Since the dawning of the current millennium there has been a renewed interest in India in capturing and preserving ‘authentic’ folk music. The most significant label in this regard is DeKulture which has released 40 wonderfully diverse CDs of Punjabi, Gujarati and Rajasthani folk music, many of which are field recordings of very obscure (nationally and internationally) artists. [I’ve shared these in previous posts on this blog.] Amarrass Records in Delhi has also issued some priceless field recordings as well as the delightful soundtrack of the world wide festival hit, The Manganiyar Seduction.
For the next few days I will be sharing another series of north Indian folk music. This one is called Beat of India. The label was run by a Sikh entrepreneur who also seemed to have a business or two in the aviation sector but sadly, it appears this music aspect of his work is now defunct.
Lucky for me (and you!) I acquired copies of all their releases and I’m excited to share them with you. While DeKulture’s CD are the gold standard in terms of presentation and sound quality, I like the Beat of India series for moving beyond Punjab and Rajasthan which are both very amply covered in the literature and music worlds. Less is known of the music of central India or UP; Beat of India’s collections really add another dimension to the sonic record of north India’s folk traditions.
In this first instalment, we are treated to several folk music styles popular in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. I grew up in these two states and so this music brings back wonderful memories of a long lost childhood. Stylistically the singers touch on hori, a song type sung during the time of Holi, the colourful spring festival; chappeli, songs lovers sing to each other to make their bond of love stronger; jantsar which is sung during the time of harvest, mostly by women. There is also a wonderful ‘political campaign’ song which nicely shows how old traditions are made relevant for the present day.
Harmonium 