Folk musicians of Rajasthan were among the first performers in the ensembles of cultural diplomacy under the Festival of India series that Indian state began in a more concerted manner after the 1970s. They are now regulars on the international festival and cultural exchange circuits. Lilting folk music of Rajasthan has been marketed globally by the tourism complex as the quintessential symbol of Rajasthani culture for the past few decades. The folk musicians are paraded endlessly to adorn the festivals and gatherings of the culture elite in Rajasthan as well as outside.
It would be worthwhile to note that this ‘heightened visibility’ exists only for a few among them. Majority of them have witnessed a steady erosion of their traditional patronage, livelihood opportunities and the relationship with their art practice. Many of them have become casual wage earners working at the lower levels of the tourism and modern entertainment industries. Contracts in languages foreign to them and unspecified conditions too often characterize these global ventures which most of the times promise meagre material or qualitative gains for the performing folk musicians. In fact many of them, in more introspective moments, express pathos about their footloose status and the numbing effect media is having on them.
The other issues of well being that persist pertain to access to basic entitlements like health, education and dignity of the communities of these folk musicians. Most of these communities continue to dwell in rudimentary habitations and have poor access
to basic needs of habitat, education, health and social security for the old and destitute among them. They survive as subordinated groups in a highly discriminatory socio-economic and political context. Endowed with no or poor quality marginal land holdings and absence of alternative livelihood options forces many in vicious debt traps. This material reality of existence has a direct bearing on the questions of preservation of the living heritage of the region.
There are hardly any govt. policies or schemes that deal with developing collective initiative around promoting livelihood options among the artist groups. It is quite paradoxical that artists whose cultural skills contribute meaningfully to the growth of a variety of entertainment enterprises do not have adequate opportunities to develop their own collective enterprises around culture. The most glaring example is that of several social groups of folk performers in western Rajasthan who have no option but to participate in drought relief public works that involve digging earth, uprooting bushes, and other undignified kinds of human labour. This is a practice that goes on unabated even in works commissioned under enlightened employment generations schemes under NREGA that aspires to realize the right to work (dignified work, emphasis mine) for vulnerable communities.
The meeting of around hundred performers from Managaniyars, Langas, Mehers, Dhadis, Meghwals and Bhils communities of Barmer and JaIsalmer district was memorable in more than one ways. Braving the scorching heat of May, folk musicians, young and old, collected from 3rd to 5th May 2008 in the hill township of Barmer city to successfully convene a well organized three day event in the backdrop of vast horizons and star lit skies. It was a fitting tribute to the Barmer region that has been the birth place for the many illustrious folk cultural traditions, be it the exquisite handicrafts or scintillating folk music and dances of Rajasthan. The pioneering efforts of Padamshee Magraj Jain and the Nehru Yuvak Kendra in facilitating recognition to these folk musicians were acknowledged by all. The conference was organised by Marudhara Lok Kala Kendra and SURE, local NGOs of Barmer and supported by the India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore
The leitmotif of the conference was the emphasis on deep and often hidden connections between the materiality of their collective being and their cultural practices understood as community traditions. What are the processes that need to be followed to integrate the voices of the rural creators in constituting decentralized and self-sustaining cultural / creative industries that situate their existence not as subservient to the logics of elite perspectives and market but to perspectives of realization of self as rooted in the local tradition and community was one of the questions probed. The workshop was an opportunity to listen to these folk performers, their perceptions regarding processes for a dignified representation, dissemination and transmission of their rich cultural traditions.
The congregation was a visual extravaganza, lit with bright expressive faces, colourful turbans, densely printed ajrak shawls and instruments embellished with exquisitely braided beads, chains and ribbons. Interludes of soul stirring intonations of deep sonorous voices, rapturous tonalities and lilting melodies interspersed the proceedings where these subaltern musician communities freely discussed issues affecting their material well being and their ecstatic traditions. Among those present were illustrious stalwarts like Rukma Bai, Nage Khan, Karim Khan, Chanan Khan, Hakim Khan, Bade Ghazi Khan who had their first international exposure in the early 1980s and have since then visited more than two dozen countries. Versatile old poets like Bhopji Dhadi and Pathane Khan, who recited traditional verses in dingal and poems about the havoc wreaked by the recent floods in Barmer with equal ease, never hesitated with their wise interjections. Mishri Khan, the grand old jaltarang specialist, always posed challenges with his fundamental and existential ruminations. Ridmalram, Chaturbhuj, Raees Khan, Bhungar Khan, the younger among the performers, participated with their mature suggestions and innovative ideas.
Their hidden ecstatic bodies would spontaneously come in play when they went on to singing a song or strung a melody on the kamaicha or deftly played the khartal. The old and the new singers created a seamless blend of sonic aura that seemed to organically possess everybody present. The ease with which some of them could sing compositions be it the life cycle songs, barah masa, or the sufi compositions and the upcoming new folk songs that were popular in the local entertainment circuits, demonstrated the robust and versatile texture of these living cultural traditions and the ability of these musicians to straddle different worlds of entertainment effortlessly. This versatility that was rooted in the deep collective structures of their arts practice, memory alluded to what Komal Kothari referred to as their “ tenacious shell” that had held on despite the loss of textual nuance and individualization of community artistic practice, as their music is increasingly tailored to the clichés that appeal to general audiences.
There were different perceptions regarding the extent and the impact of the dissolution of traditional patronage on their musical repertoire and quality of arts practice. Many of the experienced musicians came out with frank and balanced assessments of existing initiatives for preservation of the cultural heritage of the desert, mostly those originating in folkloristic documentation and archiving. There was an exploration of desired strategies for accessibility to basic needs in the settlements of the musician communities. Amidst soul stirring renditions, the collective articulations of the musicians alluded to the need to move beyond the conventional strategies of revival of folk cultural traditions and stressed the need to fostering decentralized initiatives, grounded in community sites of the production of these arts practice.
Their scintillating performances were enticing overtures to participate with them in a quest for a more dignified life where their communities have access to basic needs and opportunities for well being. Perhaps the route for preserving the cultural heritage and even changing the conservative and debasing elements of their cultural traditions lies via the collective embodiment of dignity and empowerment of these subaltern musician communities.
It would be worthwhile to note that this ‘heightened visibility’ exists only for a few among them. Majority of them have witnessed a steady erosion of their traditional patronage, livelihood opportunities and the relationship with their art practice. Many of them have become casual wage earners working at the lower levels of the tourism and modern entertainment industries. Contracts in languages foreign to them and unspecified conditions too often characterize these global ventures which most of the times promise meagre material or qualitative gains for the performing folk musicians. In fact many of them, in more introspective moments, express pathos about their footloose status and the numbing effect media is having on them.
The other issues of well being that persist pertain to access to basic entitlements like health, education and dignity of the communities of these folk musicians. Most of these communities continue to dwell in rudimentary habitations and have poor access
to basic needs of habitat, education, health and social security for the old and destitute among them. They survive as subordinated groups in a highly discriminatory socio-economic and political context. Endowed with no or poor quality marginal land holdings and absence of alternative livelihood options forces many in vicious debt traps. This material reality of existence has a direct bearing on the questions of preservation of the living heritage of the region.There are hardly any govt. policies or schemes that deal with developing collective initiative around promoting livelihood options among the artist groups. It is quite paradoxical that artists whose cultural skills contribute meaningfully to the growth of a variety of entertainment enterprises do not have adequate opportunities to develop their own collective enterprises around culture. The most glaring example is that of several social groups of folk performers in western Rajasthan who have no option but to participate in drought relief public works that involve digging earth, uprooting bushes, and other undignified kinds of human labour. This is a practice that goes on unabated even in works commissioned under enlightened employment generations schemes under NREGA that aspires to realize the right to work (dignified work, emphasis mine) for vulnerable communities.
The meeting of around hundred performers from Managaniyars, Langas, Mehers, Dhadis, Meghwals and Bhils communities of Barmer and JaIsalmer district was memorable in more than one ways. Braving the scorching heat of May, folk musicians, young and old, collected from 3rd to 5th May 2008 in the hill township of Barmer city to successfully convene a well organized three day event in the backdrop of vast horizons and star lit skies. It was a fitting tribute to the Barmer region that has been the birth place for the many illustrious folk cultural traditions, be it the exquisite handicrafts or scintillating folk music and dances of Rajasthan. The pioneering efforts of Padamshee Magraj Jain and the Nehru Yuvak Kendra in facilitating recognition to these folk musicians were acknowledged by all. The conference was organised by Marudhara Lok Kala Kendra and SURE, local NGOs of Barmer and supported by the India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore
The leitmotif of the conference was the emphasis on deep and often hidden connections between the materiality of their collective being and their cultural practices understood as community traditions. What are the processes that need to be followed to integrate the voices of the rural creators in constituting decentralized and self-sustaining cultural / creative industries that situate their existence not as subservient to the logics of elite perspectives and market but to perspectives of realization of self as rooted in the local tradition and community was one of the questions probed. The workshop was an opportunity to listen to these folk performers, their perceptions regarding processes for a dignified representation, dissemination and transmission of their rich cultural traditions.
The congregation was a visual extravaganza, lit with bright expressive faces, colourful turbans, densely printed ajrak shawls and instruments embellished with exquisitely braided beads, chains and ribbons. Interludes of soul stirring intonations of deep sonorous voices, rapturous tonalities and lilting melodies interspersed the proceedings where these subaltern musician communities freely discussed issues affecting their material well being and their ecstatic traditions. Among those present were illustrious stalwarts like Rukma Bai, Nage Khan, Karim Khan, Chanan Khan, Hakim Khan, Bade Ghazi Khan who had their first international exposure in the early 1980s and have since then visited more than two dozen countries. Versatile old poets like Bhopji Dhadi and Pathane Khan, who recited traditional verses in dingal and poems about the havoc wreaked by the recent floods in Barmer with equal ease, never hesitated with their wise interjections. Mishri Khan, the grand old jaltarang specialist, always posed challenges with his fundamental and existential ruminations. Ridmalram, Chaturbhuj, Raees Khan, Bhungar Khan, the younger among the performers, participated with their mature suggestions and innovative ideas.
Their hidden ecstatic bodies would spontaneously come in play when they went on to singing a song or strung a melody on the kamaicha or deftly played the khartal. The old and the new singers created a seamless blend of sonic aura that seemed to organically possess everybody present. The ease with which some of them could sing compositions be it the life cycle songs, barah masa, or the sufi compositions and the upcoming new folk songs that were popular in the local entertainment circuits, demonstrated the robust and versatile texture of these living cultural traditions and the ability of these musicians to straddle different worlds of entertainment effortlessly. This versatility that was rooted in the deep collective structures of their arts practice, memory alluded to what Komal Kothari referred to as their “ tenacious shell” that had held on despite the loss of textual nuance and individualization of community artistic practice, as their music is increasingly tailored to the clichés that appeal to general audiences.
There were different perceptions regarding the extent and the impact of the dissolution of traditional patronage on their musical repertoire and quality of arts practice. Many of the experienced musicians came out with frank and balanced assessments of existing initiatives for preservation of the cultural heritage of the desert, mostly those originating in folkloristic documentation and archiving. There was an exploration of desired strategies for accessibility to basic needs in the settlements of the musician communities. Amidst soul stirring renditions, the collective articulations of the musicians alluded to the need to move beyond the conventional strategies of revival of folk cultural traditions and stressed the need to fostering decentralized initiatives, grounded in community sites of the production of these arts practice.
Their scintillating performances were enticing overtures to participate with them in a quest for a more dignified life where their communities have access to basic needs and opportunities for well being. Perhaps the route for preserving the cultural heritage and even changing the conservative and debasing elements of their cultural traditions lies via the collective embodiment of dignity and empowerment of these subaltern musician communities.
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