contact and trade culminated in four centuries of struggle between and among multiple colonial powers and native Keralite states, a period whose end saw on January 11, 1956 the final formation of the modern-day state of Kerala. Popcorn (Resevoir Mix). Subsequent contact with the Mauryan Empire spurred development of new Keralite polities, including the Cheran kingdom and feudal Namboothiri Brahminical city-states. Popcorn (Radio Mix). Only then did tribes of megalith-building proto-Tamil speakers from northwestern India settle in Kerala. Axel F (Behind The Scenes Of The Video).

Prehistoric Kerala's rainforests and wetlands, then thick with malaria-bearing mosquitoes and man-eating tigers, were largely avoided by Neolithic humans; indeed, no evidence of habitation prior to around 1,000 BCE exists. Axel F (Making Of The Video). With a 73-year life expectancy and a 91% literacy rate, Kerala is also one of India's healthiest and best-educated states. Axel F (Video). With a population of around 3.18 crore (31.8 million) and 819 persons per km², Kerala is among India's most densely populated regions. Axel F (Bounce Mix). Kerala also envelops Mahé, a coastal exclave of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Axel F (Radio Mix).

Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to the east and northeast; to the west and south lie the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives, respectively. Axel F (Video). Kerala (IPA: ['kɛrʌɹlʌ]; Malayalam: കേരളം — Keralam) is a state on the southwestern tropical Malabar Coast of India. Axel F (Resevoir Frogs Mix). Axel F (Bounce Mix Instrumental). Axel F (Bounce Mix).

Axel F (Radio Mix). Information. L.O.C. Announcing auditions.

Press release. Single website. Crazy Frog battered in net orgy of violence. iTunes emasculates Crazy Frog.

Press release, including sound clips. Single website. The official Crazy Frog Axel F website.