Revisiting the Folk Songs of Manganiyar: A Desert Tribe of Rajasthan

Abstract

“Folklore comprises traditional creations of people, primitive, civilized. These are achieved using sounds and words in metric form and prose, and include also folk beliefs and superstitions, customs and performances, dances and plays” (Jonas Balys 382). Verbal folklore is an integral part of any society. Here folk music provides a voice to the subalterns and is carried forward orally.  This paper will explore traditional Folk songs like ‘Ave re Hichki’, ‘Saawan’, ‘Mumal’ etc sung by folk singers like Dapu Khan and others. These folk singers come from a family of Manganiyar community and carry a 1500-year-old legacy in their folk music. They perform at various occasions in temples and royal court on auspicious occasions. Manganiyar is a desert tribe of Western Rajasthan, belonging to Muslim communities found in Sindh, Pakistan and the Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan. The unique style of Manganiyar called Jangra consists of songs for all occasions in life. Today they serve the role of oral historians and folk artists of Rajasthan. Hence, the primary objective of the study will be to examine the multiple styles of the Manganiyar folk songs and emphasize the themes related to the fascinating and captivating region of Rajasthan.