Transcultural Glory in Rushdie’s The Ground Beneath Her Feet
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10794820
Author(s): Dr. Dimple Dubey
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10794739
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Volume 15 | Issue 1 | Feb 2024
Pages: 154-162
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The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 15, Issue-I, February 2024 ISSN: 0976-8165
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Adjustment to Adopt a New Landscape of Technological Advancements for
the Folk Artist of Rajasthan
Inka Shree Verma
Assistant Professor,
Faculty of English,
S. M. M. Govt. Girls College, Bhilwara.
Article History: Submitted-23/01/2024, Revised-15/02/2024, Accepted-28/02/2024, Published-29/02/2024.
Abstract:
Rajasthan is known for its rich heritage and culture, which the musical communities of
Rajasthan are continuously trying to preserve and flourish. Literature can be found in various forms
and folk tales and folk songs are also associated with it. Folk tales and music are part of our
traditions and culture. Rajasthan is a state where folk music plays an important role. Here music
is an integral part of its culture. Folk music is not just a thing for amusement but it is deeply
associated with the feelings of the people. Rajasthani folk music can captivate the listeners with
its melodious rhythm and lyrics. The origin of these songs is stories that have been transferred
from one person to another. There are many popular forms of music in Rajasthan, including
Ganwari, Panihari, Maand, Langa, Kalbelia, Chari, Pabu Ji Ri Phad etc.
Although these artists are promoting the rich musical heritage of Rajasthan still, they are
facing the issue of technological advancement. The present paper aims to understand the problems
of these musical communities in adopting the social media platforms. It is also concerned for the
socio-economic condition of the musical communities of Rajasthan. It is significant for those
people who want to flourish and preserve the folk art which they learned from their ancestors. The
focus is to examine the attitude and perception of mainstream society towards a marginalised
musical community. These communities come from the poor sections of the society, where they
are suffering for the basic necessities of life.
Keywords: Cultural Identity, Music, Folk Literature, Mainstream, Technological
Advancement, Social Media.
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Adjustment to Adopt a New Landscape of Technological Advancements for the Folk Artist of Rajasthan
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
Introduction
Rajasthan is known for its rich cultural heritage and the folk communities of Rajasthan are
continuously preserving and flourishing it. Literature that can be perceive in various forms such
as folk tales, folk songs and folk theatre. Rajasthan is a state where folk music has an important
place in the heart of every Rajasthani, for them Folk music is not just a mean for amusement but
it is deeply associated with the cultural life of the people. Rajasthani folk music can captivate the
listeners with its melodious rhythm and lyrics. The origin of these songs are the stories that have
been transferred from one person to another.
Rajasthan has a number of musical communities; these communities have been working
hard to preserve the history and folk literature of Rajasthan. Among them, the notable communities
are: Manganiyar, Kalbelia, Langa, Bhopa, Bheel and Jogi. The popular dances of these people are
Ganwari, Panihari, Maand, Langa, Kalbelia, Chari, Pabu Ji Ri Phad etc. These communities are
mostly found in western area of Rajasthan and most of them are from the nomadic tribes of
Rajasthan. The popular singers among these communities are Allah Jilah Bai, Mame Khan, Kheta
Khan, Gavari Devi, Sartaj Khan, Chhotu Singh Rawana, Rappaiya Baalam and Kohinoor Langa
Khan. Women musicians are also skilled in singing as Jamali Devi who is a well-known “Mand
Gayiki ”, Amana Devi and Mali Devi who play on Iktara. Their songs are inspired by Sant Kabeer
and Meerabai, who played an important part of Indian literature during the Bhakti movement. In
the field of Jagran (A full night hymns), Sumitra Devi sings hymns of local deities like Pabu Ji,
Devnarayan Ji, Rani Bhatiyani Ji, Goga Ji and Teja Ji.
Manganiyarː Manganiyar people are the legends in the field of music because these people
preserve the history and lineage of Rajasthan. Manganiyar community comes under the most
prominent group of musicians. Customarily, the Manganiyar have provided family genealogies
and ceremonial music to their hereditary patrons for remuneration in kind for at least the past three
centuries (Kothari 1994, 205) (1).
Kalbelia: Kalbelia (Snake charmers) community of Rajasthan considered themselves as the
followers of saint Kafin Nath. Mostly Kalbelia people are found in Pali, Chittoor and Udaipur
district of Rajasthan.
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Langaː The Langa literary meant as “Song Giver” is also popular musical community of Rajasthan,
these people are mostly found in Barmer Jaisalmer and Jodhpur district of Rajasthan who are
skilled artists, poets and musicians. Muslim -Sindhi are the patrons of the Langa community. The
Langa community is very much influenced by Sufi music.
Bheelː Bheels are very much involved in song and dance, and it is a colorful community. They
perform Ghoomar and Gair dances during their traditional presentation. Music, song, and dance
are an integral part of Bhil life and they accompany it in all feasts and celebrations.
Bhopa: Bhopa is also a group that is associated with the religious musical community. The singers
who recite stories in the music are called Bhopas. The musical ballads are favorite to Bhopas who
perform song and dance while reading painted scrolls. These scrolls are called Pabuji ri Phad that
Bhopas recite in front of the audience.
Although these artists are still promoting the rich musical heritage of Rajasthan, they are
still not getting proper attention from the society. The present paper aims to understand the
challenges of these musical communities in preserving folk music of Rajasthan. It is also
concerned for the socio-economic condition and adaptation with digital media of the musical
communities of Rajasthan. It is significant for those people who want to flourish and preserve the
folk art which they learned from their ancestors. The focus is to examine the attitude and perception
of folk communities towards a digitalization in arts. These communities come from the poor
sections of the society, where they are suffering for the basic necessities of life. Therefore, present
study stresses that many of the music artists are poor and have no hope for any financial help.
These musical communities are unaware of any government schemes and benefits, facing
unending hardships to use multi-media sources. Everyday these communities are victims of the
atrocities of the so-called civilized society. These highly talented artists are forced to beg to fill
their stomachs.
This study focuses the research questions
(a) What is the necessity for conveying folk music on social platforms?
(b) What are the problems suffered by the musical folk communities of Rajasthan?
(c) Is there any variation mandatory? If yes, what, how and where?
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(d) What are the occasions this investigation proposes?
(e) What type of communication and description in conveying folk music styles should be
used for the upcoming generation?
(f) What are the threats in this switch media
Traditional Narrative Style of the Rajasthani Communities
The lyrics of Manganiyari and Kalbelia groups sing for desert culture. These musical
groups set the tune for the couplets and ballads. Normally this begins with Alap and sets the tune
for epic ballads. The songs are inspired by the local folk deities and legends most prominently
tales of Pabuji, Ramdev ji, Gogaji, Tejaji and Rani Bhatiyani ji which the Langa and Manganiyar
community sing with their musical instruments. It is also observed that these local musicians also
present the literary tradition of choric songs when the other participants repeat the verse. Surely,
these musicians are actively involved in the vocal groups who perform and sing together to
highlight their culture in world scenarios. There are some artists sitting behind to do commentary
on the actions of the ballad that reminds us of Homer and Odysseus. The musical instruments used
here indicate the mental condition of the characters.
Challenges for the Folk Communities
Societal Challenges
Despite preserving the Rajasthani folk culture, these communities are facing various
problems for their existence. These tribes are not getting any financial support from the
government schemes, although there are some beneficial schemes but due to lack of education and
awareness, these musical communities are getting any support. One of the biggest problems is that
due to their belonging to Muslim community and closer to Hindu families as Manganiyar, Langa
and Kalbelia communities are facing a religious identity crisis too. Kalbelia, Manganiyar and
Langa communities, earlier they used to get financial help from the Rajput kings because they
were the entertainers and used to have genealogical records of these royal families, now they are
helpless and struggling to fill their stomach for a single time once a day.
Secondly, these tribes are not ready to adapt with the other cultural changes of the society.
Kalbelia and Manganiyar tribes reside at the outer-side of the village, therefore it is very hard for
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them to mingle with other castes of Rajasthan, we can say that these people are not flexible with
the other culture and arts to adopt it easily. Rather than this the upcoming generation of these
communities are not interested in learning their traditional art because after performing very hard,
audiences are not getting sufficient money and young children are moving towards education.
Earlier there was a system in which royal families used to give food and financial help to
these musical communities who had been working continuously in their houses. Now it has almost
stopped. Some communities are often seen protesting for education and land entitlement and also
demands for the proper auditorium or any such place where they can practice their art. For many
years, some of these musical communities by occupation have provided family lineages and
performed to their genetic musical patrons for wages. They have been devoted not only to distinct
patron relations, but also to complete family heredities over many generations through communal
and financial dependence. However, in current times, new innovation is threatening this lifestyle.
No longer do fresher musicians see the length of musical collection that their fathers knew, nor do
they be contingent so much on their jajmans (patrons) financially. Likewise, their jajman families
do not generally possess the musical knowledge and interest that their ancestors once had, nor do
they feel the responsibility to provide economic sustainability for their Manganiyar. Many
musicians have begun to excel the limitations of their low caste title and position in society by
integrating not only development rhetoric.
Narayan Bareth says when we have visited him in Barefoot College of Tilonia in Rajasthan
to highlight socio-economic status of folk artists as are, Langa and Manganiyar and felt remorseful
state of the folk artistes in the state. “If the present situation continues to be allowed, we will see
some of the instruments will be fashioned out,” says Manohar Lalas, a disciple of late Komal
Kothari who promoted the folk musicians of the desert. A renowned social worker Bankar Roy
conducted a survey, he writes that the musical communities of Rajasthan are not getting survival
needs as water, housing and even burial ground. The Barefoot College survey also reports that the
local artists were forced to go for secondary options for income. Consequently, these musicians
are going back and getting frustrated and their art is slowly fading.
Yogita Swami (2020) (2) a journalist infers in her interview given to Indian Express that
“these musical folk singers who are lower caste Muslims are referred to as BEGGAR in spite of
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being traditional artists’. The musical artists of these communities perform their art on various
occasions but get only a small amount or just food items in return for their performance”. Some of
the artists have performed abroad and even performed on Door Darshan and All -India Radio still
not getting proper money for that laments the artists of these communities. It is very hard for them
to get any offer to perform on the stage, only a famous artist can approach the big audience, rest
are not coming out from their present situation.
Challenges of Digital Media
During the struggling times as in Covid pandemic, the construction of art and its circulation
were harshly hit globally. The folk artists of Rajasthan suffered badly during the covid pandemic.
They were facing the starvation and lack of resources to present their art. Even they were not aware
of the social media that was approachable and accessible platform for the people. Some of the folk
artists somehow learned this technique and uploaded it on the social media recorded or live. Dr.
Nikhil Kumar Gouda (2022) (3) writes in their article that During this period, most public
institutions lack audiences and there is a passive reaction of the government.
Khandge (2021) (4) writes that folk art can be expressed through various means as music,
dance and drama. Which these local folk uneducated artists are serving to their coming generations.
The study also states social media definitely affects our values and can help spread our age-old
civilizations with enormous desire and respect. During the performance, the artists feel
demotivated due to lack of audience therefore it is required that the government should promote
and support through announcements on social media, and offering simulated trips. In addition, the
Sangeet Natak Academy, Ravindra Manch Jawahar Kala Kendra, Shilp Gram Sanstha should plans
for organizing events as Summer Festival, Desert Festival, Pushkar Mela etc. with special
opportunities for their advancement, it may be a great help for the artists.
Shalini Ayangiri (2007) (5) writes in her paper about narrowing gaps and widening the
capacities for empowerment the musical communities of Rajasthan “These musicians have always
made their livings from begging. Well, not anymore. Now we beg from them”. She has examined
how this community of musicians, in an ever-increasing world of modernization, is actively
[re]configuring musical practices, [re]constructing space and social positioning, and
[re]articulating relationships in order to assert their livelihoods and individual agency. An
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investigation has been conducted by various researchers on folk artists in Rajasthan, they collected
folk songs on social aspects of their struggle to blow-out consciousness that is intensively rooted
in the folk artists that how to use digital media on a large scale not just performing on the theater
or the stage.
Expectations from Society and the Government
These poor uneducated artists are not trained for online performance so they face many
problems uploading folk content on social media. Government should introduce these new
technological innovations for their cultural expansion since there are no other alternatives for the
continuation of art. In beginning artists may feel hesitant to learn it, but if successful artists will
motivate them and help them, then it will not be a hard task for them. It is also seeming that there
is no equal partition of the female music artist although there are many dedicated female
performers in folk communities of Rajasthan. Now we should give proper space to the female artist
to move forward a step. Another thing is that these artists come from a rural background and are
not educated, hence their performance is also traditional.
Nowadays Bollywood is mixing folk music with western and the rustic artist are not come
up with the mixing of their musical songs and style. We talked with an artist he says that if I am
ready for the digital platform, there I face ambience issue and I feel stuck in this situation and
remains inexpressive, I lose my concentration and my quality degrades, only because of
unfamiliarity with the technology. We are poor people who are not familiar with high production
equipment. What we want is the YouTube tutorials and practice to do a lot for this. Many artists
got offers for the big events. They told us that there was very little camera space in the recording
room, they lost that spontaneity that we feel in the open surroundings of Rajasthan. The majority
of the artists are not committed to their art, so they pay less concentration with this mindset that
singing and music are not giving them sufficient earning. Some artists are really talented but they
are passive due to the financial pressure and a smaller number of audiences. “If an artist’s art is
not reaching to the level which he or she wants, then what should the artist feel…Obviously he or
she will not feel motivated and we will not upgrade our skills” …… says Bungar Khan.
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Conclusion
Therefore, this paper is an attempt to give insights about music and literature of Rajasthani
musical communities. It has discussed the traditional music and legends of the communities with
their musical instruments. Malini Nayar writes “The world of Rajasthani folk music is shrinking
despite its global fame and success”. In the absence of local support Manganiyar and Langas are
forgetting the local Gathas and Kathas”. It has concerns with thousands of musical artists of
Rajasthan who are preserving the folk literature through their tradition of music and dance
especially the Langa, Manganiyar, Kalbelia and Bhopa communities of Rajasthan, which are doing
their job from generation to generation and are desperate for earning. Here arouses a question that
whether these communities are able to assume any role in all literature or in a literary society?
Hence, this paper provides a debate: what is the place of these local musicians? Are they really
contributing in our literature- if yes then where is the place, what is the role for these musicians?
Therefore, efforts are required to do our best to get the proper recognition and foster the musical
arts and enhance their skill. Definitely it will help in promoting culturally and financially to these
folk artists. It is a privilege for us that there are people around us who are preserving oral folk
traditions and literature of Rajasthan. These people are not educated but orally document our folk
literature in the form of songs and stories. The future generation of these artists are suffering for
the basic needs hence it is required that these marginalized communities should be given proper
attention.
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Dr. Dimple Dubey