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A glimpse into the lives and culture of the people of Punjab can
be got through the folk idiom 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. Culturally Punjab can be divided into three riegions,
Malwa, Majha and Doaba. Today Malwa represents the true spirit of
Punjabi folk traditions. The Punjabi fold idiom is so rich, so
varied and so very versatile. It is a culture of generous, vast,
large hearted people which is devoid of any fanaticism and
religious narrow mindedness of ideology.
If we go deep into the folk music of the land, it is difficult to
classify it. But perhaps we can draw board divisions for every
season, every festive occasion has music associated with it. Even
food is associated with a change in season. The festivals of
Punjab are numerous. Lohri is the time after which the biting cold
of winter begins to taper off. In the olden days, it was more of a
community festival, where the birth of a son, the first year of
marriage was celebrated all through the village in front of the
sacred fire. Songs like 'Sunder mundriye, tera kaun vichara, Dulla
Bhathi Wala.'were sung to the beat of virourous claps. Groups of
little children would go singing round the village collecting 'gur'
and 'rewari' for themselves. 'Lohri' was preceded by Maagh and the
famous Maaghi Da Mela, and followed by Baisakhi, where the Bhangra
was danced by the men of the Village.
An energetic dance associated witht the ripening of crops,
performed by the menfolk of the villages. The dance manifests the
vigour and vitality and exuberance of the people, in anticipation
of money coming in after the cutting of a good harvest. Then comes
the season of the monsoon, or 'sawan' when the married girls come
home for a vacation, meet their old friends, wear the colourful
Phulkaris, swing under the trees, adorn themselves with 'mehndi
patterns', and glass bangles and exchange news, singing songs. 'Ni
Lia De Mai, Kallean Bagaan Di Mehandi'. No occasion goes off
without the association of music in Punjab. Right from the moment
a woman announces the news of the conception of a baby, songs
start. The third month, the fifth month, and then of the actual
birth of baby is associated with joyous songs about the impending
arrival. There are songs which tell about the love of a brother or
a sister. Once a marriage is finalised, and preparations of the
marriage start in the boy's and girl's family.
For the process of washing and cleaning the grain, of making new
clothes, and household items, songs are sung by the woman in the
family as they work through the night, that the 'dhol' is not used
as the menfolk who are sleeping should not have their sleep
disturbed. And then the numerous songs associated with the
wedding. In the girls side 'Suhag' is sung, and in the boy;s side,
songs while he mounts the mare, 'Sehra' and 'Ghodi' are sung. When
the two sides meet 'Sithaniyan' are exchanged. A kind of raunchy
humour which makes it easier for both the the parties to show off
their wit and repartee and also provides an opportunity to get to
know each other. After the Barat is received 'Patal Kaavya' is
sung after tea and while the 'Barat' is eating food together.
Jugni, Sammi are basically songs centring around love, in the
Jugni normally the bachelors gather together and sing about their
beloved. The Sammi is more a gypsy dance, which is performed as an
expression of joy and victory, around the fire at night. Sammi is
an imaginary female character of folk poetry, belonging to the
Marwar area of Rajasthan who fell in love with the the young
prince, and it is around their love story that the music and dance
is set to. In the list of happy songs are included, Luddie, Dhamal
and of course the Giddha and the Bhangra, which is all set to
music, which is typical of Punjab. Along with the 'Dhol'
primarily, are sung 'Bolis' which can be divided into two
categories, 'singly boli' and' lengthy boli'. Centering around
mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law and other character
from everyday life the music of these two lively traditions is
extremely enervating.
Being a frontier state war played an important part in the lives
of the people of Punjab. There was also a tradition of wrestlers
living in every village, and while they practised at the 'Akhara'
a music grew around their practice called 'akhara singing'. The
drum plays a very important part in the folk music of Punjab. It
provides the basic accompaniment to most of folk music. The 'Dhol'
and 'Dholik', the male and female drum, had it's own relevant use.
The information of an impending army was communicated by the sound
of the 'Dhol', when information was given to the neighboring
villages through a particular beat. The instruments used in
Punjabi folk are typical to the region. The 'toombi', 'algoza', 'chheka',
'chimta', 'kaanto', daphali', dhad' and 'manjira' are some of the
popular traditional folk instruments.
There are songs which are specific to death. Called 'Siapah',
there are different kinds of 'siapah'. Special to individuals, the
song of mourning deal with the loss of a brother, sister, mother,
father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and are sung in a particular
format.
As in the rest of the country Sikh religion is deeply connected
with music. In fact a glossary of music and Ragas are given at the
end of the Guru Granth Sahib, the tradition starting with Mardana,
who accompanied Guru Nanak on his travels who sang the bani of
Guru Nanak with an ‘ektaara’ and the ‘rhubarb’. Classical
ragas are used in the ‘shabad kirtan’, gayaki of Punjab. The
sixth Guru Hargobind gave patrongae to sect of singers who sang
only martial songs. Called ‘Dhadis’, they sing at shrines and
festivals, ballads, vars, and about the heroic feats of the Sikhs.
Along with the "Dhad" the ‘dhadi’ also uses a
sarangi, as a musical accompaniment.
A strong tradition of the ‘kissa sahity’ of Punjab is very
much part and parcel of Punjabi folk music. The legends of Heer
Ranjha , Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnu, Puran Bhagat are sung more in
a semi classical style. The Punjabi ‘kaffi and kali’ are part
of this genre. Related to this is the ‘sufiana kallam’ of
Punjab as a result of a strong Sufi tradition in the state. The
Heer in particular has a strong sufi base.
Later in the eighteenth and nineteenth century there started in
Punjab a strong school of classical music centring around Patiala
known today as the Patiala Gharana. The founders of this gahrana
were Ustaad Ali Bux and Ustaad Fateh Ali who were great singers in
the Patiala Darbar. Their disciples and admirers were numerous.
Notable amongst them were Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali and his brother
Barkat Ali who brought the Patiala Gharana on the forefront of
Khayal gayaki. And thus started the ‘chau-mukhia’ style, which
included dhrupad, khyal thumri and the taraana. Each of these
styles too have their particular flavour, the energy and zest of
the soil of Punjab. Highly decorated, Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
composed numerous ‘bandishes’ or compositions under the
penname of Sabarang. Parallel to this was the growth of a gharana
of tabla playing which is also known as the Punjab style, of which
Alla Rakha the great tabla maestro belongs.
What has been written about is just a broad canvas of Punjab.
Every village of Punjab has somethings typical of the soil. Over
the years the success of the green revolution, with large mustard
fields, and ‘kanak da sitta’ or the grains of wheat, along
with the disco culture has provided a ‘purdah’ or a covering
over the varied tradition of folk music of Punjab. For any
discerning appreciator of music, Punjab provided enough for every
occasion and every season, completely obliterating the statement
that Punjab is a land of "agriculture and no culture".
Culture lives and thri
ves in Punjab in spite of its stormy past.
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