Indian folk music has created an image in the world of music and portrayed the diverse culture the country possesses, the miscellaneous music worth listening to.
India, a country of diversity is rich in every aspect. There are millions of people living from different cast and regions. The nation is enriched with different cultures, food, and music. Music is an integral part of their living. Every state and region has its own folk songs, which makes the culture of the country more varied. But every folk songs are different from each other because all the songs are the representation of the region, the way of living of the people, and their lifestyle. Folk music is closely associated with the profession of the people. From a folk song, everyone can recognize the origin of it and can identify the tradition of the place. By the time the country has been introduced various kinds of music but no festival or celebration is complete without its folk music.
Folk music is diverse for its cultural diversity, which is not unknown to anyone. These are so much different from each other just because of the style the song is being sung and the instruments. That depicts their everyday life, socio-religious perspective, and the origin of the place.
In most cases, the folk songs were composed by great poets and singers. For example, a well-known folk song Rabindra Sangeet is a collection of songs that are made by the world-famous poet Rabindranath Tagore. These kinds of songs are not only a presentation of the livelihood but it has also been used to spread the message too. For an instance, Adi Shankaracharya has used the form of music to spread his words and messages. Not only him but a lot of religious leaders have used folk songs as a tool to connect with people and to convey their thoughts. A lot of variants of folk songs are not only bound in singing but they are associated with different dance forms too. Some significant folk song variants are-
Bihu Geet:
Bihugeet is a form of folk that is performed by the native people of Assam at the Bihu festival. It is generally done as a dance performance. Bihugeet is not only famous in Assam but it is famous in most of the northeastern part of India. This song is typically performed by the young boys and girls of the tribe. This song is usually made on the topics like nature, relationships, love, and social messages. This famous folk performance takes place thrice a year in their major festivals of them.
Uttarakhandi music:
From the name, it’s not difficult to assume that, this folk music belongs to the hills of Uttarakhand. This music performance takes place in religious gatherings and festivals. There are some unique instruments that are used in this folk variant. Some of them are dholki, Damon, Ransingha, Thali, Daur, Baja, Bhankora, and more. Songs of this folk variant are generally the stories of cultural practice, history, and bravery of the state.
Lavani:
Lavani is a form of folk music that is originated from the state of Maharashtra. It is a kind of performance that is done by women to entertain soldiers. This kind of song is divided generally into two forms, one is known by Nirguni Lavani, which is usually made with the philosophy of nature whereas the other one as Shringari Lavani is more sensual and light-headed. It has a different name according to the place of the performance. If the performance is done in a close area then it is called Baithakichi Lavani, and if it is performed in front of a large number of audiences then it is called Phadachi Lavani.
Pandavani:
Pandavani is the popular folk music that is famous in the region of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. This kind of song is generally made on the heroic characters of Mahabharata. This form of music is to represent the bravery of the characters. It is not that famous but it holds a very significant part of society. Some instruments that are used in Pandavani are Tambura, Manjira, Dholak, Tabla, etc.
Bhatiali:
Bhatiali is a music form that is originated from Bengal. This form of music is the song of the boatmen of the region. It is basically made for the entertainment of the boatmen and the fishermen. One of the reputed singers of this ancient music is Nirmalendu Chowdhury.
Bauls:
Bauls is the song that also belongs from Bengal. This song became famous in the 18th and 19th centuries. Bauls are basically sung by religious influencers while travelling from one place to another. These songs are always on the topic of nature. In this variant the instruments generally used are Ektara, Khamak, and Dotara.
Bhavageete:
Bhavageete is folk music from Karnataka. It is a form of song that talks about philosophy and love. It is an ancient music form of Karnataka, later on; it was revived by other eminent musicians. This form of music has been redefined by incorporating poems by legendary poets like K.S. Narasimhaswamy; G.S. Shivarudrappa, K.S. Nissar Ahmed and etc. It is one of the significant forms of music of the state.
Maand:
Maand is a folk song from Rajasthan. The classical music form requires Sarangee to compose Maand. This song is a representation of the lifestyle of the people of Rajasthan. Soulful classical music is one of the beautiful styles of folk in the country.
Dulpod:
Dulpod is a folk song that is originated in Goa. It is the only folk of Goa that has its own essence. This rhythmic music is a representation of western and Indian culture. This form of music talks about the daily lives of the local people and their lifestyles.
India is enriched with a different kind of culture. There are many more variants of music that are part of the small tribes. There is music in every corner of the country.