Traditional music and dance
India is a country with a unique cultural richness. And the Dantesque quantity of traditional music and dances originating from Rajasthan does not make lie this last assertion. Rajasthan is also known as one of the Indian states with the most traditional musicians because it is here that we find castes of nomadic musicians, famous throughout the country, such as the Manganyars or the Langas. The latter, the Langas, live around Jodhpur. Originally Hindus, they embraced the Islam of their protectors. They play a music which mixes classical melodies and popular rhythms with the sarangi, a hurdy-gurdy, the dholak, a percussion and the satârâ, a flute. The Manghanyiars live around Jaisalmer and Barmer and are professional Muslim musicians. They play slightly different instruments, preferring the kamanche (a hurdy-gurdy), the murali (a flute requiring the use of continuous breath technique) and the kartals (a kind of castanets).
Both Manganiyars and Langas play only ragas associated with specific times of the day or seasons and also have a repertoire of ragas reserved for all occasions such as weddings, births, etc. Ragas are a set of rules for melodic construction and are similar to the Western concept of musical modes, which are typical of Indian music.
Another important raptor caste is that of the Bhopa (and their wives the Bhopi), priest-singers, singers of daily rural life and its heroes, such as Pabuji, the protective deity of humans and herds. Generally, they are accompanied by the rawanata, a bowed hurdy-gurdy made of a bronze or coconut resonance box, a bamboo neck and seventeen strings.
A truly typical form of folk singing in Rajasthan is the maand. Not quite a raga in its own right, it is a sophisticated style of singing found in the folk music of the region, narrating the greatness of Rajput heroes and kings of the past. Some maand performers have achieved national fame, such as Allah Jilai Bai, a famous singer in the 1960s and 1970s. Her career began when she was only 10 years old and she gradually gained popularity throughout the country. In 1982, the Indian government even awarded her the "Padma Shri", a high honorary distinction.
When it comes to dances, Rajasthan is unsurprisingly a real treasure trove. One of the most famous is the kalbelia, one of the most sensual choreographic forms in Rajasthan. Performed by both men and women of the community of the same name, this dance is a pillar of its identity and continues to celebrate its happy moments. Kalbelias were once snake charmers, a fact discernible in the swirling choreography that replicates the movement of the reptile to a crescendoing rhythm. Musicians accompany the dances with the pungi, a wooden wind instrument traditionally played to capture snakes, the daf, a large drum, the khanjari - a tambourine, the morchang, a jew's harp, and the dholak, another long drum. These songs - drawn from folk and mythological stories - and dances are passed down orally from generation to generation as there are no texts or training manuals. In 2010, they were inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage. Anyone visiting Rajasthan during Holi, the festival of colors dedicated to Krishna, is likely to see kalbelia dancing.
Another famous Rajasthani practice is the kathak. Originally only for men, this narrative dance is now also performed by women. A mainstay of the country's classical dances, kathak has historically had a social importance as it once told the story of Indian mythology - and also allowed for the transmission of sacred texts to an illiterate audience. Originating in the north, kathak has been influenced by the Mughal artistic tradition. It is a very rhythmic dance which requires real athletic qualities to keep a certain grace despite the speed of execution. Recognizable by its pirouettes interspersed with moments of immobility, kathak has seen a few personalities distinguish themselves in its practice, such as Birju Maharaj or Maya Rao, who have become two of its most famous dancers. It has also been brought to the forefront by the English choreographer Akram Khan, who has merged it with Western contemporary dance.
Still among the famous choreographic practices, ghoomar is a dance generally associated with the Bhil community but now adopted by the whole of Rajasthan. A graceful, slow dance, it sees face-veiled women twirling around in flowing dresses, accompanying their choreography with particularly expressive hand gestures. Ghoomar is often performed on special occasions, such as weddings or religious events, and can sometimes last a very long time. There is a sub-genre called "gair ghoomar" traditionally performed by men, which sees the dancers form circles and spin around while clapping sticks to the music.
Also involving sticks, dandiya or dandiya raas is a very colorful and popular mixed dance. It sees men and women dancing in pairs, usually in two lines, with the partners facing each other. The lines move in a clockwise direction, with each dancer moving forward in time to hit his partner's sticks.
Some other beautiful dances to mention: the chakri, associated with the Kanjar community and exclusively feminine and very swirling; the mayur, from southern Rajasthan, traditionally danced to celebrate the monsoon and pay homage to Shiva; the bhavai, a dance requiring as much skill as agility, performed by a woman carrying 6 to 7 copper or earthen pots on her head while executing a choreography or placing her feet on dishes, broken glass or the edge of a sword, or the kachhi ghodi, a male dance depicting the stories of bandits in the Shekhawati region and seeing its protagonists perform the dance while riding fake horses.
To go and meet the Rajput traditions some events are particularly indicated like the famous Pushkar Fair. Very popular, the Pushkar Camel Fair has gradually turned into a big tourist circus. A unique opportunity to attend many traditional shows: dances, music, puppets, funfair and circus... In another spirit, the Matasya Festival of Alwar is one of the most important events of Rajasthan, intended to celebrate the popular culture and to pay homage to the ancestors with a program of songs and traditional music. Finally, the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer, organized by the Rajasthan Tourist Board to celebrate the full moon, is also the occasion for numerous performances of traditional dances and music.
Classical music
Far from the Western understanding of the term, Indian classical music is a highly codified genre, divided into two major traditions: North Indian classical music called "Hindustani music" and South Indian classical music called Carnatic music. These two families have long been one, a fact that is palpable in the common base they share. That said, there are some major differences between them, with Hindustani music encouraging improvisation and exploring all aspects of a raga while its false Carnatic twin calls for shorter, more strictly compositional forms. Also, the influences of the two families diverge. In the South, on the Carnatic side, they are very much linked to Hindu religious themes while in the North, the music is more marked by the secular influence of the Mughal courts and artists from Iran. Abdul Rashid Khan, known as "Rasan Piya" was the great representative of Hindustani music, Aruna Sairam and Amritha Murali are those of Carnatic music.
The orchestra generally includes a soloist (sitar player, sarod, sarangi, violin, satara, bamboo flute or simply a vocalist), a tabla player (a North Indian percussion instrument made up of two drums of different sizes and struck with the fingers or the hand) and an accompanist on the tampura (a plucked string instrument used as a basso continuo). One of the specificities of Indian classical music is that it is not written down but is transmitted from master (pandit) to student.
Popular music
Rajasthan has seen a constellation of popular artists throughout the country. Among them, Swaroop Khan is one of the most popular. Flavoring the Manganiyar tradition with western pop, this singer made a name for himself after competing in one of the first seasons of Indian Idol. Since then, he has had a string of successes in the Bollywood industry. Also in Bollywood, Ila Arun is a renowned Rajasthani folk singer and Indian actress. She is known for her strong and deep voice. To form a Bollywood trio, let's also mention the famous Mame Khan, a folk singer present in many films like Luck by Chance (Zoya Akhtar, 2009) or Sonchiriya (Abhishek Chaubey, 2019).
Another sensation, Ashok Manda Bishnoi, known by his stage name Rapperiya Baalam, is a singer from Rajasthan known for his happy, feel-good rap tracks like his song Mharo Rajasthan which made him popular all over the country. Finally, let's mention the duo Sartaj and Sarwar, two young boys who started their career by singing in a reality show and who slowly but surely gained national recognition.
