The Uttrakhand Folk Music

The folk music of Uttaranchal is primarily related to the various festivals, religious traditions, folk stories and simple life of the people of Uttaranchal. Thus the songs of Uttaranchal are a true reflection of the Cultural Heritage and the way people lives their lives in the Himalayas.

There are many kinds of folk songs from the area, including ceremonial mangals, martial panwaras and melancholy khuded, thadya and jhora.

Musical instruments used in Uttaranchal 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 Music and its development have seen various phases of growth and have undergone lots of transformation during the course of time.

The earliest of the singers who left an never ending impressions on the folk music of Uttaranchal were :

1. Shri Narendra Singh Negi who is considered to be the voice of Uttaranchal.

2. Shri Gopal Babu Goswami who is considered to be a legend in Kumaon for his melodious voice.

Other famous personality associated with Kumaoni Folk Music is Mohan Upreti, who is known for his Nanda Devi Jagar & Rajula Malu Shahi Ballad.

Likewise Chander Singh Rahi is another popular singer, a balladeer and storyteller. His recordings are perhaps the most authentic to the hills, and he incorporates many legends and folk tales into his rousing songs.

In the past decade Uttaranchali Music has seen a revolution after the offer by various Music Recording / Cassette Producing agencies such as Rama Video Cassette and T Series who have offered news talents from local areas to make their own Cassettes after getting their songs recorded in the Studios.

This has led to a sudden usurp of number of hidden talents from various corners of Uttaranchal which include famous personalities such as Kalpana Chauhan, Meena Rana, Anuradha Nirala, Fauji Lalit Mohan Joshi, Pritam Bharatwan, Gajendra Rana who have made their contribution to the Garhwali / Kumaoni Music by various hit songs / music albums over the period.

Also, with advance in Technology and easy availability of videocams and other recording devices, lots of talents have started producing music albums which has further led to popularization of Uttaranchali folk dance. In fact, Garhwali/Kumaoni songs have gained so much popularity over the years that they have become integral part of the DJ Music being played during wedding and other functions.

With the rapid growth and popularity in Uttaranchali Music and folk dances, the day is not far when any cultural / social functions / weddings / festivals / Discotheques would have some elements of Uttaranchali Music and folk dances as an integral part.

The Rajasthan Folk Music

Music
Two types of music that are especially famous in Rajasthan are described below:

Maand: Originated as court music, the maand is a distinct raga that was developed in Marwar. It is very sophisticated and involves complex inflexion of voices sung in deep bass but with time it permeated to the folk forms we know today and when ballads of the chivalrous rulers and local folk heroes are sung using maand raga, they have a unique haunting quality that echoes in the desert. Its popularity is evident from the fact that an entire festival in Jodhpur is dedicated to it exclusively.

Pabuji ka Phad: Pabuji Ramdeo was a folk hero of the 14th century in the Bhopa region whose legends have become timeless in the form of ballads that are sung against a painted scroll known as the 'Phad' paintings where scenes from his story are portrayed in comic-strip fashion. Its performances were always held at night, when the villagers gathered for these performances. The Bhopa minstrel would sing the ballad and give the music using ravanhatha while his wife used to hold an oil lantern illuminate just the particular portion of the scroll that matched with the episode of the story he was singing about.

Rajasthan has a diverse collection of musician castes, including langas, sapera, bhopa, jogi and Manganiar. There are two traditional classes of musicians: the Langas, who stuck mostly exclusively to Muslim audiences and styles, and the Manganiars, who had a more liberal approach.
Traditional music includes the women's Panihari songs, which lyrically describes chores, especially centered around water and wells, both of which are an integral part of Rajasthan's desert culture.