Music of Rajasthan
Encyclopedia
Music of Rajasthan originates from Rajasthan
, one of the states of India
and home to several important centers of Indian music
al development, including Udaipur
, Jodhpur
and Jaipur
. The region's music shares similarities both with nearby areas of India and the other side of the border, in the Pakistan
i province of Sindh
.
. There are two traditional classes of musicians: the Langa
s, who stuck mostly exclusively to Muslim audiences and styles, and the Manganiar
s, 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. Other songs, played by various castes, normally begin with the alap
, which sets the tune and is followed by a recital of a couplet (dooba). Epic ballads tell of heroes like Devnarayan Bhagwan
, Gogaji
, Ramdeoji, Pabuji
and Tejaji. The celebration of changing seasons is also very central to folk music of Rajasthan. Celebration of the coming of the Monsoons or the harvest season are central to most traditional folk songs. Songs also revolve around daily activities of the local people for instance a song about not sowing Jeera (Cummin) as it is difficult to tend. Or for instance another song about Podina (Mint
) and how it is liked by various members of the family (an allegorical reference to a local liquor extracted from mint is also made). Every day common themes are the center of traditional rajasthani folk music.
One of the most famous Rajasthani Maand singers is Allah Jilai Bai
of the Bikaner Gharana.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, one of the states of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and home to several important centers of Indian music
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
al development, including Udaipur
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
, Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
and Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
. The region's music shares similarities both with nearby areas of India and the other side of the border, in the Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.
Overview
Rajasthan has a diverse collection of musician castes, including langas, sapera, bhopa, jogi and ManganiarManganiar
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...
. There are two traditional classes of musicians: the 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, who stuck mostly exclusively to Muslim audiences and styles, and the 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...
s, 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. Other songs, played by various castes, normally begin with the alap
Alap
The alap is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga...
, which sets the tune and is followed by a recital of a couplet (dooba). Epic ballads tell of heroes like Devnarayan Bhagwan
Devnarayan
Shri Devnarayan , an ancient Gurjar warrior from Rajasthan who is believed to have been an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is worshipped as a folk deity, mostly in Rajasthan and north-western Madhya Pradesh.According to tradition, he was born to Sri Savai Bhoj and Sadu mata Gurjari on the seventh day...
, Gogaji
Gogaji
Gogaji also known as Jahar Veer Gogga is a folk deity of Rajasthan state in India. He is an eminent warrior-hero of the region. He is also venerated as a saint and even as 'snake-god'.- Introduction :He is known as Goga among the Hindus...
, Ramdeoji, Pabuji
Pabuji
Pabuji is a folk-deity of Rajasthan in India. He lived in 14th century in Rajasthan. He was one of four children of Dhadal Rathore of village Kolu, two boys and two girls...
and Tejaji. The celebration of changing seasons is also very central to folk music of Rajasthan. Celebration of the coming of the Monsoons or the harvest season are central to most traditional folk songs. Songs also revolve around daily activities of the local people for instance a song about not sowing Jeera (Cummin) as it is difficult to tend. Or for instance another song about Podina (Mint
MiNT
MiNT is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST and its successors. Together with the free system components fVDI , XaAES , and TeraDesk , MiNT provides a free TOS compatible replacement OS that is capable of multitasking.MiNT was originally released by Eric Smith as...
) and how it is liked by various members of the family (an allegorical reference to a local liquor extracted from mint is also made). Every day common themes are the center of traditional rajasthani folk music.
One of the most famous Rajasthani Maand singers is Allah Jilai Bai
Allah Jilai Bai
Allah Jilai Bai was a folk singer from Rajasthan, India.Born in Bikaner to a family of singers, by the age of 10 she was singing in the Durbar of Maharaja Ganga Singh. She took singing lessons from Ustad Hussain Baksh Khan and later on from Achhan Maharaj.She was well versed in Maand, Thumri,...
of the Bikaner Gharana.