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OVERVIEW OF INDIAN FOLK MUSIC

 by David Courtney 

India has a very rich tradition of folk music. The extreme cultural diversity creates endless varietiesof folk styles. Each region has its own particular style.

There is a tendency to lump folk music along with tribal music. There is actually a difference.

Where folk music is a mere rustic reflection of the larger Indian society, tribal music often represents

cultures that are very different. Some of these tribal cultures are throwbacks to cultural conditions as

they were thousands of years ago.

Tribal and folk music is not taught in the same way that Indian classical music is taught. There is no

formal period of apprenticeship where the student is able to devote their entire life to learning the

music, the economics of rural life does not permit this sort of thing. The musical practitioners muststill attend to their normal duties of hunting, agriculture or whatever their chosen profession is.

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Music in the villages is learned almost by osmosis. From childhood the music is heard and imbibed

along with ones mother's milk. There are numerous public activities that allow the villagers to

 practice and hone their skills. These are the normal functions which syncronize village life with the

universe.

The music is an indispensable component of functions such as weddings, engagements, and births.

There is a plethora of songs for such occasions. There are also many songs associated with plantingand harvesting. In these activities the villagers routinely sing of their hopes, fears and aspirations.

Folk music is also used for educational purposes. For instance sex education has traditionally been

taught in Andhra Pradesh by song. There is a function when a girl has her first menses. In this

function the elderly women in the community gather at the house (men are definitely excluded), the

girl is given her first woni and langa (half  sari which is worn by unmarried girls), rich food and other 

gifts. During this function the women sing songs that are extremely bawdy. To an outsider this

would seem uncharacteristic of obviously respectable community members. However the function

of such songs is to provide the girl's first instructions on her emerging womanhood and what her 

future marital duties will be.

Musical instruments are often different from those found in classical music. Although instruments

like the tabla may sometimes be found it is more likely that cruder drums such as daf , dholak , or nal will be used. The sitar and sarod which are so common in the classical genre are absent in the folk 

music. One often finds instruments such as the ektar , dotar ,  saringda, rabab, and santur . Quite

often they will not even be called these names, but may be named according to their local dialect.

There are also instruments which are used only in particular folk styles in particular regions. These

instruments are innumerable.

The instruments that folk musicians use are generally not as refined as the classical musicians use.

The instruments of classical music are crafted by artisans whose only job is the fabrication of 

musical instruments. In contrast the folk instruments are commonly crafted by the musiciansthemselves.

It is very common to find folk instruments that have been fabricated of commonly available

materials. Skin, peritoneum, bamboo, coconut shells, and pots are but a few commonly available

materials used to make musical instruments

 

Pages for "Folk Music"

• The Vaoaiya Folksong of Northern Bangladesh - The vaoaiya (bhawaia)is a popular folk song of Northern Bangladesh and North East India.

 

•  Kushan Theatre Revival In Bangladesh  - The  Kushan is a folk theatre of 

 Northern Bangladesh.

 

Folk Musical Instruments

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• Andelu

• Banam

• Bansuri

• Bombashi

• Charchari

• Chenda

• Chikara

• Chimpta

• Daf (Duf, Daphu, Daffali)

• Damaru

• Dramyen

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• Dhad

• Dhak (Daklu)

• Dhol

• Dholak 

• Dholki (Nal)

• Diggi

• Dotar #1

• Dotar #2 (Dotora)

• Ektar 

• Getchu Vadyam (Gettuvadyam)

• Ghatam

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• Ghungharu

• Goga Dhol

• Gol Kathi (Dancing Stick)

• Gopichand (ektar)

• Gummeta (Dakki, Budike)

• Harmonium

• Idakka and Udaku (Udakai)

• Jaspuria

• Jhorka & Korka

• Kamancha

• Kanjira

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• Kartal

• Kasht Tarang

• Katho (Khomok)

• Kenda

• Khol (Mridang)

• Madar 

• Maddal

• Manjira

• Mukhavina

• Murchang

• Nagada

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• Nissan, Mawaloti, or Lohati

• Nout

• Ottu

• Pena (a.k.a. Bana)

• Phara

• Pung

• Pungi

• Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)

• Ravanhasta

• Sambal

• Santur 

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• Sarangi

• Saringda

• Shankh

• Shehnai

• Shuddha Madalam

• Tamak 

• Tasha

• Thanthi Panai

• Timki

• Tumbak 

• Tuntuna (Chohokhode)

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• Urumili