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| Folk
Songs and Music |
One
can get a glimpse of the lives and culture of the people
of Punjab from the folk songs 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 fulfilment.
A folk song is essentially a subjective expression of
the emotions walling up from the depths. It borrows its
metamorphous and imagery from the simple things in life.
Punjabi folksongs are varied and colourful. Laughter,
happiness, pain, sorrow, all form ingredients of these
songs. They are simple, charming, and full of the sincerity
of emotion, and the purity of feeling and the entire Punjabi
culture., is reflected in them. |
| The
folk music of Punjab has crossed the borders of not only
Punjab but also India and become popular all over the
world. There is hardly an event or occasion in the countryside
which does not find resonance in the soul of the people.
The villagers frame folk songs to articulate the wordless
passions seething in their hearts. These songs are chastened
and polished from generation to generation. |
| Folk
songs are untranslatable. They cannot even be imprisoned
in print. They are songs and not word composition and
their charm consists solely in the rhythm, the emotional
import, and the sweetness of their music. No stage free
nature can provide the settings, which they need. |
| The
real spirit of a folk-song rests not only in its text
but also tune. The popular tunes of Puniabi folk-songs
ring with the heartthrobs of the simple unsophisticated
villagers. |
| The
rhythm and beat of Punjabi folk music is simple. The rhythmic
patterns are determined by the day-to-day activities of
the villagers, the sound of the grinding stone, the drone
of the spinning wheel, the creaking of the Persian wheel,
the beat of the horse's hooves etc. These rhythms refine
into symmetrical pattern form the basis of the entire
folk music of the Punjab. |
| There
is a wide spread variation in the tunes and melodies of
different regions of the Punjab. Boli is popular all over
the Punjab. Even in one area the same song is sung differently
by different groups. This element of flexibility in Punjabi
folk music adds a lot of variety to it. |
| Punjabi
folk music is primarily vocal in character and is seldom
accompanied by instruments. But for songs which are sung
on special occasions, the use of instruments is essential,
particularly the dholak. The dholak is very popular with
the Punjabis and is used on all occasions of social and
festive significance. Innumerable memories are associated
with its sound because all gaiety and celebrations of
the family include the dholak as the basic and essential
instrument. |
| Songs
on religion |
| The
Punjab is inhabited by people of different sects, religions
and cults, which have their own modes of prayer and worship.
But since folk poetry belongs to a whole social group,
only those songs become popular which are acceptable to
the entire community. Religion reflected in the folksongs
is religion not of a sect but of the whole community.
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| Punjabis
are very religious. Theirs is the land of the Vedas enriched
by the experiences of saints aid sages. Folk-songs abound
in eulogies of famous gurus, bhagats and jogis, like Guru
Nanak Dev, Guru Gobind Singh, Farid, Namdev, Gopi Chand,
Bharthrihari and Puran. |
| There
are devotional folk-songs about Indra, Brahma, Saraswati,
Vaishno Devi, Ramehandra and Seeta and many that narrate
small, interesting episodes from the life of Krishna.
But characteristically these songs are not sectarian.
They are sung and enjoyed by all Punjabis, depending upon
the suitability of the occasion. There are also some folksongs
about Hindu gods and goddesses and Muslim pirs. |
| Songs
on ceremonial occassions |
| Songs
for ceremonial occasions have a great cultural significance.
They are more an expression of the deeply felt emotions
of the community as a whole and not of an individual.
These songs are generally sung in groups. They are of
great variety, and there are different songs for different
occasions; for example, haria, suhag, vatna, ghorian,
sithanian and alhanian. |
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Punjabi
Music & Artists
