This is my third post about Himachali songs. For the first two posts, click the following links: Part 1 and Part 2. One good thing about writing this series is that it has made me read a bit about Himachali Music. And what I read is quite fascinating. Apparently when it comes to vocals, there is a variety; some of these do not require a musical instrument as an accompaniment. The songs that I heard during the wedding were most probably Samskara, which are sung by women during celebrations and festivals. These are beautiful to hear and women here all seem to sing in perfect sync and always in tune. Then there is Jhoori, which is supposed to be a celebration of extramarital love. I am intrigued, but am not sure whether I have heard any such song. Will probably need more research. There is Laman, which are again love songs. Then there is Jhanjhotis, that are during weddings (Kunju-Chanchalo is an example), and Ainchaliyan, which are religious songs.
Anyway, continuing the tradition with these posts, let's listen to a few more Himachali songs here.
I have heard several devotional songs about Shiv ji and many of them tell stories. In my earlier posts in this series, I have covered "Hun wo kataai" and "Shiv Kailashon ke Waasi". In this post, I am going to talk about another song "Dhudu Nacheya", which talks about Shiv-Parvati ji and Ganga. This version is by Abhigya the Band.
My favorite lines from the song:
Ganga gaura saro sar ladi ho
Toote har chaurasi padi ho
Ganga lai gya bhaghirat Chala ho
Dhudua rahi gya kele ma Kela ho
Gaura Pete peed machai ho
This was absolutely the first Himachali song that I heard and I found it amazing that Himachali people could find romance in mundane stuff like someone's sheep grazing. The choice of words ("chugdi" for grazing) is also cute and paints a very pretty picture indeed.
My favorite lines from the song:
Panchchi udade ho lambiyaan udaaraan Neelima
Panchchi udade ho lambiyaan udaaraan Neelima
Dil milde ho jare jamana Neelima
Bheda teriyaan ho chugdiyaan phaat Neelima
Not sure why this photograph reminds me of the song "Kaali Gagri". May be because it reminds me how remote some of the villages in Himachal really are and if your loved one happens to have a job in cities like Shimla and Chamba, then you will only get to meet them once in a while. The sense of longing is palpable in this song and the soft, slow rhythm complements the lyrics perfectly. This version is by Jasleen Aulakh, an exceptionally talented musician, and she manages to record live orchestra. Must watch for sure....
My favorite lines from the song:
सौंड़ महीना ए बरखा बहारा
हवा-पानी सोगिया ये ठंडीयां फुहारा
ठंडीयां फुहारा हाए
अति राती जो द्वार मेरा खड़का जिन्दे
काले बदला जो बिजली कड़का जिन्दे
काली घगरी ले आया ओ हाए
काली घगरी ले आया ओ
काली घगरी ले आया ओ
I will soon be back with another post in this series. Hope you are enjoying these songs. I am trying my best to include as many musicians as possible here because each of them has a unique style and as a result each rendition of a song has a different feel.
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