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Home , Folk music of Punjab, Langha (tribe), Mewat, Music of Punjab, Music of Rajasthan

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lIn North Western and , shehnai is considered to be the musical instrument announcing a wedding procession. Its South Indian counterpart is nadaswaram. In Northwestern India, a (drum) is generally played. lWedding songs are primarily sung by women with almost no accompanying instrument. lWomen most often classify wedding songs according to the name of the ritual or ritual stage in which they will be sung. lAmong all the pre wedding celebrations sangeet ceremony also known as 'gaun' is the most enjoyable one. Earlier, the custom of gaun used to last for ten days, now reduced to an over-night function. The bride & the groom's relatives and friends play the dholki and sing suhaag. Songs include 'jokes' about the in-laws, would-be and how to have a successful marriage. lFor a wedding almost anywhere in Nepal, a panchai baja- a raucous band of kettledrums, cymbals and , massive C- shaped horns- is indispensable, so much so that “they got married without panchai baja” is a euphemism for living together. lThe traditional dance for a sangeet ceremony in is Garba, and dandia raas, which is dancing with sticks while in , these dances are known as Shagun-Lagun and . Folk Festival Of Nuptial Songs lFolksong and literary poetry of Bihar called Naccri and 25th & 26th August Mahesbani refer to the wedding of Shiv-Parvati.

For more details, please contact Programme Desk at 43663080/ 90 Cover Inside Pg1

IHC Lok Sangeet Sammelan

Birth marriage and death are inextricably woven in the pattern of the folk customs and tradition.The cultural cycle commences at conception, passes through birth and marriage, and continues even after death. This year's folk Festival - Shagun Lagun- looks at the music traditions of wedding songs. In all communities all over India, we can find a song for every occasion of the wedding- whether it is relating to the beauty of the bride or the ugliness of the groom, or even the mare which will carry the groom to the palanquin bearers. In this festival we bring to you music of the neighboring states of Bihar and UP on the 25th of August and and Punjab on 26th. Inspite of having several similarities in terms of customs and rituals, the songs differ in content and tunes vary. A host of rituals follow several days both before and after the actual marriage ceremony in all these regions and there is a song by the hour almost.

Interestingly, folk songs for weddings are primarily women's songs with little or no musical accompaniment. Women sing along as they go around with the elaborate preparations and the rituals to be followed one after the other. The women sing songs mainly to rejoice but it also certainly takes off the tensions and apprehensions in the minds of the parents of the bride-to-be, as also the bride and the groom. In the good old days when there were no CDs , this was perhaps the only way of enlivening the atmosphere and to get everyone into the mood.

Sharda Sinha, the renowned exponent of Maithili and Bhojpuri folk songs from Bihar brings us her rich repertoire of much loved traditional wedding songs on 25th while Vanasthali Vrind from Rajasthan and Saida Begum from Punjab perform on 26th of August. Pg2 Pg3

25th Aug|7:00pm

Sharda Sinha

Sharda Sinha is fondly known as Bihar kokila and not With her debut performance of the Maithili song Dularua without cause. Reputed for bringing Maithili and Bhaiya, she raised a storm which heralded the dawn of a Bhojpuri folk songs into popularity, this exponent of folk new era in the realm of folk music. A tribute to has brought this neglected part of our cultural Kokil Vidyapati (HMV-1983) made her famous even in heritage the dignity it deserves. She has received Padma the distant countries like Russia, China, the UK and the Shri and Akademi Puraskar for her USA. During her tours of Mauritius, Surinam, Germany, contribution to music. She has sung in many movies such Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Egypt, Sharda as Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, the latest Sinha charmed millions of rural folk and city-bred elites being Gangs Of Wasseypur II. Her albums include Dulhin, alike with her subtle artistry and mellifluous voice. Pirittiya and Mehndi. Bhojpuri Films Mayee, Bolbum, Dagabaz Balma, Sohagan Bana Da Sajna Hamar & Awards and honours include Lok Kala Shri, Bihar Gaurav, Deswa have further endeared her to countless people in Bihar Ratna and Bhojpuri Ratna, Lok Ratna, Kabeer India Samman, Bhojpuri Ratna, Sangeet Gourav, Vibhuti Samman, Ambedkar Cultural Award, Bhartendu Harish Sharda Sinha was initiated into the Chandra Samman, Subhash Chandra Bose samman and by the Late Pt. Raghu Jha, an eminent khayal singer of Rashtriya Devi Ahilya Samman by the Govt. of Madhya Panchgachhiya Gharana. She further trained under Late Pradesh amongst a host of other such honours. Pt. Sitaram Hri Dandekar and Panna Devi, a and exponent. To acknowledge her contribution to folk music, the Govt. of Bihar nominated her to the Executive Body of Bihar Rajya Kala Academy in 1982 and in 1987 the Govt. of India nominated her to the Governing Body of the N.C.Z.C.C. Allahabad. She is at present a member of the Advisory Committee of various government bodies. A Top Grade Artist of Akashwani, Sharda Sinha is the Head of the Department of Music, Women's College, Samastipur. Pg4 Pg5

Folk Music of Bihar And The musical culture of Bihar (Maithili) and eastern Uttar Pradesh (Bhojpuri) have many similarities: the monodic singing in free rhythm; the importance of singing at rituals related to birth, wedding and festivals; the dissimilarity of men's and women's song repertoires; the importance of the Ram and Krishna lore; and the presence of lore of other deities . Lagan - refers to a period reckoned by an astrologer as Differences exist mainly due to tendencies that distinguish suitable for a wedding. Women sing these songs while Maithil culture from that of other parts of India. In grinding wheat on the handmill in the days before a Maithil eyes Sita is a Maithil and Ram is an Awadhi- from wedding. the region around Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and thus an outsider. sympathise with Sita for being a victim Samdaun - corresponds to the vidai or gauna ke git of of Ram's mistreatment. Sita, in Maithil songs has a dual Bhojpuri-speaking India. The texts of samdaun concern meaning- the girl who weds Ram, and also stands for the plight of the bride. A majority of the samdauns refer to daughter. Janakpur, likewise refers to where Sita lived the wedding of Sita, the archetypal pitiful bride. before marriage or to the bride's home. Unlike the Bhojpuris, they do not accompany their songs with any Udasi - meaning sad in Maithili, is sung when the groom musical instrument. Tunes, of course are very different. leaves the bride's house after the wedding, generally without the bride. This stage of the wedding is now often Maithili folk songs omitted. Bhojpuri, Magadhi and Maithili are the three main dialects spoken in Bihar. Maithili is the language of Kumar - kumars songs describe different scenes occurring before the actual wedding. Mithila, a cultural region of two historical dynasties but no longer a distinct political entity, its literary history dating Kanyadan songs - The stage of the wedding when the back to 14th century AD. Names of the principal genres bride is bestowed upon the groom of this poetry are the same as some of the "folksong" genres - The samar songs, sung after the kanyadan, still sung by unlettered and untrained singers today, such Samar describe heroic feats such as the bow-stringing contest at as sammara, batagamani, and samdauni. which Ram won Sita. - a part of the actual wedding rites taking place Athongar - songs sung while grind-ing grain. at night. In this ritual the groom stands with seven other Lagan men (ath means eight in Maithili) in a circle around the Sohar - includes three sub-types: kilauna ("toy"), which is rice-husking mortar. "humorous and joyful, in a lighter vein"; badhava, which is a song of congratulations; and sohar. It may be sung on J songs are sung when the groom, not having eaten salt og - the birth of a son or daughter, or on birth-related calendric in his food since his first meal at the bride's home where rites as auspicious music. the wedding takes place, is once again allowed to eat salted food on the fourth and last day of a traditional wedding. Gosaun - In Mithila, ideally every song session should begin with a gosaun. They are also sung in worship of the - a preliminary wedding rite when turmeric is Ubtan family's preferred goddess, whose image is kept in a special ritual-ly rubbed on the bride or the groom. room in the home called gosauni ghar. Pg6 Pg7

Haldi 26th Aug|7:00pm Age mai hardi hardiya dubh patar na

Age mai kaune baba hardi chadahavela na Age mai hardi hardiya……. Age mai baba se baba apan baba na Age maiuhe baba hardi chadhavela na

Age mai kaune chacha hardi chadhavela na Age mai hardi hardiya……. Age mai chacha se chacha pana chacha na Saeeda Begum belongs to the community and lives Age mai uhe chacha hardi chadhavela na in the town of Shahkot, near Jullandar. She started learning classical music under her father Bashir Age mai kaune bhaiya hardi chadhavela na Mohammad from a very young age. Her repertoire Age mai hardi hardiya……. includes folk songs of Punjab, especially songs for festive Age mai bhaiya se bhaiya pana bhaiya na occasions like marriages. Gifted with a powerful voice, she Age mai uhe bhaiya hardi chadhavela na has enthralled audiences with her Sufi renditions, Sufi poetry and kissa sahitya. She has performed all over India in major Sufi festivals and also is a much sought after performer at festivals and marriages in Punjab. She is also well versed in Hindustani khayal gayaki.

Chorus- Sandeep & Kamal Dholak- Kaka Tabla- Sonu Octopad- Raju Pg8 Pg9

Folk Suhaag - devi ve babul os ghare A Punjabi wedding is a musical celebration. Indian jithe sass bhali pardhan, sahura sardar hove Punjabi weddings are famous across the world for their rich dah behndi peeda sahmne ve customs, fun-filled ceremonies, colour and frolic, which mathe na paundi vatt are woven into the community's socio-cultural fabric. A babal tera punn hove Punjabi wedding song has almost become a necessity for tera hovega vad da jass, babul tera punn hove Bollywood movies to make it to the charts with their devi ve babul os ghare rankings. The wedding songs handed down from one jithe sass de bahlde putt generation to the next capture the essence of that very ik mangia, ik viyahia ve festivity. The songs draw literature from the folk traditions main shaadian vekhan nitt babu tera punn hove, tera of Punjab and include songs for each custom - suhaag, hovega vad da jass! chakki chungna, chura, vatna, ghodi, vidaai, baar rukai, paani vaarna and many others. Shagan, Mehndi, Sangeet, Vatna, Sehra, Doli are other customs for which there is a song to sing. Other categories of songs include Sithdiyan, Chand, Tappa.

- These songs are sung when the bride's household Suhag The folk instruments used to accompany Punjabi folk starts preparing for her wedding. music reflect a cultural contiguity extending right across - The mehendi songs relate to the day before the Mehndi the length and breadth of Asia, material proof of wedding when mehendi is applied. These songs weave in influences from as far away as Greece and China. mocking jokes about the groom, his family and relatives. Research, indicates that out of 87 instruments used by - All relatives and friends of the groom Kala Doriya Punjab's folk musicians during the past century, 55 are and the bride come together and sing songs to tease the still intact, 13 can be described as vanishing and 19 are bride, the groom and the relatives in the families on long since gone. Some of these instruments survive in both sides. Such light, fun-filled songs bring both the folk orchestras, others have been adapted to the families closer and make the wedding eventful. needs of the times. Some instruments like the taus are very beautiful but, with few players, are relegated to museums.

Supported by: Punjabi Academy Pg10 Pg11

26th Aug|8:00pm

Vanasthali Vrind Folk

Rajasthan is home to over two hundred ethnic groups which reside in thirty thousand villages, and away from the madding crowd of the urban centers, cherish the glory of their age old cultural traditions handed down to them from generation to generation. In tune with the great variegation in its cultural regions and ethnic composition, the music of Rajasthan leaves no one untouched. Tradition divides Rajasthan into several cultural regions; Dhundar, Mewat, Haruti, & . The names of many other regions are now going out of use. Each of these regions has their own music and culture.

The Vanansthali Vrind is a folk ensemble initiated by the Popular wedding songs include Banada (Bridegroom), Vanasthali Vidyapith in Rajasthan. Since the inception of Janwai (son-in-law), Olyun (memory), Jalal (songs based the Vidyapith in 1935, a conscious effort was made to on the love story of Jalal-Bubaba), Badhawa (songs sung preserve and promote the rich and varied folk songs and on festive and other auspicious occasions), Ghodi (sung at dances of Rajasthan by training artists of the younger the time when the bridegroom rides a mare), Bhat (songs generation. Whether it is classical music or folk dance, the on a ceremony connected with marriage), Ratijago (songs institute has been instrumental in preparing artists strike sung during the night in marriage ceremonies) and lastly, against the changing times. All forms of art including folk Bidai songs, relating to daughter`s departure from the traditions of wall art and floor art and related music and parental home. theory is taught since in folk culture, they are all inter- Naupat - This instrument,played related with each festival, ritual or custom. during marriage ceremonies consists of two drums: Nagada- Anjali Sharma, Pooja Pandey, Tripti Agrawal, Vocal:- the male form; Jheel- the Latika, Sucheta female form. Ras Bihari Das, Hari Mohan Accompanist:- T h e L a n g h a a n d Chakraborti, Shyam Kumar, Piyush Rao, are both Instruments:- Sahanai, Chung, Harmonium, Nangada, communities of folk Dhol, Dholak, Manjira musicians, sub-divided Pg12 Back Inside

on the basis of musical instruments they play. Sonia Women's Singing Traditions Today Langha play the shanai at wedding ceremonies, and the Traditionally, women would sing a special song for each of Sarengia play the sarangee. the many ritual stages of a wedding but weddings of today At times of birth, marriage or any family festivity, the are much condensed events. Expenses are undoubtedly a langha musicians are in attendance to evoke the right factor. Secondly, not all women in a family these days mood with songs of the desert and specially composed would know the songs to be sung. Not being sure of words , songs to praise the patron and his family. During the last the whole joy of singing together is lost. Traditional fifteen years, many Langha have become part of the women's singing has been further smothered of late, by entertainment industry, and have toured the world as part amplified music. Women's singing is mentioned in Tulsi of the “Festival of India” tours organized by the Indian Das' Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas. Even then it may have government. co-existed with instrumental music, for example, a single Though Manganiar and Langhas communities are drum which served first to signal neighbors or passers-by Muslim, many Manganiar songs are in praise of Hindu of the event and also to enhance the festivity of the event. deities and celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Probably the next instrument to overlay women's singing . The Manganiar performers traditionally invoke the was the shehnai or other horns & drums like digari and Hindu God Krishna and seek his blessing before khurdag. beginning their recital. Then came the brass band later "enhanced" by the There are several categories of folk songs to be found in generator. The sound can be heard from a great distance. Rajasthan. In 1970's disc jockeys came into vogue for weddings and Haras and Jin depict affectionate relationship between a with the advent of cassettes the amount of amplified re- brother and a sister. Religious folk songs are known as corded music increased. In rural India, oxcarts toting Sabad, or Harjas. Many go by the names of their blaring amplified tape players have replaced the band in the composers. Folk songs on folk gods such as Ramdevji, groom's party. Gogoji and Pabuji are very popular. Daph (tambourine, Thus women's singing must now compete both with songs sung to its accompaniment during Holi are also amplified band and amplified music. This may be seen as a known as ). & songs are for the Dhamal Gangaur Tij facet of the modern problem: Will we manage technology festival by the same name. in a way to improve the quality of human life, or allow it to ultimately lower the quality of human existence? Women's group singing has numerous apparent benefits. Like all singing, it can be a unique source of personal gratification. Current songs give life meaning. Older songs allow the present to be better understood by looking at the past. Group singing unifies a group of people through shared meaning and joint behavior. Today in India when folk music dies, nothing replaces it. In just a few decades centuries old songs and singing institutions that unify social life and give it meaning and scope for creativity can be lost forever.