Reviving the musical tradition of Punjab

Despite the roaring popularity of pop and Bollywood music in India, there is no dearth of art lovers who yearn to listen to the traditional, folk and classical genres in music. The upcoming music festival Traditional Music of Punjab is set to offer a cultural treat for those music lovers.

If one talks about the cultural heritage of Punjab, the mellifluous <g data-gr-id="38">kheyal</g> ‘bandishes’ (Compositions) cannot be left out from the discourse. In fact, this is a genre of ‘Gayeki’ which has enriched the Hindustani Classical music for more than two centuries now. 

Punjabi Academy, Govt. of Delhi, Department of Art, Culture & Languages, Govt. of Delhi; organises a festival of the Traditional Music of the Punjab, which will bring together renowned artists of this genre on the May 21 - 22, at the India International Centre.

The festival will begin with a performance by Bhai Balwant Singh Namdhari who will render <g data-gr-id="41">kheyal</g> <g data-gr-id="42">gayeki</g> accompanied by the tabla mridang in the traditional style of the Punjab. His performance will be followed by Raza Ali Khan grandson of the legendary Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saheb who will sing the traditional Punjabi <g data-gr-id="43">kheyal</g> bandishes. 

The second day will have <g data-gr-id="56">Qutubi</g> Qawwal from the Dargah of <g data-gr-id="57">Hazrad</g> Qutbudin Bakhtiar Kaki who will present Sufi qawwali from the Punjab. Pandit <g data-gr-id="58">Yashpaul</g> will render Punjabi <g data-gr-id="59">kheyal</g> bandishes of archival value.

Before the advent of Kheyal, there were four famous Gharanas of Dhrupad singing in the Punjab, Talwandi, Haryana, Sham Chaurasi and Kapurthala. Kheyal <g data-gr-id="55">Gayeki</g> emerged as the next stage of evolution in the history of Hindustani music. As the strict discipline of earlier days gave way to greater expansiveness and liberty of expression in the musical firmament. 

The process of this evolution had started with the creative endeavors of Amir Khusroe in the 12th century and completed itself under the vibrant outpourings of Niamat Khan Sadarang and <g data-gr-id="60">Ferozkhan</g> <g data-gr-id="61">Adaran</g> who gave the Kheyal style its present identity. Kheyal <g data-gr-id="62">Gayeki</g> remained confined to Delhi for <g data-gr-id="48">some time</g>, and it was only later during the 19th century that the new style reached the Punjab. Jarnail Ali Baksh and <g data-gr-id="63">Kaptaan</g> Fateh Ali founded the Patiala Gharana of Music, from which flows an important line of Kheyal <g data-gr-id="64">Gayeki</g> of the Punjab. 

“Punjab has always been renowned for its beautiful ‘bandishes’ which have enriched the repertoire of Hindustani Classical Music. Punjabi is the only other language, apart from Braj Bhasha, in which <g data-gr-id="50">kheyal</g> bandishes have been written over the centuries. Shah Sada Rang and Ada Rang, creators of the Kheyal style of Hindustani Classical Music, have also composed some bandishes in the Punjabi <g data-gr-id="51">languge</g> which will be presented in this festival. 

Over the last two centuries, Hindustani Musicians whether from the Punjab or elsewhere, have sung these Punjabi Kheyal compositions. It is our effort through this festival to revive an interest in them by encouraging their research and presentation. ,” says Geetanjali Gupta, <g data-gr-id="37">Secretery</g>, Art, Culture & Languages, Government of Delhi.

“Through this annual festival, our effort is to revive an interest and attract youngsters to this beautiful form of classical music. We also want to encourage research and presentation in this art form which is languishing, as it is an intrinsic part of our composite culture,” says Jawahar Dhawan, Secretary, Punjabi Academy.