Probably the most popular of Kashmiri folk instrument…maybe because anyone can try their hand on it. We kids used to fight on who will get to play the extra Tumbaknaer at wedding.
The sound –
Tumbaknaer
Video of ‘Bach Nagma’ and more about this Kashmiri dance form
Count the number of times Dil is mentioned, you can tell it’s a love long.
Notice Chakkar pirouettes, round spins, somewhat like Chakar of Kathak and the fast footwork meant to produce music from ghungroos ankle bells, somewhat like tatkar of Kathak.
Here’s something interesting:
Tatkar is also mentioned in a 13th century AD work on music called Sangeeta Ratnakara (The Ocean of Music) composed by one Sarangadeva, a Kashmiri Pandit, son of one Sodhaladeva of Kashmir.
“ A monumental work came to be written in 13th century AD. This was the Sangeeta Ratnakara(The Ocean of Music) penned by Sarangadeva, an emigrant from Kashmir, who became the Chief Accountant of Raja Sodhala, a Yadava king of Devgiri in South India. A work so stupendous in depth and extent is it that it is difficult to believe that it could have been scribed by the one man. The Ratnakara gives in great detail description of scales, raga, talas, musical forms, instruments, and many other subjects. Of greater significance is the fact that it is, perhaps, the first major work dealing with Northern and Southern musical systems. It is opined by many scholars…that it was during this period Indian music got bifurcated into the two systems of North [Hindustani] and South [Karnatak.]”
– Bigamudre Chaitanya Deva, An Introduction to Indian Music (1973), p.74.
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Wanvun – that old chorus song of old ladies
Wanwun, a type of traditional Kashmiri chorus singing, always performed by women – usually old women and usually meant for marriage, religious ceremonies and any other festive occasion.
Don’t let anyone say we didn’t sing for Matamal, the bride’s maternal family. Look we are singing the old songs. He is from the Matamal side. So what did we say! Bless him! May he get his sacred thread soon, may we sing for him. Here comes the bride’s mamaji. Sing for him. Singing. These Uncle and Nephew/Niece relations are very delicate. One must have brains. Singing. singing. Singing. Not that passage right now, we haven’t reached there yet. Reading (the girl has had her bridal shower on the rock…). singing. Singing.
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Previous evening.
The booklet of Wanwun lyrics costs around Rs.60. The old women talked with respect about women, women, who could still sing these songs from memory. I tried to read. It’s Kashmiri written in Devnagri. I couldn’t. My grandmother breezed through the text.
Bach’a Nagma Dancer
The dancer is known as Bacha, the Kid – usually a lithesome (at times, effeminate) boy/man who dances, sometimes comically, always attired like a woman in a multi-colored frock-like dress. The song-dance proceeding are known as Bach Nagma Jashan – Kid Dancer’s Celebration. Presently, the most popular song-dance for marriage celebrations.
In older times, another kind of celebration was more popular – Hafiz Nagma, ‘Female Dancer’s Song’.
In this performance, just like in case of Bach Nagma, songs were usually set to Sufi lyrics or Sufiana Kalam, but the dancer who performed on these songs was always female and known as – Hafiza. These dancers were much celebrated at weddings and festivals.
In 1920s, Hafiz Nagma was banned in Kashmir by the ruling Dogra Maharaja. The Ruler felt this dance was losing its sufi touch and was becoming too sensual, de-based and hence amoral for the society. Now, songs being the same, in an odd parody, female Muslim dancers were replaced by young Muslim boys who dressed like women. It came to be known as bacha nagma and remains a popular for of celebration at Kashmiri weddings. Hafiz Nagma also survived but in an increasingly Islamic going society, kept losing ground.
This wasn’t the first time that Kashmiri people had a brush with effeminacy. Kashmiris believe that Mughal Emperor Akbar, after his conquest of Kashmir, in an attempt to counter manly valour of its people and remove any possible future trouble, decree-forced Kashmiri men to were feminine gown like dresses – pheran.
Kashmiris love their pheran. Kashmiris love Bach Nagma.
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Bach Nagma Jashan on the night of Maenzraath
in swirls
Like a singing woman
Hands up- Hands down. Shoulder up-Shoulder down. On his knees.
thumka thumka
Even some Punjabi bhangra with young guys.
More people he manages to get on the dance floor, the more he is showered with money. When I got dragged to the dance floor, he started doing something like Kathak with his feet, really working those ghungroos. Only problem, his feet were hidden under his frock, and I had no idea what he was doing. What was I supposed to do. Made a fool of myself. I just followed his step.
Around 11:30 and already a sleepy audience.
Time to get them ladies dancing.
That what the bacha does, he is supposed to get everyone to dance. Someone from the family secretly and often overtly points him in the right direction.
In between folk song, a funny song to wake up people, it starts something like this:
Aav ai Aav ai Rajesh Khanna/Syeeth-Syeeth Dimpul Khanna (Chorus)
Aav ai Aav ai Rajesh Khanna/Syeeth-Syeeth Tinkle Khanna (Chorus)
Here comes Rajesh Khanna, Here comes Rajesh Khanna, along comes Dimple and Twinkle Khanna.
(Then the singer say’s that he has seen many beautiful woman. All of the beautiful woman, ladies and girls. But…)
Korayv kor kissai tamaan/ Korayv kar’e bhumaye fanah
Girls put an end to the tale/ All girls purged their brows away.
(Then the singer sings about Men and purged turbans, Daughter-in-law and purged Mother-in-law, Mother-in-law and purged Daughter-in-law, and so on. and so forth. What’s Rajesh Khanna and his family doing in it all? Don’t ask me! )
Hikat.
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Video to be posted soon.
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Update
Videos of Bach Nagma dance:
Rabaab Player
Rabaab is believed to have come to Kashmir from Central Asia. In Kashmiri folk singing, it is mostly used for Sufiyana kalam.
The sound of this stringed instrument is also part of folk music from Afghanistan and Punjab (in Bow variation?).
Side view of the wonderful instrument.
Hatsa tulba Photo’ha Go ahead, take a photo.
The musicians name is Bashir, it’s written on the instrument in ball-pen ink.
Musical Troupe for Maenzraath
Musical Troupe for Maenzraath prepare for Bach Nagma Jashan
Old instruments mix with new.
From left to right:
- The Man on Bongo – the man also gave shrill high pitched timbre voice typical to the chorus of most fast paced Kashmiri songs.
- The Man with Khanjari – a flat metal plate with small discs at its rim to produce high-pitched clanging sound when the plate is struck on palm of the hand.
- Bacha – the singer-dancer, the star of the proceedings, putting on gungroos.
- Man with the Nout – Eastman colored pitch to produce the thump.
- The lead singer on harmonium.
- The man and his Rabaab – an ancient stringed instrument from central Asia.
- Switches and Electric plugs and wire and mikes, that seem to make it all happen.
- Man with his Electronic Percussion.
Stage is set.
Just after dinner, around 10 pm., the troupe start the celebration, always with a Kashimiri Bhajan. Those who want to leave start to leave and those who can stay and have to stay, the close relatives – stay. A few more Bhajans, some devotional songs later, the real singing and dancing starts with Bacha taking the lead. Bacha is always a Muslim. The only other Muslim in this musical troupe comprising of Pandits-Hindus, is the Rabaab player.
The dancing and singing goes on till 5 in the moring and always ends with songs for gods.
paddy fields
Paddy fields of Kashmir, past the check point at Lower Munda.
An Army officer, posted in this region, once told a cousin of mine, “You Kashmiri men are no good! Look at at your field, only your women do all the work!”
Paddy cultivation is said to be a very delicate process. In Kashmir, unlike most other places in India, mostly women work in paddy fields and sow, harvest and stack paddy. And they sing while work. They sing a type of Kashmiri folk song known as Naindai Gyavun. They sing and ask for the kindness of their prophets and Gods, Nabis and Bharavs. And to their lover they sing:
Reaping and reaping, my hands are now tired,
And yet, my love, the end of this field is in no sight.
Cutting and cutting, my hands are now bruised,
And yet, my love, the end of this field is in no sight.
Drops of sweat, in drains, now run down my forehead.
And yet, my love, the end of this field is in no sight.
The golden harvest, this harvest a tease, dances with wind.
And yet, my love, the end of this field is in no sight.
George Harrison in Kashmir
We were talking – about the space between us all
And the people – who hide themselves behind a wall of illusionNever glimpse the truth – then it’s far too late – when they pass away
Lennon had been making comments on Christ and Christianity; and George was taking a keen interest in all things India. These were tough times for The Beetles: there were even talks of retirement.
In July 1966, The Fab Four arrived at Delhi on what was to be the band’s first visit to India; it was a brief visit, and Harrison famously bought a Sitar from a music store in Connaught Circus, Delhi (now better known as Connaught Place or just CP, and the shop was Rikhi Ram and Sons.).
In September, seeking Sitar lessons from maestro Ravi Shankar, George Harrison returned to India on a six-week trip along with his wife Pattie Harrison (who later married Eric Clapton). He stayed at Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay (now Mumbai) and commenced taking lessons from Ravi Shankar; but soon realized that he was too famous even in India: when mobs of Indian Beatles fan started descending to the Hotel, he decided it was time to move to a place that offered anonymity and peace. Kashmir with its natural beauty and general inaccessibility proved to be the perfect place.
Once in Kashmir, he moved into the retreat of the famous Kashmiri houseboats (invented at the start of the century for the luxury of European tourists) that still line the Dal Lake. In the serene background of still waters of Dal, for the next few weeks he started learning Sitar from Pandit Ravi Shankar, and this was the only extended period of training that Harrison received from Ravi Shankar. He practiced Hatha Yoga (to get over the discomfort of having to sit on the floor with the Sitar), he started reading Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi and Vivekananda’s Raja Yoga. This was the start of his life long affair with Hinduism; and the immediate impact of the visit was for the world to see in the next Beetles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was for this album that George Harrison created the beautiful song Within You Without You.
And the time will come when you see we’re all one,
and life flows on within you and without you.
Although the song did start the fashion of the ‘Indian sound’, generated western pop interest in ‘Indian thought’ and sent a million back backers on pilgrimage to Kashmir*; but the fact remains that the song, unlike its many successors, in many ways sounded like an outcome of genuine devotion to Indian music and thought.
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*
George Harrison stayed with Clermont Houseboats, a famous tourist establishment (their office right next to Sheikh Abdullah’s grave)in Kashmir that over the years has played host to eminent guests like actress Joan Fontain, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, actor Michael Palin, former U.S. Vice President Nelson A. Rockerfeller and many more.
People still go to the place and look for the particular houseboat in which George Harrison stayed. Last year, Peter Foster, former South Asia Correspondent of Daily Telegraph, wrote about his trip to Kashmir and finding the George Harrison houseboat, now decrepit and sinking .
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‘Hippie’yo kay lambay lambay baal’
It’s a singsong line that I, while growing, had to hear every time I indolently would refuse a visit the barber, naeevid.
Hippies have long,
really long hair.
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Junoon in Kashmir:
Kashmir Valley on 25th May, 2008
According to the official Junoon website: the concert, to be organized by the non-governmental organization SAF (South Asia Foundation), will be held on the banks of the Dal Lake.
Needless to say, this going to be quite an event; that is, if everything goes well.
A Respite.
From George Harrison to Junoon, a long vacuous journey.
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You may also like to read about Kashmiri Folk music
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The information about George Harrison’s trip to Kashmir is from the book:
The Dawn of Indian Music in the West
By Peter Lavezzoli
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Cross posted at At The Edge
A Glimpse of Kashmir
Glimpse of people, streets and sounds of Kashmir.
I do think that some of the shots are not of Kashmir, and yes, music is great.
Courtesy of GlobalCafe
Kashmiri folk Soundtracks from Tahaan
I had previously written about Santosh Sivan’s Tahaan at my other blog.
For me the best part of the movie was listing its two Kashmiri folk songs.
The song are Ha Faqeero and Mastaan Mastaan (Lyrics by A.G. Madhosh and Fazil Kashmiri respectively)
The songs are sung by veteran kashmiri singer Gulzar Ganai and the music is by renowned percussionist Taufique Qureshi. Not so incidentally, brother of Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Husain, Taufique Qureshi is also of kashmiri origin. There are times in song when you can listen to his personal touch to these songs. Also, the recording is top notch.
This must be a first when authentic Kashmiri music has been used in a mainstream Indian film.
And for that credit must go to Santosh Sivan.
