Folk Dance - Ghoomar or Gangore

It is a traditional folk dance performed by the women of the Bhil tribe in Rajasthan. It is characterised by the pirouetting movements of the women, which brings into prominence the multi-coloured vibrancies of the flowing Ghaghra.

Folk Dance - Tarangamel

It is the folk dance of Goa that celebrates the youthfulness of the region. It is performed during Dussehra and Holi. The use of rainbow-like costumes with multi-coloured flags and streamers make it a visual spectacle.

Folk Dance - Garba

Garba is a popular folk dance of Gujarat, held at the time of Navaratra. Garba actually refers to “Garbha deep” - an earthen pot with holes, in which a lamp is lit and women dance around it in circular movements with rhythmic clapping.

Folk Dance - Chhau

The word Chhau originates from ‘Chhaya’ meaning shadow. It is a form of mask dance that uses vigourous martial movements to narrate mythological stories. Some narrations also use natural themes such as Sarpa nritya (serpent dance) or Mayur Nritya (peacock dance). 

There are three main styles of Chhau dance – Saraikella Chhau in Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj Chhau in Odisha and Purulia Chhau in West Bengal. Of these, Mayurbhanj Chhau artists don’t wear masks.

In 2010, UNESCO inscribed Chhau in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Haveli Sangeet

This genre of music developed mostly in Rajasthan and Gujarat but now is seen in many parts of the country. It was originally meant to be sung in the temple premises but now are performed outside of

the temple. It is currently practised by a community known as the Pushtimarg Sampradaya or the community that believes in Pushtimarg as the way to salvation.

Gana Sangeet

This is the form of fusion music that is sung in chorus or groups and in large numbers. The most common form of Gana Sangeet is to sing about patriotic feelings. They also include songs of protest against the malpractices in the society. They generally try to bring in a social message, for example, to urge people to stop the exploitation of women and children etc. One of the most popular examples of Gana Sangeet is our national song: Vande Mataram, which is sung in praise of the nation.

 

Rabindra Sangeet

This is one of the most famous forms of composing music in Bengal.

 It recreates the music produced by the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The music is a mixture of classical elements and Bengali folk strains. There are more than 2000 Rabindra Sangeet presently sung and performed by music lovers in Bengal. The themes of this sangeet range from worship of the one true god, devotion to nature and its beauty, love and a celebration of life. One of the most prominent emotions in the Rabindra Sangeet was also the strain of patriotism and to keep one’s nation above one’s own needs.

Sugam Sangeet

This is the genre of devotional music, which brings classical and folk together. This takes cue from earlier forms of music like Prabandha Sangeet and Dhruvapada as they were all devotional in nature too. There are sub-categories in this genre: 

Bhajan

They are one of the most popular types of devotional singing present in north India. It owes its origin to Bhakti movement, as the saints would take the message of god to the people through oral means, i.e., through singing hymns. The lyrics are set to simple melodies, generally sung in one or more raga. The stories from the life of the god and goddess or from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana are popular subjects for bhajans.

The Bhajans are usually accompanied by musical instruments like the chimta, dholak, dhaphli and manjira. The major expounders of the bhajans in the medieval period were Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Kabir, etc. Currently, people get together in temples or even concerts like functions at home to sing devotional music. Amongst the most famous bhajan singers of all times are Anup Jalota and Anuradha Paudwal.

Shabad

With the rise of Sikhism, we saw many devotional songs dedicated to the gurus were sung in the Gurudwaras. Historians suggest that Guru Nanak and his disciple Mardana were responsible for the development and popularity of Shabd. Currently, there are three types of Shabad singing, raga-based Shabad singing; traditional shabds as mentioned in the Adi Granth and the lighter ones. Now-adays, the Singh Bandhus - Tejpal Singh, Surinder Singh and Bhai Santa Singh are amongst the best-known Shabad singers.

Qawwali

This is also a kind of devotional music as they are in praise of the Allah or the Prophet Muhammad or any other major Sufi or Islamic saint.

 It is composed in a single raga and is generally written in Urdu, Punjabi or Hindi. Some words of Brajbhasa and Awadhi are also used.

They are performed in Sufi shrines.

Qawwali is usually sung as a solo or in groups of two leads singers and a team comprises of around eight members.

 Musical instruments like tabla, dholak and harmonium are used. The intensity or tempo gradually builds up, seeking to induce transcendental state.

 It is said that Amir Khusrau can be credited with the origin of Qawwali but it is severely disputed. Major Qawwals are the Sabri Brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Aziz Warisi etc.

 

Folk - Powada

This is also a folk type emerging from the state of Maharashtra. They are usually ballads sung for the heros of the past like Shivaji. These songs describe the events of their glorious past and their heroic deeds.

Folk Dance - Dandiya

Raas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Gujarat and is associated with scenes of Holi and lila of Krishna and Radha at Vrindavan. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India.

 There are several forms of Raas, but “Dandiya Raas”, performed during Navaratri in Gujarat is the most popular form. Other forms of Raas include Dang Lila from Rajasthan where only one large stick is used, and “Rasa lila” from North India. Raas Lila and Dandiya Raas are similar. Some even consider “Garba” as a form of Raas, namely “Raas Garba”. In Dandiya Raas men and women dance in two circles, with sticks in their hands.

 

Folk Music - Maand

This folk music is from the state of Rajasthan. It is said to have developed in the royal courts and hence is also recognised in the classical circles. This is neither accepted as a full-fledged Raga nor is it reckoned among the freely rendered folk songs. The songs are usually about the bards singing the glory of the Rajput rulers. It is near to Thumri or Ghazal. The famous song Kesariya Balam is in Maand style.

 

Folk Music - Pai Song

These songs are mostly from Madhya Pradesh. They are sung during the festivals, especially those festivals that fall during the rainy season. These songs generally plead for a ‘good monsoon and a good harvest’ as these are the songs of the farmer communities.

 Generally, the Saira dance is performed on Pai music. 

Folk Music - Ovi

This form of music is from Maharashtra and Goa. They are usually the songs of women i.e., they are sung by women during leisure time and when they are completing their household work. They usually contain four small lines of poetry. These are usually songs written for marriages, pregnancy and as lullabies for children. 

Folk Music - Panihari

This form is from the State of Rajasthan and is thematically related to water. The songs are generally about women fetching water from the nearby well and carrying the water back to their households in matkas over their head. The songs are usually about the scarcity of water and the long distance between the well and the village.

Sometimes the songs also talk about the daily concerns of the village women who are clustered near the village well.

Some other time, the songs also concentrate on a chance encounter between lovers, hence they are also romantic in nature. They also talk about the contentious relationship between the mother in law and the daughter in law.

Link to watch video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yhQfDX1Djk

Folk Music - Alha

This form is from Madhya Pradesh and is a heroic ballad song with intricate words. It is usually sung in different languages like Braj, Awadhi and Bhojpuri. This form is also related to the epic Mahabharata as they try to glorify the heroes who are seen as the reincarnations of the Pandavas. The five brothers of the Pandavas are substituted here as Alha, Udal, Malkhan, Lakhan and Deva.

Folk Music - Pandavani

This type of folk music is based on the grand epic-Mahabharata and Bhima as hero. It is all inclusive of gayan (singing) and vadan (playing an instrument). Usually the songs are set to the rhythm of a tambura. One of the most well known artists is Tijanbai from the state of Chhattisgarh who won the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan for her contribution to this musical field.

 

Folk Music - Wanawan

It is the folk music from the State of Kashmir. It is specially sung during wedding ceremonies and is considered very auspicious.

Folk Music - Baul

It is not only a type of music but a Bengali religious sect. The music of the Bauls, Baul Sangeet, is a particular type of folk song. Its lyrics carry influences of the Hindu Bhakti movements and the Suphi, a form of Sufi song exemplified by the songs of Kabir and is called ‘Baul Gaan’ or Baul song.

Their music represents a long heritage of preaching mysticism through songs in Bengal, as in the Shahebdhoni or Bolahadi sects.

The prominent propounder of this music is: Yotin Das, Purno Chandra Das, Lalon Phakir, Naboni Das and Sanatan Das Thakur Baul.

Gharana System

A gharana is a system of social organisation linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style.

The word gharana comes from the Urdu/Hindi word ‘ghar’, which means ‘family’ or ‘house’. It typically refers to the place where the musical ideology originated.

A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology and differentiates one school from another.

It directly affects the thinking, teaching, performance and appreciation of music.

Some of the gharanas well known for singing Hindustani classical music are: Agra, Gwalior, Indore, Jaipur, Kirana, and Patiala.

Indian Music and Culture - Thaat

Thaat is a system of classification of the ragas in different groups.

Presently, in Hindustani classical music, 10-Thaat classification has been adopted. According to V.N Bhatkhande, one of the most important musicologists in the field of North Indian classical music, each one of the several traditional ragas is based on, or is a variation of 10 basic thaats or musical scales or frameworks. A thaat can only be sung in aaroha as the notes are composed in the ascending order.

A thaat should have seven notes out of the 12 notes (7 Suddha Swaras and 5 Vikrata Swaras) and they should necessarily be placed in an ascending order. The 10 thaats are: Bilawal, Khamaj, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi, Bhairav, Kalyan, Marwa, Poorvi and Todi. Thaat has no emotional quality unlike raga and it is not sung. The ragas produced from the thaat are sung.