Folk music of Punjab

Punjabi folk music (, or Punjabi Folk) is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. There is a great repertoire of music from the

Rhythm#

The rhythm of Punjabi folk music is very simple. unlike the rhythms of Bhangra music which are generally complex

Melody#

Some songs like Heer and Mirza are sung using the traditional compositions.

Folk songs#

Punjab has folk songs on birth, marriage, funeral, death, love, separation, beauty, social and economical status, village lifestyle, food, nature, bravery, folklores and folktales, folk romances, folk and historical heroes, festivals and many more. The songs of professional castes of Punjab are also included in the folk songs. They can be divided into the following categories:

Controversy#

Punjabi folk music is associated with a traditional lifestyle and culture. Many of the themes associated with the songs of today, which are mostly relevant in Bhangra songs, involve the promotion of the ills of Punjabi society such as the caste system and substance abuse as well as superstitious beliefs. Many revolutions in Punjab such as the Sikh revolution were in direct opposition of Punjabi folk songs.

Life-cycle rituals#

A large part of Punjabi folk songs presents the picture of incidents from birth to death Ghorhian, Bolian, Tappe, Sithnian, Chhand, Heara, Lorian, etc.

Fairs and festivals#

Every festive occasion has music associated with it. Lohri and Maghi are associated with the change of season while Vaisakhi is a harvest festival. Men dance Bhangra and women dance Giddha. The month of Sawan is one of great joy for females in which they celebrate the festival of Teeyan. The married ones come back to their parents’ home and meet their family and friends and in an open ground they dance Giddha. They wear colorful dresses like Phulkari, and adorn their hands with Mehndi and glass bangles.

Romantic#

Jugni, Mahia, Tappe, Jindua, Dhola, Kafian, Dohre, Bolian, Sadda, Jhokan and the folk romances of Punjab region like Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahiban, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnun are main folk love songs. Heer and Mirza are sung using traditional compositions.

Heroic#

In heroic or bravery, the folk song includes about the Punjabi heroes like Dulla Bhatti, Raja Rasalu, Jagga Jatt, S. Bhagat Singh, S. Udham Singh, Sucha Soorma and Jeona Morh.

Religious#

Songs about worship, religious ceremonies and festivals represents the religious feelings. Sikhism is closely related with music. The sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind, established the singers called Dhadis to sing the Gurbani, Vaars (English: heroic ballads) and other folk genres using the normally two folk instruments, Dhad and Sarangi. The other religions like Islam have Qawwalis, Naats and Hamds and Hinduism have Bhajans and Punjabi have Punjabi songs.

Instruments#

Punjabi singers may sing unaccompanied or along with such traditional instruments as dhol, tumbi, dhadd, sarangi, gharha, gagar, chimta, or algoze, Iktara, Bugchu, Chhaine, Kainchi, Sapp, Kato.

Further reading#

:Bedi, Sohindar Singh. 1971. Folklore of the Punjab. New Delhi: National Book Trust. :Lybarger, Lowell H. 2011. “Hereditary Musician Groups of Pakistani Punjab.” Journal of Punjab Studies 18(1/2). :Nahar Singh. 2011. “Suhāg and Ghoṛīāṅ: Culture’s Elucidation in a Female Voice.” Journal of Punjab Studies 18(1/2). :Nayyar, Adam. 2000. “Punjab.” In The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Vol. 5, South Asia: The Indian Subcontinent, ed. by Allison Arnold. New York; London: Garland. :Nijhawan, Michael. 2006. Dhadi Darbar. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. :Pande, Alka. 1999. Folk Music & Musical Instruments of Punjab. Middletown, NJ: Grantha Corporation. :Schreffler, Gibb. 2004. “Vernacular Music and Dance of Punjab.” Journal of Punjab Studies 11(2). :Schreffler, Gibb. 2011. “Music and Musicians in Punjab.” Journal of Punjab Studies 18(1/2). :Schreffler, Gibb. 2011. “Western Punjabi Song Forms: Māhīā and Ḍholā.” Journal of Punjab Studies 18(1/2). :Thuhi, Hardial. 2011. “The Folk Dhadi Genre.” Trans. by Gibb Schreffler. Journal of Punjab Studies 18(1/2). :Thuhi, Hardial. 2011. “The Tumba-Algoza Ballad Tradition.” Trans. by Gibb Schreffler. Journal of Punjab Studies 18(1/2).

Genre family: Indian folk music, Pakistani folk music, Punjabi folk music, Punjabi music