Music
of Punjab
A glimpse into the lives and culture of the people of Punjab
can be got through the folk idiom of Punjab. There is a great
repertoire of  music,
right from the time of birth to death, of love and separation
of dance and rejoicement, of marriage and fulfillment. Culturally
Punjab can be divided into three regions, Malwa, Majha and
Doaba. Today Malwa represents the true spirit of Punjabi folk
traditions. The Punjabi fold idiom is so rich, so varied and
so very versatile. It is a culture of generous, vast, large
hearted people which is devoid of any fanaticism and religious
narrow mindedness of ideology.
If we go deep into the folk music of the land, it is difficult
to classify it. But perhaps we can draw board divisions for
every season, every festive occasion has music associated
with it. Even food is associated with a change in season.
The festivals of Punjab are numerous. Lohri is the time after
which the biting cold of winter begins to taper off. In the
olden days, it was more of a community festival, where the
birth of a son, the first year of marriage was celebrated
all through the village in front of the sacred fire. Songs
like 'Sunder mundriye, tera kaun vichara, Dulla Bhathi Wala.'were
sung to the beat of virourous claps. Groups of little children
would go singing round the village collecting 'gur' and 'rewari'
for themselves. 'Lohri' was preceded by Maagh and the famous
Maaghi Da Mela, and followed by Baisakhi, where the Bhangra
was danced by the men of the Village.
An energetic dance associated witht the ripening of crops,
performed by the men folk of the villages. The dance manifests
the vigour and vitality and exuberance of the people, in anticipation
of money coming in after the cutting of a good harvest. Then
comes the season of the monsoon, or 'sawan' when the married
girls come home for a vacation, meet their old friends, wear
the colourful Phulkaris, swing under the trees, adorn themselves
with 'mehandi patterns', and glass bangles and exchange news,
singing songs. 'Ni Lia De Mai, Kallean Bagaan Di Mehandi'.
No occasion goes off without the association of music in Punjab.
Right from the moment a woman announces the news of the conception
of a baby, songs start. The third month, the fifth month,
and then of the actual birth of baby is associated with joyous
songs about the impending arrival. There are songs which tell
about the love of a brother or a sister. Once a marriage is
finalized, and preparations of the marriage start in the boy's
and girl's family.
For the process of washing and cleaning the grain, of making
new clothes, and household items, songs are sung by the woman
in the family as they work through the night, that the 'dhol'
is not used as the men folk who are sleeping should not have
their sleep disturbed. And then the numerous songs associated
with the wedding. In the girls side 'Suhag' is sung, and in
the boy;s side, songs while he mounts the mare, 'Sehra' and
'Ghodi' are sung. When the two sides meet 'Sithaniyan' are
exchanged. A kind of raunchy humour which makes it easier
for both the the parties to show off their wit and repartee
and also provides an opportunity to get to know each other.
After the Barat is received 'Patal Kaavya' is sung after tea
and while the 'Barat' is eating food together. Jugni, Sammi
are basically songs centering around love, in the Jugni normally
the bachelors gather together and sing about their beloved.
The Sammi is more a gypsy dance, which is performed as an
expression of joy and victory, around the fire at night. Sammi
is an imaginary female character of folk poetry, belonging
to the Marwar area of Rajasthan who fell in love with the
the young prince, and it is around their love story that the
music and dance is set to. In the list of happy songs are
included, Luddie, Dhamal and of course the Giddha and the
Bhangra, which is all set to music, which is typical of Punjab.
Along with the 'Dhol' primarily, are sung 'Bolis' which can
be divided into two categories, 'singly boli' and' lengthy
boli'. Centering around mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law
and other character from everyday life the music of these
two lively traditions is extremely enervating.
Being a frontier state war played an important part in the
lives of the people of Punjab. There was also a tradition
of wrestlers living in every village, and while they practiced
at the 'Akhara' a music grew around their practice called
'akhara singing'. The drum plays a very important part in
the folk music of Punjab. It provides the basic accompaniment
to most of folk music. The 'Dhol' and 'Dholik', the male and
female drum, had it's own relevant use. The information of
an impending army was communicated by the sound of the 'Dhol',
when information was given to the neighboring villages through
a particular beat. The instruments used in Punjabi folk are
typical to the region. The 'toombi', 'algoza', 'chheka', 'chimta',
'kaanto', daphali', dhad' and 'manjira' are some of the popular
traditional folk instruments.
There are songs which are specific to death. Called 'Siapah',
there are different kinds of 'siapah'. Special to individuals,
the song of mourning deal with the loss of a brother, sister,
mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and are sung
in a particular format.
As in the rest of the country Sikh religion is deeply connected
with music. In fact a glossary of music and Ragas are given
at the end of the Guru Granth Sahib, the tradition starting
with Mardana, who accompanied Guru Nanak on his travels who
sang the bani of Guru Nanak with an ‘ektaara’ and the ‘rhubarb’.
Classical ragas are used in the ‘shabad kirtan’, gayaki of
Punjab. The sixth Guru Hargobind gave patronage to sect of
singers who sang only martial songs. Called ‘Dhadis’, they
sing at shrines and festivals, ballads, vars, and about the
heroic feats of the Sikhs. Along with the "Dhad"
the ‘dhadi’ also uses a sarangi, as a musical accompaniment.
A strong tradition of the ‘kissa sahity’ of Punjab is very
much part and parcel of Punjabi folk music. The legends of
Heer Ranjha , Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnu, Puran Bhagat are
sung more in a semi classical style. The Punjabi ‘kaffi and
kali’ are part of this genre. Related to this is the ‘sufiana
kallam’ of Punjab as a result of a strong Sufi tradition in
the state. The Heer in particular has a strong sufi base.
Later in the eighteenth and nineteenth century there started
in Punjab a strong school of classical music centering around
Patiala known today as the Patiala Gharana. The founders of
this gahrana were Ustaad Ali Bux and Ustaad Fateh Ali who
were great singers in the Patiala Darbar. Their disciples
and admirers were numerous. Notable amongst them were Ustad
Bade Ghulam Ali and his brother Barkat Ali who brought the
Patiala Gharana on the forefront of Khayal gayaki. And thus
started the ‘chau-mukhia’ style, which included dhrupad, khyal
thumri and the taraana. Each of these styles too have their
particular flavour, the energy and zest of the soil of Punjab.
Highly decorated, Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan composed numerous
‘bandishes’ or compositions under the penname of Sabarang.
Parallel to this was the growth of a gharana of tabla playing
which is also known as the Punjab style, of which Alla Rakha
the great tabla maestro belongs.
What has been written about is just a broad canvas of Punjab.
Every village of Punjab has something typical of the soil.
Over the years the success of the green revolution, with large
mustard fields, and ‘kanak da sitta’ or the grains of wheat,
along with the disco culture has provided a ‘purdah’ or a
covering over the varied tradition of folk music of Punjab.
For any discerning appreciator of music, Punjab provided enough
for every occasion and every season, completely obliterating
the statement that Punjab is a land of "agriculture and
no culture". Culture lives and thrives in Punjab in spite
of its stormy past. |
