Performing
Arts The Rajasthani lives life to the hilt and this is best
expressed in the powerful folk music and dance performances, each sure to
leave a lasting impression.
Folk MusicFolk
Music of RajasthanThe melting pot of cultures, Rajasthan also has a
unique brand of music has been cradled by the desolation of the state and
its shimmering sands. Communities of hereditary musicians sing full-throated
songs on universal themes: love, marriage, separation, seasons and
festivities. The haunting strains of the sarangi characterize desert music,
making it popular worldwide.
Festivals are the best times to see
musicians and singers performing.
Maand: A form of court
music, the maand is a raga formation that developed in Marwar, and includes
a complex inflexion of voices, sung in a deep bass. This sophisticated form
of music percolated down to folk forms and professional singers use it to
sing ballads that have a haunting quality as their voice range over the
desert. The maand has also been used to sing the praises of their
ruler-patrons. The Marwar Festival is now exclusively dedicated to the event
in Jodhpur.
Folk Dance The colorful
dances of Rajasthan have evolved over thousands of years and reflect the
vivacity of the Rajasthani and his celebration of life. There are tribes
that specialize in a particular form of dance and the result is a
spellbinding performance- best seen in a fair, at a village or in your
hotel.
Some of the dance forms are given below:
Bhavai:
One of the state's most spectacular performances, it consists of veiled
women dancers balancing up to seven or nine brass pitchers as they dance
nimbly, pirouetting, and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched
on top of a glass, or on the edge of a sword. There is a sense of
cutting-edge suspense to the performance, and even through some of the hotel
performers use only peppier mache pots that are stuck together, the feat is
still one of amazing dexterity. (Note: See the `Slide Show' section in `Folk
Dance'. The first two pictures show a lady dancing `Bhawai')
Chari
: Dancers choreograph deft patterns with their hands while balancing
brass pots on their heads. The performance is made more picturesque with the
flames from cotton seeds set alight, so that the bobbing heads create
streaks of illuminated patterns as they move effortlessly around the floor.
Drum Dance: Put a naked sword in the mouth of a man, and
give him three swords to juggle with this hands while avoiding causing an
injury to himself. All this to the accompaniment of his troupe that consists
of musicians holding aloft drums around their necks and cymbals in their
hands. A stirring performance from a martial race.
Fire Dance
: If there is divine protection to be offered, the Jasnathis of Bikaner
and Churu must be responsible for cornering most of it. These dancers
perform of a large bed of flaming coals, their steps moving to the beat of
drums that rises in crescendo till the dancers appear to be in a near
hypnotic state. And no, they're not likely to have any blisters to show or
it. These devotional performances are usually to be seen late on a winter's
night. See videos for a clip of this dance.
Gair : There
are several variations to this picturesque dance form that is performed by
both men and women. The men wear long, pleated tunics that open out into
full-length skirts as they move first in clockwise then in anti-clockwise
direction, beating their sticks to create the rhythm when they turn.
Originally a Bhil dance, and performed at her time of Holi, its variations
are the Dandia Gair in the Marwar region and Greened in the Shekhawati
region. see video `Gair Dancers for a clip of this dance.
Ghoomar:
a community dance of the Rajputs, performed by the women of the house and
traditionally out of bounds for men, it uses simple swaying movements to
convey the spirit of any auspicious occasion. There is, however, an amazing
grace as the skirts flare slowly while the women twirl in circles, their
faces covered by veil. Traditionally, all women, whether old or young,
participate in the dance, which can continue for hours into the night. A new
bride, on being welcomed to the home of her husband, too is expected to
dance the ghoomer as one of the rituals of the new marriage.
Kachi Ghodi:
originated from the bandit regions of Shekhawati, the dance is performed for
the entertainment of a bridegroom's party. Dancers wear elaborate costumes
that resemble them riding on dummy horses. A vigorous dance, it uses
mock-fight and the brandishing of swords, nimble sidestepping and
pirouetting to the music of fifes and drums. A ballad singer usually sings
the exploits of the local heroes in the mould of Robin Hood.
Kathak:
This formal, classical dance evolved as a gharana in the courts of Jaipur
where it reached a scale that established it as distinct from the other
center of Kathak, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Even today, the Jaipur gharana
is well established, though performances occur in other centers rather than
in the state where the opportunity for classical dance forms has been on the
decline for a while.
Kathputli:
A tradition of puppeteering has long existed in Rajasthan. A traveling
from of entertainment, it uses the ballads, retold in the voice of the
puppeteer who is assisted by his family in erecting a make-shift stage.
Puppets are strung on the stage and recount historic anecdotes, replay tales
of love, and unclude much screeching and high-pitched sounds as the puppets
twirl and move frenetically.
Sapera Dance: One of the most
sensuous, dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by the Kalbeliya
snake-charmers' community, the sapera dancers wear long, black skirts
embroidered with silver ribbons. As they spin in a circle, their bodies sway
acrobatically, so that it is almost impossible to believe that they are made
of anything other than rubber. As the beat increases in tempo, the pace
increases to such a pitch that it leaves the viewer as exhausted as the
dancer.
Terah Taali: Another devotional form of dance
practiced by the Kamad community of Pokhran and Deedwana, to honor their
folk hero, Baba Ramdeo, it consists of women sitting on the floor before his
image. Tied to various parts of their body are thirteen cymbals which they
strike with the ones they do this, and for effect, they may also balance
pots on their hands and hold a sword in their mouth. The video titled `Terah
Taali Dances' shows this pretty dance.
The
Performers Upholders of the tradition-the performing
tribes of Rajasthan There is a great tradition of popular poetry,
which is written under the rival banners of Turru and Kalangi. This is a
sung in groups in Jikri, Kanhaiyya or Geet (of the meenas), Hele-ke-Khyal
and Bam Rasiya of Eastern Rajasthan. Group singing of classical bandishes,
called the Dangal or taalbandi is also unique to this region. Bhopas are
singing priests of various deities or warrior saints. The Bhopas of Mataji
Wear costumes and play the Mashak.
Dance is often part of the
musical tradition and the Theories or Nayaks, who are Pabu Bhopas, have a
female accompanist; together they recite the phad (a painted ballad). The
phad itself is an elaborately painted work of art and deeply venerated. The
Chipas of Joshis are famous phad painters.
The Jogis were
well-known for their recitation of the great ballad Nihalde Sultan,
Shivji-ka-byawala and songs about Gopi Chand and Bhartrihari. Most of these
musical communities live a rural base and function as wandering minstrels
traveling from village to village. There are many other artists in deferent
art forms who use music as an accompaniment. The Dholis, also known as
mirasis specialize in percussion instruments. Mabganiyars and Langas are
from the desert region and are known for their distinct musical styles.
State and royal patronage elevated some of these musicians into
Kalawants in the royal courts. Their music had acquired a sophistication
that was absent from the rustic tones of the other. The famous Maand of
Rajasthan, which is a unique style of singing and a core melody, is their
creation. True to its desert environment, the Maand speaks of love,
professional repertoire and Dhola Maru, Moomal-Mahendra, Doongji-jawarji,
Galaleng, Jala-Boobna, Nagji-Nagwatnti are the most popular ones. The
mahabharat and the Ramayan are popular themes for ballads an the Mirasis and
Jogis of Mewat have a delightful folk version of the former, while Hadoti
has the Ramayan of Dhai kadi.
Folk opera is another field, which
has been made immensely popular by the professionals, often in association
with amateurs. The Chairawi and Kuchamani Khyals, Maarch of Chittorgarh
area, Tamayha of Jaipur and Rammat of Bikaner are famous. The Nautanki and
Rasleela are also seen in western Uttar Pardesh, but sadly, the Alibakshi
Khyal, the original Bhawai plays and the musical traditions of the
Rasadharies and Rawals are now extinct.
