For this English teacher, music knows no boundaries

Kuldeep Chauhan

The same music flows in human veins, but people sing and dance and play it in different tunes and rhythm to keep off vices in the world. The same holds true for folk music and dance of Himachal and neighbouring Uttarakhand, says Ashwini Kumar Loathta, an English teacher, who is Principal at Government Senior Secondary School, Dhabas in Chopal. 

He, however, adds: “Due to the onslaught of Bollywood, new instruments and cross-cultural currents, folk dance and music of the hill people is also undergoing changes in the way people sing, dance and play instruments. Yet, the folk dance and music of Garhwal and Jaunsar of Uttarakhand, which shares border with Shimla district, have maintained its basic essence, tunes and rhythm that still haunts the lovers of folk music of the hills.” Loathta has discovered a host of classic and folk elements in Jaunsari and Garhwali music in his personal research. He has studied great critics from Aristotle to Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan to PB Shelly and discovered the folk music and dance of Garhwal and Jaunsar out of his personal penchant for it.

“Folk music teaches simplicity, serenity and peacefulness that provide essential food for young minds keeping them  away from all vices,” says Loathta, who has interacted with Garhwali pundits and scholars like late Dandi Swami, Late Janardan Shastri, Late Shekhranand and Rajender Sharma, who were well-versed in the vedic lore.

He says children studying in schools need to be educated and trained in singing folk songs and music of the hills, which is facing the onslaught of consumerism and climate change. Loathta says: “Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan and Ustad Hamid Ali Khan had once sung ‘Pyar Nahin Hai Sur Se Jisko, Woh Murakh Insaan Nahin Hai; Sur Insaan Bana Deta Hai, Sur Rehman Mila Deta Hai; Sur ki Aag Mein Jalne Wale Parvane Nadan Nahin Hai; Jag Mein Agar Sangeet Na Hota, Koi Kisi Ka Meet Na Hota; Ye Ahsaan Hai Saat Suron Ka, Ye Duniya Veeran Nahin Hai.”

He said Shelley, too, had reiterated in his famous poem ‘To a Skylark’—  ‘Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought’. Shelley’s remark is applicable to all ages and lands. Doctor Samuel Johnson, the arch lexicographer, remarks: “Music is the only sensual pleasure without sin”. But Johnson’s remark is not applicable to vulgar and erotic music.

He says folk music of India is more or less based on Indian classical music. For example, the Himachali song ‘Lal Chiriye Seri ni Jana’ is modelled upon Raga Hindol. The Shimla pahari songs ‘Nai Auna Tere’, ‘Daudi Rande’ and ‘Bhadrua’ are based on Raga Bhairav and Ragini Sindhu Bhairavi. Likewise, the old songs of all four Garhwals — Pauri, Tihari, Chamoli and Kumaon — have classical roots. Lothata has found that there are three parties of planets/ grahas on the basis of “laya” (rhythm) and these can be linked with people of different temperament. He says music is of five kinds — first, 100 per cent jovial, second 100 per cent sad; third 70 per cent jovial and 30 per cent sad; fourth 70 per cent sad and 30 per cent jovial and fifth 50 per cent jovial and 50 per cent sad. This categorisation is simply based on the tune and impression of music on listeners. “I think, all folk music of India and Garhwal’s music also can be grouped under this scale,” he said.

Garhwali themes

Separation of true lovers, especially for long intervals of time, caused by the enemies of love and champions of evil is a usual theme in sad Garhwali music, he said. Like each raga represents a unique philosophy of life, each Garhwali song evinces a distinct philosophy of life, he said.

Each tune/ song/ item has its own unique spirit. ‘Bijora Li’ is a serious and poignant Jaunsari pahari song by Nati singer Dharmender Parmar.

But the recording of this song is interspersed with hilarious and razzmatazz exclamation ‘Hey’. This is an ethical error. This despoils the serious sanctity of the song and it has the influence of Bollywood. Similarly, the semi-serious pahari song ‘Dunge Naluye’ by Vicky Rajta is interspersed with libidinous ‘Haiyan Ha’. This also should be expurgated by eliminating the sinister utterance, he said.

However, the intermediary utterance ‘Gir Gir De’ in the Himachali folk ‘Indra Daliye’ is feasible, simply because it does not despoil the organic unity and the unity of impression of the song. One argument in favour of such hilarious exclamations is acceptable; that such utterances shield the viewers and listeners from deleterious effects of negativity.

He says: “Garhwal’s old and new sad music is poignant. Garhwal’s sad music has a unique quality, which other folk music rarely has.” He finds heroic idealism and sombre fatalism of old English poem ‘Beowulf’ in the sad music of Garhwal. He cites examples: The intermediary tune on harmonium in Keshar Panwar’s and Seema Pangriyal’s song ‘Jwani tera nou’; the intermediary tune on synthesiser in Sunder Narwan’s and Suman Bagyal’s song ‘Nonyali Jadu Ki’; the male and the female choruses in the background in ‘Mamta Bandola’ by Sunder Narwan and Santoshi Raj; the intermediary tune in old Garhwali song ‘Oye Danda Oye’ is a poignant tune and has the same un-named quality.

He gave examples of jovial Garwali songs “Saruli Devidhura ki’, ‘Rupsa Ramoti’, ‘Aijadi Bhagyani’ and ‘Otuwa Belena’ that keep your spirits up. “In a way, one should also listen to happy music because it keeps us positive and optimistic,” he suggests. ‘Byoli hey jabane byoli’ is also a happy positive folk lore and ‘Mera

Hattu Ki Dhan Chhuti Jai’ by Narender Singh Negi is again an old sad song that speaks of travails of true love in changing times and conditions.

He said the harmonium’s tune in Mahendra Singh Chauhan’s Jaunsari folk song ‘Mera Daduye’ evokes both sad and jovial feelings in the listener just like the namkeen khatta-meetha.

He said an old sad song ‘Kafal Pakko’ is one among the most poignant Garhwali songs. A poor woman is unable to provide sufficient food to her only starving daughter. The girl keeps on pestering her mother about her hunger. One day, in a fit of rage, the mother imprecates her daughter to die. The girl dies after some time due to hunger pangs. At this, the lonely mother also dies. In the next incarnation, both are reborn as sparrows, so that they easily sup plenty on the kafal fruit.

‘Chandra Bau’ by Pradeep Butola and Hema Negi Karasi is a brisk and racy jovial song of short duration replete with typical Garhwali rhythm and melody. This song, too, like other jovial Garhwali songs, makes you happy and positive. It is bliss to dance in speed on this classic song, he observed. ‘Nauni Kirpi’ is a traditional jovial-cum-sad classic song with a typical Garhwali mode. “This song focuses on the selfish and dishonest modern world in a ‘high serious’ and melodious manner. But it is sad to note that such old songs are going out of vogue due to modernisation and efforts must be made to preserve them, he said.

Huraki — Garwali, Shimla music instrument 

Garhwal’s unique instrument Hurak or Huraki is (tentatively) 50 per cent jovial and 50 per cent sad. It is typically poignant as well as exhilarating. It seems only Garhwali folk music suits this instrument. It is something native to Garhwal and is also used in folk music of Shimla district, he said. Truly, music knows no boundary and its appeal is universal and we should know and understand each other’s music and promote and preserve it for our future generations, he said.