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Eternal India
encyclopedia
MUSIC
It is usual to distinguish between classical
(or art) and folk music. But a definition of dis-
tinction between the two has not been made so
far, so that no clear line can be drawn demar-
cating the boundaries. There are always forms
like
keertan
of Bengal,
abhang
of Maharash-
tra and
padam
of Andhra which are set in so-
phisticated moulds, but yet are not considered
strictly ‘classical’.
The most widely accepted definition of a
folk song is that it has no known authorship.
We do not know who ‘wrote’ its text and who
‘composed’ its music, if these two things are
separately done at all in a folk song.
This anonymity of authorship has always
been considered to be of prime importance for
a folk song. But it is not always possible to
accept such a
sine qua non.
The
padams
of
Bhadrachala, Ramadas, the
devaranamas
of
Purandardasa, the
bhajans
of Kabir, the
abhan-
gas
of Eknath and Tukaram of Maharashtra -
all these have entered the homes and hearts of
untrained folk.
The greatest significant quality of folk
music is its social relation. Art music, on the
contrary, has often no social function other
than aesthetic satisfaction, if not mere
entertainment.
Ragas
and
talas,
for example
have no connection with sowing, reaping,
war, marriage, child-birth and so on. In con-
trast, folk songs have intimate associations
with such group or individual activities. It is,
therefore, easy to describe them in terms of
functional categories.
There is a song for every month, for every
season.
Ballads
are an important section of a
people’s music. They do not generally have
the lyrical qualities of folk poetry as in songs
Folk and Traditional Music
instanced above. Of course, it is not necessary
that they be devoid of such content. But bal-
lads are more concerned with advancing “the
statement of fact” and to “help the narrative”.
They are the unwritten history of the commu-
nity; naturally, every people have their own
heroes and heroines.
A large class of songs can be classified as
religious and festive. The number of religious
groups, from the most elemental and anthro-
pomorphic to the most refined, are so many;
and the nature and number of songs are equally
varied. The village goddess, perhaps, demand-
ing animal sacrifice, has to be pleased if the
com is to grow high, if small pox is not to visit
the hamlet. Or it may be a prayer of the finest
devotion and most subtle mysticism.
The demarcation of folk and art or classi-
cal music in India is really vague. The kind of
music which finds a place in village gather-
ings, temple services, rural theatres as well as
in concerts has a niche of its own; and it is
sung and played, very often, in definable
ragas
and
talas.
There is then a necessity to
distinguish between tribal and folk music on
the one hand and the 'classical' music on the
other, with a third category which, for a lack
of suitable word, is sometimes called 'tradi-
tional' music. Under the last fall
keertan,
tevaram, padam, abhang,
various forms of
theatrical music and so on, some of which
have already been described briefly earlier.
The religious music of the people offers a
very rich field for the meeting of folk and
classical art. Quite a number of songs are
simpe tunes sung to the accompaniment of
ek-
tar
(a monochord) and a
chipla
or
kartal
(clappers). Many are congregational, sung in
samaj
and
bhajana gosthi
(devotional
groups); they are, therefore, of necessity
uncomplicated. Though the degree of
sophistication of such music makes them
suspect as folk songs, neither do they have the
finesse and strictness of classical music; and
hence cannot strictly be considered so.
The above outline of the kinds of folk
songs which one may come across in India has
perforce to be sketchy; for this is a vast,
ancient and variegated land. From Himalayan
snows to tropical jungles, from the arid des-
erts of Rajasthan to the fertile valley of the
Ganga, from the stony plateau of Deccan to
the sandy sea-shores of the peninsula, the
terrain, the fauna, the flora and the human
settlements differ multifold.
What is of importance is to realize and
acknowledge the fact that this music of the
'masses' is of the soil from which the art music
of the elite has sprung and to which it has to
turn again and again to obtain sustenance. We
may not easily recognize the affinity of the
more 'refined'
ragas'
to the 'cruder' folk tunes.
But one can still find their patterns there in
budding form. It would be more than absurd
to call some of these tunes of tribes and vil-
lages as
ragas
and their rhythms as
talas,
for
they have not yet been given a grammar.
Nonetheless, as we listen to a snake charmer
on his
pungi,
we cannot but connect the tune
with
Nadanamakriya raga.
The common
lullaby,
Bala jo jore
in Marathi, has the
nucleus of
raga Sarang.
Other patterns met
with are those of
Bhoop, Bhairavi, Pilu, Kafi
of North India and
Kuranji, Chenjuriti, An-
anda-bhairavi
of South India. Parallely,
rhythmic archetypes of
Trital, Roopak,
Jhumra, Adi
and
Chapu
are usual and it is
from these melodies and beats that the great-
est of concert music draws its life.
(B. C.D.)