India has a very rich tradition of folk music. The extreme
cultural diversity creates endless varieties of folk
styles. Each region has its own particular style. There
is a tendency to lump folk music along with tribal music.
There
is actually a difference. Where folk music is a mere
rustic reflection of the larger Indian society, tribal
music often represents cultures that are very different.
Some of these tribal cultures are throwbacks to cultural
conditions as they were thousands of years ago.
Tribal
and folk music is not taught in the same way that Indian
classical music is taught. There is no formal period
of apprentiship where the student is able to devote
their entire life to learning the music, the economics
of rural life does not permit this sort of thing. The
musical practioners must still attend to their normal
duties of hunting, agriculture or whatever their chosen
proffesion is. Music in the villages is learned almost
by osmosis.
From
childhood the music is heard and embibed along with
ones mother's milk. There are numerous public activities
that allow the villagers to practice and hone their
skills. These are the normal functions which syncronise
village life with the universe. The music is an indispensible
component of functions such as weddings, engagements,
and births. There is a plethora of songs for such occasions.
There are also many songs associated with planting and
harvesting. In these activities the villagers routinely
sing of their hopes, fears and aspirations.
Folk
music is also used for educational purposes. For instance,
sex education has traditionally been taught in Andhra
Pradesh by song. There is a function when a girl has
her first menses. In this function the elderly women
in the community gather at the house (men are definitely
excluded), the girl is given her first woni and langa
(half sari which is worn by unmarried girls), rich food
and other gifts. During this function the women sing
songs that are extremely bawdy. To an outsider this
would seem uncharacteristic of obviously respectable
community members. However, the function of such songs
is to provide the girl's first instructions on her emerging
womanhood and what her future marital duties will be.
Musical
instruments are often different from those found in
classical music. Although instruments like the tabla
may sometimes be found it is more likely that cruder
drums such as daf, dholak, or nal will be used. The
sitar and sarod which are so common in the classical
genre are absent in the folk music. One often finds
instruments such as the ektar, dotar, saringda, rabab,
and santoor. Quite often they will not even be called
these names, but may be named according to their local
dialect.
There
are also instruments which are used only in particular
folk styles in particular regions. These instruments
are innumerable. The instruments that folk musicians
use are generally not as refined as the classical musicians
use. The instruments of classical music are crafted
by artisans whose only job is the fabrication of musical
instruments.
In
contrast the folk instruments are commonly crafted by
the musicians themselves.It is very common to find folk
instruments that have been fabricated of commonly available
materials. Skin, peritoneum, bamboo, coconut shells,
and pots are but a few commonly available materials
used to make musical instruments.