SHAURYA ADITI SARAWAGI SINGH THAPA
How Rajasthani folk music is dying and how it can be preserved
India has a rich cultural heritage and each state has its own traditions . Rajasthan itself has a melee of folk music , instruments , dances and cultures . The country is vast and diverse an a different dialect is spoken every 100 kilometres . It is up to us to preserve the musical traditions , create interest and spread knowledge .
Everybody knows about the Langas and Manganiars of Rajasthan-artists from these two communities go on world tours and have managed to sustain their art as well as be financially secure . But such success stories are rare amongst the hundreds of equally talented artists from the different districts of Rajasthan . Music , dance , and theatre from
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Musical theatre like the Kuchamani Khyal and Marwari Khyal- a type of folk theatre which is narrated through song and dance , is popular in the Marwar region . Such groups would travel with the Maharajas during war , for entertainment purposes . The plays with dance and drama would last more than 12 hours . But unfortunately , the art form is not being pursued by the younger generations who are focusing on studies and moving out of the state to pursue other interests . Kuchamani Khyal is an all-male performance with harmonium and nagara , a loud drum . They perform political theatre and share dramatic historical stories in the form of song and dance . The interest in these performances is also diminishing and there are very few performers left .
Not only does Rajasthani folk music have socio-political relevance , it surpasses religious barriers . These groups are examples of Indian secularism in the sense that even though the Langas and Manganiars are Muslim communities , both sing Hindu songs and perform for Hindu audiences . There were no religious differences between them . Over the years , as tastes are changing , these musicals are fast vanishing . Even during the local village festivals , Bollywood songs are more in demand than their own folk music . Even when