Languishing tradition

Alka Pande

Mangat Ram, lives on the outskirts of Chandigarh. This medium height, red cheeked gray-eyed septuagenarian with snowy white hair peeping out of his rakishly tied, white turban belongs to a traditional family of 'dhol' players. He was born in Pakistan, and is one of the few surviving 'dhol' players who knows a number of 'bolis' which form the traditional repertoire of a 'dholi'. He is a contemporary of the ace 'dhol' player Ghugi. His brother, his nephews, son, Des Raj, and grandson, Dev Raj are all well known popular 'dholis' who have represented Punjab at various national and international forums. His entire clan, for five generations has imbibed the 'dhol' playing techniques in the traditional 'guru shishya parampara'. Each is representing India at various forums and stages abroad. Today they command premium rates in terms of cash and kind. The Punjabi 'dhol' has come a long way in the changing trends of musical following and audience preferences in the past century. In fact the story of Mangat Ram is an embodiment of the genesis of the 'dhol' and its usage in Punjab over the years.

Garibu, the been sapera

Garibu the 'nath jogi' lives in Morinda, He is illiterate. In spite of the government ban on snake catching he continues to keep his snakes for he knows no other way of life. Like Mangat Ram's 'dhol' the 'been' has been in his family for generations but unlike Mangat Ram it will end with him. His grandson, Prem has already changed his occupation and has opted out of the traditional craft. "There is no respect in this traditional form of livelihood anymore. People are not the same. They regard the 'nath jogi' as a beggar. Tired of this disrespectful existence, I prefer to deal with garbage and waste material. My father and uncles know the ways of our people. I have not tried to learn. My grandfather and family gave me permission to pursue this line of work because there was no other alternative," says Prem. Garibu is part of the living heritage of the 'been sapera' tradition, and with him dies the traditional tunes.

Sharief Idu, one of the most prominent Sufi 'dhadi' singers of the state, lives in Mani Majra village in Chandigarh. Today he pushes a cart to earn money to keep his body and soul together. The 'algoza' of fakir Mohammed and his ilk is another folk musical instrument that is soon going to be lost owing to disuse. Fakir Mohammed is one of the few who is financially able to eke out a living. He uses his expertise for political propaganda. The 'taasha' or 'dhaama,' or the Punjabi folk tabla played with sticks which provides the rhythmic accompaniment for folk performances has one serious practitioner in Gamdoor Sikander at Khanna, who again perhaps is the last of the performers.

Des Raj-the dholi player.

The very nature of the performing folk art does not lend itself easily to documentation. It is imbibed through the 'little tradition' from word of mouth, and with the lack of patronage, audiences, and the change which is inevitable with development, the folk performer in Punjabi is skating on thin ice. It is the direct result of development particularly the Green Revolution of the Sixties which led to the coining of the phrase "Punjab is a land of agriculture and no culture."

Pre-Partition Punjab, in particular boasts of a rich and varied cultural heritage. Lahore, even before the advent of the Mughals was an active and culturally rich centre. Many serious miniature painters would sign "Lahori" and "Kashmiri" after their names.

Traditional algoza player.

Punjab's cultural heritage as embodied in its dance and music has plenty of practitioners. It is deeply rooted in tradition and forms the essence of the socio-cultural milieu, of the region. With repeated invasions and conquests, Punjab's cultural traditions instead of crumbling were further enriched. Within the existing forms, Punjabi folk absorbed, imbibed and added to its repertoire. Folk culture assimilated and transformed itself to the prevailing influences of the times and emerged even more buoyant and diverse. Thus Punjabi folk is truly representative of the diverse influences which have made their presence felt in the geographical boundaries of the State.

What emerges is a rich mosaic of traditions. The land of milk and honey serves as a nurturing ground for 'bhakti' and 'sufi' on the one end and the sensuous and the bawdy on the other. The 'kissa sahitya' tradition provides the backbone to the literary renditions of the traditional performers, and in turn provides a multi-dimensional visual image of the customs, traditions, right down to the dress, jewellery and the social norms prevailing in the State. The 'Heer Ranjha' of Baba Waris Shah is one example.

Specified folk communities like the 'mirasi', 'naqqals,' 'kavishers,' 'baazigars' 'sufi and sikh dhadis' 'malangs,' 'naths,' saperas' and 'jogis' carried on the task of cultural propagation. They have become the culture-bearers of Punjab's rich heritage. The 'mirasi' is more than a genealogist - he is also a musician and minstrel - his social position depends on several factors, his function, his origin and his means.

A dhadi singer.

There is a song and a dance for every occasion. Songs are sung right from the moment a woman conceives to the dirges or 'allhoniyaans' sung at funerals. The songs may be 'waars' or the commemoration of the valor of bygone legends or 'souhalle' sung in praise of divine grace. There are songs sung as lullabies or 'loriyaan' and the childhood jingles or puzzles or 'bujhartaan'. There is a huge cache of songs, dances and folk performances which were the breath of traditional rural Punjab. Besides revelling in the events of life the songs of Punjab have livened up the occupational tasks of men and women for centuries. In the fields, the men are entertained by folk performers playing their 'toombi' and 'algoza' while they carry on the agricultural pursuits like ploughing, sowing, weeding, transplanting, hoeing and harvesting. After the harvest of course there were numerous evenings of entertainment as the farmer takes his yield to the market.

Today the picture is different. Industrialisation and agricultural development have provided enormous purchasing power to the common man in the villages of Punjab. Television in almost every home has brought about a revolution in the cultural inputs and traditions. The entire complex of the performing arts, theatre, folk performances and religious renditions are gravely affected resulting in a transformation. Development has reduced many a folk artist to a mere labourer - the unequal fruits of development. Punjabi folk is now represented by NRI artists and groups like Sukhbir, Stereo Nation, Apache Indian, Malkit Singh, Ali Haider and back home Daler Mehndi, Bhupi, Rageshwari and Hans Raj Hans. These are the disco lights amidst the swaying mustard fields of Punjab.

Babeyan da Gidha

Singing to packed houses in Canada, England, New York and Dubai, where the audience clamours for $100, and $50 tickets, with thirty C.D.'s under his belt and a never ending fan following. A darling of the NRI Punjabi community all over the world Hans can easily be called the Michael Jackson of Punjabi pop. He has even acquired starry "nakharas" to suit his present status. "Sometimes 'nakharas' become essential for your own self-respect, otherwise even the organisers take you for a ride." Hans who started with the traditional "sufiana qalam" has switched to Punjab pop beamed by private satellite channels. "To survive I have changed everything. I now dance with exaggerated head movements. I have changed my garb from the traditional black "choga" of the 'sufis' to the flamboyant attire of the disco performer." This shift in style, which is a compromise with his own art form has been his ticket to fame.

There is a whole tribe of the new success stories, all of whom are based around Ludhiana, and they are known as the "Ludhiana Mandi" singers. They have their publicity managers sitting in small cubby holes opposite the Ludhiana Bus stand catering to the market forces. Sardool Sikander, Shinda, Parveen Toombiwalli, are some are who taking off from the folk idiom and are bordering on 'ashleel' or purple prose, and are literally minting money. The 'authentic' performer is dying a slow death, since they are not able to cater to this particular demands of the market. Artists like Barkat Sidhu, Puran Shahkoti, Gurmeet Bawa who are refusing to compromise are getting less and less programmes. There are a few who are still surviving, Surinder Kaur, her daughter Dolly Guleria, Sukhi Brar are following the middle path, they manage to keep their head above water, by adapting their repertoire to the fast swinging beat, and are surviving because of a small segment of Punjabi cognoscenti who invites them to sing for private programmes and weddings.

Hans Raj Hans.

The traditional exponent is on extremely challenging ground. On the one hand he is bearing the Sisyphian burden of a great heritage and on the other hand he is being pushed back time and again by effects of development. As the folk performer carries on with the family treasures the legacy of his ancestors, he also faces the assaults of the electronic media where melody, lyrics, and a shared heritage are being completely overshadowed by globalization. The intimacies and consciousness of individual societies are being swallowed by the demands of the market. At one end the Punjabi rhythm, beat is dominating the international music scene, the traditional folk performer is finding it more difficult to find a ready audience to listen to his music. Dance and rhythm have become the essence of Punjabi folk. If the performer cannot get the audience to break into a dance he is finished. To survive the more resilent among the performers are changing. "When I used to sit and sing, I could not even get a single programme on television, and today when I shake my head and dance, I am plagued by performances world over," says Hans Raj Hans, who is still committed to Punjabi folk music particularly the "Sufiana Qalam."

Few patrons have come forth to preserve this dying heritage. The 'Jagat Guru' or head of the Nirankari sect at Bhaeni Saab near Ludhiana recognised this need and made sustained efforts towards the preservation, maintenance and propagation of folk musical forms among the talented youth under his direct patronage. The traditional 'Malwai Gidha' or 'Babeyaan da Gidha', which is performed by the older men is another dying tradition. It is however being preserved and to some extent becoming commercialised at Chathae Shekwanth, Sangrur district. These performers are usually in a group of 15 to 20 travellers and can put together a vibrant performance with little practice. Few of the younger generation are picking up the traditional beat, steps and 'bolis' of this special performing art. The 'qawaals' of Malerkotla were strong patrons of inbreeding of their music talents and only took up accompanists from outside the family. The Rehmat Qawaal group has more than 60 members of the family involved in the business.

Pala, the traditional toombi player.

Punjabi folk music in its authenticity is well preserved in certain villages and towns of Pakistan, and some of our most famous pieces have their origins in Pakistan. There are numerous examples of tragic and romantic pieces which are prevailing commonly in both the countries, Punjab of India and Pakistan. What is interesting is that despite the socio-religious constraints and a relatively less prosperous agricultural economy, Punjabi folk music traditions are still preserved in their more rooted form in Pakistan, though there are the citadels of preservation of the authentic folk music in India as well.

Punjabi folk survives but development has transformed the spirit entirely. Where are our 'baazigars,' 'bhands,' 'mirasis,' 'naqquals,' 'nachchars,' 'tamki-walleh', 'nobatwalleh,' 'dhadhis'? Languishing, leaving their traditional occupations, leaving a way of life and turning into menial daily wagers. Development has reduced the folk artist to a mere labourer.

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