History of Folk Music in India

Music has always been an important aspect in the lives of Indian people. With its cultural diversity, India boast of rich
realm of folk music. Almost every region in India has its own folk music, which reflects the way of life. From the peppy
bhangra of Punjab to Garba of Gujarat, the tradition of folk music in India is indeed great.

Folk music is closely associated with farming and other such professions and evolved to alleviate the hardship and
break the monotony of the routine life. Even though folk music lost its popularity with the advent of contemporary
music like pop and rap, but no traditional festival or celebration is complete without folk music.

Earliest records of Indian folk music are found in the Vedic literature, which dates back to 1500 BC. Some scholars
and experts even suggest that the Indian folk music could be as old as the country itself. For instance, Pandavani, a
folk music popular in most parts of Central India, is believed to be as old as the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

Later on, folk songs were extensively used for recreational purposes and to celebrate special events including
weddings, birth of a child, festivals, etc. Folk songs were also used to pass on prominent information from one
generation to another. This suggests that these songs could’ve played a major role before the arrival of paper in India

The music is an indispensable 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.

Musical instruments used in folk music are usually fabricated from commonly available materials like Skin,
peritoneum, bamboo, coconut shells, and pots. 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 santur.

Also, many folk songs are associated with a dance form, which is usually performed while singing these songs.

Diversification of Indian Folk Music

Like many other aspects of India, folk music too is diverse because of the cultural diversity. Folk songs also played a
crucial role in socio-religious reforms in many parts of South India. Religious leaders like Adi Shankaracharya used
many such songs to spread his message throughout the country. Similarly, folk songs sung by other religious leaders
gave identity to the villages they originally came from and gradually, these songs were cherished and celebrated by
the people of their respective areas as their own.
There is no formal period of apprenticeship 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 practitioners must still attend to their normal
duties of hunting, agriculture or whatever their chosen profession is and it is learnt almost by osmosis. From
childhood the music is heard and. There are numerous public activities that allow the villagers to practice and hone
their skills. These are the normal functions which synchronise village life with the universe.

All the states in southern India have developed a unique kind of folk music pattern. These ancient music forms seem
to be influenced by the temples in South India. Some of the well known Folk Music of South India are bhavageethe,
sopanam music etc.

Folk Music of Karnataka

Folk performance in Karnataka is a blend of music, dance and theatrical performances. Most of these
folk forms still continue in their primary ritualistic mode. The rich heritage of music of Karnataka can be
ascribed to the Vijayanagara and Woodeyar kings who themselves were great exponents of music and
literature. These dynasties patronized the growth traditional music and encouraged promising
musicians.Kunithas are traditional forms which employs folk music and dance. Some of the major forms
of these kunithas are dollu kunithas, pata kunithas, dorava kunithas. The highly spectacular yashagana is
a major folk musical performance

Bhavageete

Bhavageete is one of the most important folk music of Karnataka. Bhavageete literally means music of
expression and hence, the singer’s expressions constitute the most important aspect of this form of
music. The subject matter of this musical form deals with nature, love, philosophy, etc.

Dollu Kunitha

Dollu Kunitha is a major form of folk-song dance performance in Karnataka. Dollu Kunitha is performed
mainly by men and women of the Kuruba community of Nothern Karnataka. The districts of Shimoga
and Chitradurga are particularly noted for their excellence in the performance of this folk form. They
are traditionally performed at the temples of Bireshwar. Traditionally the themes were religious and
were known as the 'Halumatha Purana' or simply the 'Kuruba Purana'.
Puja Kunitha

Puja Kunitha is a popular ritualistic folk dance of Karnataka practiced largely around Bangalore and
Mandya districts. It is extremely colorful and visually delightful. Visual splendor is emphasized at the
expense of elaborate oral narration. Puja Kunitha in Karnataka is ritually used to worship the cult of the
Shakti.

Pata Kunitha

Karnataka's Pata Kunitha is preformed mainly by men. Each performance usually employs the
participation of 10 to 15 men. Pata Kunitha typically employs the use of the pata, which are primarily
long bamboo poles decorated with color ribbons.

Bhootha Aradhane

Widely practiced in the coastal regions of Karnataka, the festival is a great mix of folk beliefs, awesome
spectacle and ritualistic magic to ward away the evil through a worship of the devil himself. Typically, it
involves a procession in which idols are carried with great pomp. The idols are painted in a traditional
manner and are meant to represent the bhootas or the devils.

Gorava Kunitha

Gorava Kunitha is an unique form of ritualistic folk dance in Karnataka. This dance form is extremely
revered among the Shaivite cults of Karnataka and is practiced in both the northern and the southern
parts of the state with slight variations. However, the Gorava Kunitha performances in and around the
districts of Mysore, Shimoga and Belgaum are the most popular.
Kamsale

Kamsale of Karnataka, also known as Beesu Kamsale is a vigorous dance form. It is mainly practiced in
the districts of Mysore, Nanjagud, Kollegal and Bangalore. It narrates the glory of Lord Mahadeswara or
Shiva and derives its name from the musical instrument Kamsale used in the performance. Usually
Kamsale is performed by a group of three to five dancers, although the number can go up to twelve with
singers included.

Yakshagana

Yakshagana is one of the most popular tradition theatrical forms of Karnataka. It is difficult to categorize
Karnataka's Yakshagana as folk, rural or classical. Yakshagana literally means the songs of the celestial
beings. The themes employed in Yakshagana of Karnataka are typically taken from the epics of
Ramayana and Mahabharata and other important episodes of the Hindu mythology. Yakshagana is
traditionally presented by specialized traveling artists who travel from village to village in groups of 15 to
20.