Indian Folk Music

Indian Folk Music is extremely expansive and varied due to the vast regional and cultural diversities of India itself. Every region and culture in India has its own folk music style. From the Bhangra of Punjab, to the Lavani of Maharshtra, to the Bihu of Assam and the Ghoomar of Rajasthan. All of this music is a part of the lives of all Indian people.

BHAVAGEET

Bhavageet, literally meaning emotional music, is a form of expressionist poetry and light music. Most of the poetry sung in this genre pertains to subjects like love, nature, philosophy etc. The genre itself isn't too different from Ghazals, thought ghazals are bound to a particular metre. This style of music is popular in the Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Some notable poets of Bhavageets include Kuvempu and D.R. Bendre in Kannada Bhavageets and Suresh Bhat and Shanta Shelke in Marathi Bhavageets.

Marathi Bhavageet composed by Shri Sudhir Phadke

BHANGRA

Bhangra is a form of dance oriented folk music which aaompanies the Punjabi dance form of Bhangra for men and Gidda for women. Bhangra is generally performed during the harvest seasons and festivals such as Baisakhi. The words are in the Punjabi language in the form of short couplets or bolis.

Punjabi Folk song by the famour folk singer Smt. Surinder Kaur.

LAVANI


Lavani is a popular form of folk music in Maharashtra. It is traditionally sung by women but men do perform along with women on the songs. The dance that is performed with a Lavani is known as Tamasha. Lavanis tend to be erotic and naughty in nature. They are performed to very fast beats of the Dholak and were initially intended to entertain the soldeirs.

Marathi Lavani 'Solava Varish' performed by the legendary Jayashree Gadkar.

DANDIYA 

Dandiya Raas or simply Dandiya is the traditional folk of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. It represents the Raas Lila or the Divine Dance that Lord Krishna used to perform with Radha and her maidens, the gopis of Vrindavan.

Dandiya Raas

PANDAVANI

Pandavani is a folk tradition of singing stories from the Mahabharat and about the Pandavas. This folk style is believed to be as old as the Mahabharat itslef. Since most people could not read at those times, The Pandavani was a medium to spread the stories of the heroic feats of the Pandavas. The most renowned performer of this folk form is Teejan Bai. The Pandavani is widely popular in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and some parts of Orissa.

Pandavani performed by Teejan Bai

RAJASTHANI FOLK MUSIC

Rajasthan has a large variety of folk music. This desert state, full of colour and culture has churned out some of the greatest musicians of India, both in folk and classical genres. Some of the folk music styles from Rajasthan are Maand, Banna, Ghoomar and Pabuji Ki Phach.

Maand is a style of singing which resonates of the smell of the desert sands. It used to be sung in royal courts, in the praise of the Rajputs. But now days it is quite commonly heard. Maand is also a Raga in Hindustani Classical Music.

Banna is music which is sung at times of weddings in the family. These are very festive songs to mark a marital union in the family.

Ghoomar is the traditional dance form of Rajasthan. It is generally performed by women and is accompanied by folk music.

Kesariya Balama Padharo Mhare Des

A traditional Maand Folk, as performed in the Bollywood film Dor.

Banna Re Baag Me Jhula

Banna Folk Song from Rajasthan

Ghoomar Folk Music

TAPPA


Tappa is semi classical complex composition in a raga. Its speciality is its rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. The mood of a tappa is generally romantic or erotic. Tappa Gayaki originated from the camel riders of Punjab and Haryana. It was adopted as a form of Classical Music by Mia Gulam Nabi Shori, the court singer of Awadh.

Some of the most noted tappa singers are Pt. Laxmanrao Pandit, Pt. Sukhdev Prasad, Smt. Malini Rajurkar, Smt. Girija Devi among others.

Tappa in Raga Bhairavi

Smt. Malini Rajurkar

BAUL

Baul Sangeet is a particular type of folk music from Bengal. This kind of music is a mix of the Hindu Bhakti Movement and the Sufi mysticism. 

Baul Sangeet

Bengal