Rajasthan Music &
Dance 
Rajasthan
is culturally rich and has extensive tradition in art and culture, which reflects
Indian way life. The dance, music and art forms have been watchfully cultivated
and patronised by the erstwhile courts. An equally rich and varied folk culture
from villages is both fascinating & mesmerising.
The music is of
uncomplicated innocence and songs depict day-to-day relationships and chores more
often focal around bring of water. Rajasthan's cultural tapestry takes in simple
folk to highly cultivated classical music and dance in its own distinct style.
In the realm of the folkways dance and music rule supreme and one cannot
think of Rajasthan without this important element of its folk life. A large variety
of musical instruments is used in the countryside.
It ranges from the
soft tinklers to thunderous kettledrums; from simple, slender flutes to intriguing
trumpets; and from the rustic looking resonators for basic rhythm to elegant and
fully developed bowing or plucking devices.
It is a fascinating sight
to see the folk musicians of Rajasthan with their musical instruments, who besides
dressing themselves in colourful attire, also decorate and embellish their instruments
with beautiful trappings and ornamental coverings. They are a people with music
in their souls.
Their amazingly rich music has an extraordinary individuality,
tradition and exotic flavor, which gives a distinctive feature and quality to
their musical sounds, and a certain pulse which does not fail to fascinate the
listener, staying like lingering perfume.
They have songs for every
occasion with rich emotional content, almost an endless variety of tunes, quite
a few delightful dance forms, and a large number of musical instruments, all a
collective creation of the folks which is retained by them in its traditional
form and character and passed from one generation to the other.
The people
of Rajasthan live life to the hilt. After hard work in the harsh desert sun and
the rocky terrain whenever they take time off they let themselves go in gay abandon.
There is dancing, singing, drama, devotional music and puppet shows and other
community festivities which transform the hardworking Rajasthani into a fun-loving
and carefree individual. Each region has its own folk entertainment, the dance
styles differ as do the songs. Interestingly enough, even the musical instruments
are different.
