CD1_BHAJANS OF NEPALI FOLK CULTURE\n\nA bhajan is a spiritual chant in traditional Nepalese culture that is performed mainly in temples. The lyrics typically recount the good deeds of various gods and goddesses. It is believed that the performance of a bhajan brings about peace and prosperity and an improved quality of life for all living beings. Bhajans of Nepali Folk Culture This CD includes examples from four distinct categories of bhajan, namely Devi Bhajan, Dafa Bhajan, Khainjadi Bhajan, and Usha Charitra Bhajan.

CD6_FLUTE TUNES OF THE HERDSMEN OF NEPAL\n\nCattle rearing is a major occupation for people residing in the rural areas of Nepal. Herdsmen go to the forest with their cattle for grazing. They carry a flute with them so that they can play music for several purposes, such as expressing their feelings, guiding the cattle, and passing time. As the herdsmen move to the forest after eating in the morning and come back at dusk, their only friend for the entire day is the flute. The bamboo flute is very popular all over Nepal as various styles of folk music can be played on it. The sad tunes coming from the flute lure all the herdsmen or workers into the calm and peaceful environment of the forest, where it is easier for them to express their emotions.

Veiqaravi vakavanua literally means “service in the manner of the land.” This is the heart of traditional Fijian diplomacy and traditional orature, in which carefully chosen words, expressions, intonation, and even pauses all work in tandem to create the sacred atmosphere befitting some traditional occasion. It is on these occasions when the traditional orature and Fijian oral culture are highly esteemed, when good orators utter rich metaphoric expressions and sentences to welcome a high chief or esteemed guest with either yaqona roots or a whale’s tooth. This is followed by the mixture of yaqona libation in a tanoa (wooden bowl carved from the trunk of vesi, intsia bijuga). This vessel is placed in front of the honored guest at a respectful distance. Men in traditional dress are arranged around and behind the tanoa and chanting \nis carried out as the libation is mixed. Thereafter, the yaqona mix is served to the honored guest while chanting continues.

This selection tells how native Yapese learned to use betel nuts (areca nuts) and how they learned tying patterns and techniques. It also talks about the roles and responsibilities of newly married Yapese couples and their families.\n

Baul Fakiri Song\nDo not look for God anywhere, look for Him in the human body. The Bauls & Fakirs are conveying the message of peace through their music, they reject division of caste, creed, religion etc. The Bauls are minstrels whose song and dance reflect the joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. The Bauls believe that one can free oneself from earthly attachments through their philosophy. Murshid or Guru is the steersman who takes the devotee to God. They propound detachment from earthly bonds or ties.

Baul Fakiri Song\nDo not look for God anywhere, look for Him in the human body. The Bauls & Fakirs are conveying the message of peace through their music, they reject division of caste, creed, religion etc. The Bauls are minstrels whose song and dance reflect the joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. The Bauls believe that one can free oneself from earthly attachments through their philosophy. Murshid or Guru is the steersman who takes the devotee to God. They propound detachment from earthly bonds or ties.

Baul Fakiri Song\nDo not look for God anywhere, look for Him in the human body. The Bauls & Fakirs are conveying the message of peace through their music, they reject division of caste, creed, religion etc. The Bauls are minstrels whose song and dance reflect the joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. The Bauls believe that one can free oneself from earthly attachments through their philosophy. Murshid or Guru is the steersman who takes the devotee to God. They propound detachment from earthly bonds or ties.

Baul Fakiri Song\nDo not look for God anywhere, look for Him in the human body. The Bauls & Fakirs are conveying the message of peace through their music, they reject division of caste, creed, religion etc. The Bauls are minstrels whose song and dance reflect the joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. The Bauls believe that one can free oneself from earthly attachments through their philosophy. Murshid or Guru is the steersman who takes the devotee to God. They propound detachment from earthly bonds or ties.

Baul Fakiri Song\nDo not look for God anywhere, look for Him in the human body. The Bauls & Fakirs are conveying the message of peace through their music, they reject division of caste, creed, religion etc. The Bauls are minstrels whose song and dance reflect the joy, love and longing for mystical union with the Divine. The Bauls believe that one can free oneself from earthly attachments through their philosophy. Murshid or Guru is the steersman who takes the devotee to God. They propound detachment from earthly bonds or ties.

Jhumur Song\nJhumur is the lifestyle music and dance of Purulia and Bankura. This folk music form dates back to being older than the Vaishnav Padabali. Jhumur songs and dances are an integral part of local community Parabs (festivals) and rituals like Badna, Tusu, Karam Puja and special occasions like marriage, harvests etc. Jhumur songs are songs of everyday life and widely accepted among all cross sections of the society.

Jhumur Song\nJhumur is the lifestyle music and dance of Purulia and Bankura. This folk music form dates back to being older than the Vaishnav Padabali. Jhumur songs and dances are an integral part of local community Parabs (festivals) and rituals like Badna, Tusu, Karam Puja and special occasions like marriage, harvests etc. Jhumur songs are songs of everyday life and widely accepted among all cross sections of the society.

CD6_WOMEN’S VOICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS\n\nThe women performing here are not professional musicians. These songs are part of the everyday life of women. Women’s songs are often work songs sung while grinding, threshing, and pounding, as a way to while away the tedium of long laborious tasks and provide a rhythm as well as companionship. Women play a key role in rituals, singing narratives and ballads as well as life cycle songs for events such as birth, marriage, and death. Wedding songs form a large part of the repertoire of women in India. This important part of the intangible cultural heritage of India is disappearing with urbanization and migration to cities, and with mechanization that takes away the need for grinding and pounding. Moreover, recorded music and television are taking the place of song. Thus, the recording and documentation of these traditions become more important. Namely, recordings of the voices of the woman in the home and in the fields, who carry out the rituals for their families and the gods who protect them, hold immense value. This is a compilation of women’s songs from the foothills of the Himalayas, Kangra in Himachal Pradesh (the “land of the snows”), and from high up in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand (the “northern land”). Though not connected, there are similarities in the themes between the ghasyari songs and khuder of Garhwal and the pakaharu of Kangra. Women sing about their hardships, such as their daily struggles with marriage, absent husbands, and about the friendship among women. These songs do not have any instrumental accompaniment. The songs are from the research conducted by two wo men researchers: Kirin Narayan and Ragini Deshpande. The songs from Kangra are those recorded and collected by Kirin Narayan, who has worked in Kangra, studying women’s songs and stories for many years. The selection presented here is from 1990 to 1991. Ragini Deshpande recorded and collected women’s songs in Chamoli, Garhwal, from 1981 to 1989. As Sangita Devi says quoted by Kiri Narayan, “Everyone can sing, but only when you know pain can you understand the song.”