Views of Narendra Singh Negi on Folk Songs about Natural Disasters

(Views expressed by Narendra Singh Negi on the occasion of Uttarakhand Mahotsava (1998) organized by Garhwal Sabha, Dehradun)   

           Internet Presentation: Bhishma Kukreti

            The folk culture is always lively and its main strength lies on people’s acceptances and faith.

       The people acceptances and faith change time to time. The change on faith and acceptances by people change the folk culture. The changes in people’s acceptances and faith influence the various aspects of folk literature, folk art, folk songs, folk dances, idealism among folks, folk customs, folk expressions, folk observations etc. Many times, many changes become irrelevant because of non acceptance of people.  That is why you can’t define folk culture by one definition or through one view. You can’t define folk culture though single boundary. Same rules apply for defining folk songs. Folk songs or folk culture can’t be defined by limited means.

             Our epical folk couture is also our history. We are proud of our folk culture and we should protect it. It is our duty for preserving, patronizing and guarding our old folk songs, folk music and folk tunes.  However, it is utmost necessary that we look forward too. I am not in support that we should create hundreds of songs on single folk tune. We should also change the old tunes for fitting folk songs. These new tones and musical experiments for folk song should reach to people. Before reaching to people, if the questions are raised on presentation and tunes of music it is difficult for new folk music reaching to people.  

             There are multiple views on defining folk music and folk songs.  All the intellectuals, folk musicians, folk singers and folk music activist should decide together by amicable ways and means.

                    Personally, by my own experience, I am of opinion that if a song becomes popular among people, the song influences people psych, and the song is accepted by people in large that means that song is folk song or that popular music is folk music. The acceptance by people is first stage of calling any song a s folk song. There is no time limit for people acceptance and song getting popular for getting the status of folk song.  The orthodox thinking create hurdles for new songs being folk song.

                  In old age, when the present fast media were not available, at that time, folk music or folk song getting acceptance and popularity among people used to take long time. Today, a song gets the status of folk song within minutes. Today’s media can take the music to people within no time. Today a music or song becoming folk music is easier than the past. Today, due to electronic media people of all localities in India sing Punjabi song. This phenomenon made all old definitions of folk music based on limited alternates is now, irrelevant.

           My view on defining folk music or folk song is simple that the folk touch on music is a must for being a folk music. When there are all or single aspect of defined territorial agriculture, customs, living mannerisms, festivals, dressings, knowledge, beliefs, culinary or any art related to the territory etc , in the song or music would be called folk song or folk music. Today, tractor is part of our life in plains of Uttarakhand.  When there is mention of tractor in any local music or song that becomes folk music.

                 Today, our life style is changing and definitely these life style changes would be merged or discussed into today’s music and songs. The new life style in the song makes it as folk music too. Yes! The first condition is acceptance by people.  

               We are definitely proud of our old songs and music. We should also create songs and music on traditional methods.  The references might be new in creating traditional music or song. We should create music or song on the subjects as earth quack, landslides, flood, and natural disasters etc.  If we don’t create literature on these calamities we would be called cruel by our new generation. May be Akashvani do not accepts these disaster oriented songs/music but Akashvani or All India Radio should tape these songs for future generation. 

              The song related to Satpuli disaster happened before forty fifty years back is now a popular folk song and we appreciate our folk creators for discussing the contemporary events through poetry. 

             What we listen past age folk songs today are only those became popular by people’s acceptances. Today too, only two percent folk songs get popular and durable. Only condition for any music and song for being folk music is the acceptance or people and beliefs of people.

 The acceptance of folk music by people is the main soul of folk music and the people’s acceptance of any folk music becomes the culture of people, recognition aspect of the territory.

Copyright@ Narendra Singh Negi, Pauri Village, Pauri Garhwal

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