Back Cover lIn North Western India and Pakistan, shehnai is considered to be the musical instrument announcing a wedding procession. Its South Indian counterpart is nadaswaram. In Northwestern India, a dhol (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 Gujarat is Garba, and dandia raas, which is dancing with sticks while in Punjab, these dances are known as Shagun-Lagun Giddha and Bhangra . 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 music 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 Rajasthan 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 Maithili music 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 Sangeet Natak 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, Mithila Vibhuti Samman, Ambedkar Cultural Award, Bhartendu Harish Sharda Sinha was initiated into the Indian classical music 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 thumri and dadra 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 Uttar Pradesh 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. Maithils 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 Mirasi 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.