Indian folk music
Encyclopedia
Indian folk music is diverse because of India's vast cultural diversity. It has many forms including bhangra, lavani
, dandiya
and Rajasthani. The arrival of movies
and pop music
weakened folk music's popularity, but cheaply recordable music has made it easier to find and helped revive the traditions. Folk music (desi
) has been influential on classical music, which is viewed as a higher art form. Instruments and styles have influenced classical ragas. It is also not uncommon for major writers, saints and poets to have large musical libraries and traditions to their name, often sung in thumri
(semi-classical) style. Most of the folk music of India is dance-oriented.
. This genre may be called by different names in other languages.
Kannada
Bhavageete draws from the poetry of modern, including Kuvempu
, D.R. Bendre, Gopalakrishna Adiga
, K.S. Narasimhaswamy, G.S. Shivarudrappa, K. S. Nissar Ahmed
, N S Lakshminarayana Bhatta etc. Notable Bhavageete performers include P. Kalinga Rao
, Mysore Ananthaswamy
, C. Aswath
, Shimoga Subbanna
, Archana Udupa
, Raju Ananthaswamy etc.
-oriented folk music
of Punjab
that has become a pop
sensation in the United Kingdom
. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance of Punjab
called by the same name, "Bhangra". The female dance of Punjab region
is known as Giddha
(Punjabi: ਗਿੱਧਾ).
is a popular folk form of Maharashtra
. Traditionally, the songs are sung by female artists, but male artists may occasionally sing Lavani
s. The dance format associated with Lavani
is known as Tamasha
.
. Thus the songs of Uttarakhand
are a true reflection of the Cultural Heritage and the way people live their lives in the Himalayas. Musical instruments used in Uttarakhand music include the dhol, damoun, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora and masakbhaja. Tabla and harmonium are also used, but to a lesser extent. The main languages are Kumaoni and Garhwali
.
is a form of dance-oriented folk music that has also been adapted for pop music worldwide, popular in Western India, especially during Navaratri. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance of Dandiya
called by the same name, dandiya.
musical accompaniment and Bhima as hero.
This form of folk theatre is popular in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and in the neighbouring tribal areas of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
has a diverse collection of musician caste
s, including langa
s, sapera, bhopa, jogi and Manganiar
s of Bengal
were an order of musicians in 18th, 19th and early 20th century India who played a form of music using a khamak, ektara
and dotara. The word Baul comes from Sanskrit batul meaning divinely inspired insanity. They are a group of Hindu
mystic minstrels. They are thought to have been influenced greatly by the Hindu tantric sect of the Kartabhajas as well as by Sufi sects. Bauls travel in search of the internal ideal, Maner Manush (Man of the Heart).
it is sung in the honour of god krishna,hanuman,ram,etc..
Veeragase
'Veeragase is a dance folk form prevalent in the state of Karnataka, India. It is a vigorous dance based on Hindu mythology and involves very intense energy-sapping dance movements. Veeragase is one of the dances demonstrated in the Dasara procession held in Mysore.
It is also sung in Rajasthan.
Lavani
Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of Dholak, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm and...
, dandiya
Dandiya
Raas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Vrindavan, India, where it is performed depicting scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India.-Etymology:...
and Rajasthani. The arrival of movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
weakened folk music's popularity, but cheaply recordable music has made it easier to find and helped revive the traditions. Folk music (desi
Desi
Desi or Deshi refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh...
) has been influential on classical music, which is viewed as a higher art form. Instruments and styles have influenced classical ragas. It is also not uncommon for major writers, saints and poets to have large musical libraries and traditions to their name, often sung in thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
(semi-classical) style. Most of the folk music of India is dance-oriented.
Bhavageete
Bhavageete (literally 'emotion poetry') is a form of expressionist poetry and light music. Most of the poetry sung in this genre pertain to subjects like love, nature, philosophy etc, and the genre itself is not much different from Ghazals, though ghazals are bound to a peculiar metre. This genre is quite popular in many parts of India, notably in KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. This genre may be called by different names in other languages.
Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
Bhavageete draws from the poetry of modern, including Kuvempu
Kuvempu
Kuppali Venkatappagowda Puttappa was a Kannada writer and poet, widely regarded as the greatest poet of 20th century Kannada literature. He is the first among eight recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada. Puttappa wrote all his literary works using the pen name Kuvempu...
, D.R. Bendre, Gopalakrishna Adiga
Gopalakrishna Adiga
Mogeri Gopalakrishna Adiga was one of the majors figures in modern Kannada poetry. He is known as the "pioneer of New style" poetry.-Early life:...
, K.S. Narasimhaswamy, G.S. Shivarudrappa, K. S. Nissar Ahmed
K. S. Nissar Ahmed
K.S. Nissar Ahmed is a prominent Indian poet and writer in Kannada language. His full name is Kokkare Hosahalli Shekar Nissar Ahmed. His father K.S. Haider was a sanitary inspector and a teacher before joining the Revenue Department in Bangalore...
, N S Lakshminarayana Bhatta etc. Notable Bhavageete performers include P. Kalinga Rao
P. Kalinga Rao
Pandeshwara Kalinga Rao was a Bhavageete and Sugama Sangeetha singer and composer in the Kannada language who was known as the "Monarch of light music in Kannada" He popularised Kannada Bhavageete, a form of music which derives lyrics from popular poetry and devotional works...
, Mysore Ananthaswamy
Mysore Ananthaswamy
Mysore Ananthaswamy was a classical Indian vocalist; a singer of Kannada Sugama Sangeetha. He set many poems of well known Kannada poets to music and popularised them throughout Karnataka...
, C. Aswath
C. Aswath
C. Aswath was an Indian music composer and exponent of Bhavageete in the Kannada language. He was also a singer, and had sung many of his own compositions. He was credited with singing Bhavageete songs and making sure that they reached the common man. He died on 29 December 2009 on his 70th...
, Shimoga Subbanna
Shimoga Subbanna
Shimoga Subbanna is a Sugama Sangeetha singer and playback singer in the Kannada language. He received a national award for singing for the song Kaadu Kudure Odi Banditta in the film Kaadu Kudure. He is the first Kannadiga to win National Award for playback singing...
, Archana Udupa
Archana Udupa
Archana Udupa is famous female singer of Kannada and also Hindi. She sings devotional, classical and film songs. She is graded artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. She has won Zee TV TVS Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contest of singing in 1999. Archana Udupa is the first person of south Indian origin to...
, Raju Ananthaswamy etc.
Bhangra
Bhangra (Punjabi: ਭੰਗੜਾ) is a form of danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
-oriented folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
that has become a pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
sensation in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
called by the same name, "Bhangra". The female dance of Punjab region
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
is known as Giddha
Giddha
About the Folk dance=Giddha is a popular folk dance of women in Punjab region of India and Pakistan. The dance is often considered derived from the ancient dance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic as Bhangra; at the same time it manages to creatively display feminine grace, elegance...
(Punjabi: ਗਿੱਧਾ).
Lavani
LavaniLavani
Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of Dholak, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm and...
is a popular folk form of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. Traditionally, the songs are sung by female artists, but male artists may occasionally sing Lavani
Lavani
Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of Dholak, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm and...
s. The dance format associated with Lavani
Lavani
Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of Dholak, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm and...
is known as Tamasha
Tamasha
Tamasha is a traditional Marathi folk art form. often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of Maharashtra, India. It has also been the subject of several Marathi films...
.
Uttarakhandi Music
Uttarakhandi folk music had its root in the lap of nature. The pure and blessed music have the feel and the touch of nature and subjects related to nature. The folk music primarily is related to the various festivals, religious traditions, folk stories and simple life of the people of UttarakhandUttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. Thus the songs of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
are a true reflection of the Cultural Heritage and the way people live their lives in the Himalayas. Musical instruments used in Uttarakhand music include the dhol, damoun, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora and masakbhaja. Tabla and harmonium are also used, but to a lesser extent. The main languages are Kumaoni and Garhwali
Garhwali
The Garhwali language is a Central Pahari language belonging to the Northern Zone of Indo-Aryan languages. It is primarily spoken by the Garhwali people who are from the north-western Garhwal Division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas.The Central Pahari...
.
Dandiya
DandiyaDandiya
Raas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Vrindavan, India, where it is performed depicting scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India.-Etymology:...
is a form of dance-oriented folk music that has also been adapted for pop music worldwide, popular in Western India, especially during Navaratri. The present musical style is derived from the traditional musical accompaniment to the folk dance of Dandiya
Dandiya
Raas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Vrindavan, India, where it is performed depicting scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India.-Etymology:...
called by the same name, dandiya.
Pandavani
Pandavani is a folk singing style of musical narration of tales from ancient epic Mahabharata withmusical accompaniment and Bhima as hero.
This form of folk theatre is popular in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and in the neighbouring tribal areas of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
Rajasthani
Rajasthani musicMusic of Rajasthan
Music of Rajasthan originates from Rajasthan, one of the states of India and home to several important centers of Indian musical development, including Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur...
has a diverse collection of musician caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s, including langa
Langha (tribe)
The Langha or Langah are a Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They are unrelated to the Langah tribe of southern Pakistan.- History and origin :...
s, sapera, bhopa, jogi and Manganiar
Manganiar
The Manganiar and related Langa are Muslim communities in the desert of Rajasthan, India in the districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer, along the border with Pakistan. A significant numbers are also found in districts of Tharparkar and Sanghar in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are famous for...
Bauls
The BaulBaul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
s of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
were an order of musicians in 18th, 19th and early 20th century India who played a form of music using a khamak, ektara
Ektara
Ektara is a one-string instrument used in Bangladesh, India, Egypt, and Pakistan.thumb||EktaraIn origin the ektara was a regular string instrument of wandering bards and minstrels from India and is plucked with one finger...
and dotara. The word Baul comes from Sanskrit batul meaning divinely inspired insanity. They are a group of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mystic minstrels. They are thought to have been influenced greatly by the Hindu tantric sect of the Kartabhajas as well as by Sufi sects. Bauls travel in search of the internal ideal, Maner Manush (Man of the Heart).
Garba
"Garba (song), the songs sung in honor of Hindu goddesses god during Navratri."it is sung in the honour of god krishna,hanuman,ram,etc..
Dollu Kunita
This is a group dance that is named after the Dollu - the percussion instrument used in the dance. It is performed by the menfolk of the Kuruba community of the North Karnataka area. The group consists of 16 dancers who wear the drum and beat it to different rhythms while also dancing. The beat is controlled and directed by a leader with cymbals who is positioned in the center. Slow and fast rhythms alternate and group weaves varied patterns.Kolata
Kolata is the traditional folk dance of the state of Karnataka, located in Southern India on the western coast. Similar to its North Indian counterpart Dandiya Ras, it is performed with coloured sticks and usually involves both men and women dancing together.VeeragaseVeeragaseVeeragase is a dance folk form prevalent in the state of Karnataka, India. It is a vigorous dance based on Hindu mythology and involves very intense energy-sapping dance movements. Veeragase is one of the dances demonstrated in the Dasara procession held in Mysore...
'Veeragase is a dance folk form prevalent in the state of Karnataka, India. It is a vigorous dance based on Hindu mythology and involves very intense energy-sapping dance movements. Veeragase is one of the dances demonstrated in the Dasara procession held in Mysore.Naatupura Paatu
Naatupura Paatu is Tamil folk music. It consists of Gramathisai (village folk music) and Gana (city folk music).It is also sung in Rajasthan.