ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing ArtsISSN (Online): 2582-7472
Folk music of western Odisha ‘Ganda Baja’ The Tradition in Transition 1 Independent Scholar, Puttaparthi (A.P) – 515134, India
1. INTRODUCTION The folk
music of western-Odisha (India) is probably one of the few living musical
traditions that has endured over centuries in its practice and performance. It
encompasses within it a wide range of folk music with varied forms and sets a
cultural boundary or a distinct ethnic identity of its own. Also, it differs in
its usage, functionality, music making, cultural significance and so on.
Prominent among them is ‘Ganda Baja’. Presently, the ‘Ganda Baja’ is
widely known as ‘Dulduli’ (as a revised form
of Ganda Baja). Ganda Baja is widely practiced in the
socio-cultural life of the common folk of western-Odisha and highly embedded
within the socio-cultural life of its common people. 1.1. ‘GANDA BAJA’ MENTIONED IN EARLY WORKS There is just a handful of mentioning about Ganda Baja in folk music literature till date. Here and there we find some references by the colonial officials mostly on ethnographic perspective or few governments survey reports gazetteers. However, discussion on music aspect is very less. Here are few major early works that mention Ganda Baja. From these references one can see the profundity of Ganda Baja and can analyse its continually changing connotations and perspectives. 1.1.1. The early mentioning of ‘Ganda Baja’ in colonial narratives in 1916 by R V Russell. “The Gandas are generally employed either in
weaving coarse cloth or as village musicians. They sing and dance to the
accompaniment of their instruments, the dancers generally being two young boys
dressed as women. They have long hair and put on skirts and half-sleeved
jackets, with hollow anklets round their feet filled with stones to make
them tinkle. On their right shoulders are attached some peacocks’ feathers, and
coloured cloths hang from their back and arms and wave about when they dance.
Among their musical instruments is the sing-bāja,
a single drum made of iron with ox-hide leather stretched over it; two horns
project from the sides for purposes of decoration and give the instrument its
name and it is beaten with thick leather thongs. The dafla is
a wooden drum open on one side and covered with a goatskin on the other, beaten
with a cane and a bamboo stick. The timki is
a single hemispherical drum of earthenware; and the sahnai is
a sort of bamboo flute.” Russell and Hiralal
(1916) The description of Ganda Baja in this
work is just an overview. The used terminology ‘sahnai’
roughly used to refer the original instrument ‘Muhuri’
that is used in Ganda Baja and a sort of Sahnai.
However, it is possibly the earliest work that describes Ganda Baja. 1.1.2.
Sambalpur district gazetteer on ‘Ganda Baja’
“…..they also work as professional pipers and drummers and are employed
as musicians in marriage ceremonies…..…young girls move from village to village
singing and dancing accompanied by drummers and Ganda musicians.” Senapati (1971) These are the descriptions about Ganda
Baja found in the post-independent government survey report that mentions
about Ganda Baja though it is in brief. 1.1.3.
Study of ‘Ganda Baja’ by Pattnaik and Mohanty in
1988 “The distinguishing and characteristic profession of Ganda as the
musicians is gradually becoming obsolete like other traditional professions i.e.,
weaving and watchmanship which were considered as low
social order in the traditional society. As the Gandas
are becoming more and more conscious about their social status, they are trying
to give up these disrespectful professions and social practices. However, the
Ganda musicians living in the urban centres have modernized their profession by
organizing themselves into sophisticate ‘Band parties’. They perform dances and
play music imitating the popular movie traditions during marriage ceremonies
and earn a good living.’’ Pattnaik and Mohanty (1988) From 1016 to 1971 to 1988 there are big gaps of silence on Ganda Baja
in scholastic works. Yet it doesn’t mean that Ganda Baja
extinct from social practice. In the study of Pattnaik
and Mohanty, the transition and decadence of Ganda Baja was well
noticed. The transition we talk about Ganda Baja today started taking
place from that time. 1.1.4.
Phd research on ‘Ganda Baja’ by George Goldy Later on in 2015 we come across a scholastic work which gives a more
space to discuss on Ganda Baja, highlighting its core value and tried to
bring a different worldview to Ganda Baja what was not written with that
importance in earlier works. “…….gandabaja is an important symbol in the evolved identity of
the Gandas………Music and drumming had remained the core
thrust and heart of Ganda culture throughout the history. Cultural expressions
and art forms among Gandas are very vibrant and
sound. They had developed the music system (Baja) and enjoy the music and
rhythm on different social and ceremonial occasion. George
(2015) 1.1.5.
Ethno musicological study on ‘Ganda Baja’ by Dr
Lidia Guzy “Ganda
Baja is probably the most prominent musical and ritual feature of the Bora
Sambar region. It is an instrumental orchestral music, performed
exclusively by musicians originating from the marginalized Harijan caste ‘Ganda’.”
Guzy (2013). The study
of Ganda Baja by Guzy was an extensive field
study that I have witnessed personally. This study brought a whole new
perspective to Ganda Baja and made people aware about the inherent value
of the music that Lidia refers as sacred music. Also, in many discussions Lidia
Guzy has addressed the issues regarding the authentic
music and the transition leading towards a distortion. 1.1.6. WHAT IS GANDA BAJA IN SOCIO-CULTURAL PRACTICE? THE TRADITION, THE MUSICIANS, LOCALITY, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Ganda baja is a folk music form which consists of a band of musicians with
instruments like a Dhol (membranophone),
pair of Lisan (single drumhead, vertical
face), a Tasa (single parchment), a pair of Jhumka
(shaker) and a Muhuri (pipe) played together.
This music is performed by a particular community of people called “Ganda”
(a sub-altern ethnic group, inhabitants of Mahanadi River valley) and they have
inherited the music as an ancestral legacy. Thereby, the music has got the name
“Ganda Baja”. ‘Ganda’ is the musicians and ‘Baja’ means
music. Ganda
Baja is played in
dance, song, martial art, puppet art, trance, rituals, procession, and every
kind of social activity. Thus, it varies from its presentation. Mostly the
musicians play music with body movement, feet work and sometimes with
acrobatics. On certain cases they play seated also. One of their very common
presentation styles, in the very beginning the music starts with the tune of
Muhuri and the lead drummer Dhulia starts
the rhythm in a slow tempo of minimal strokes (alap
kind of free rhythm unfolding a structured rhythm) and gradually other
allied instruments get into the rhythm and give a vibrant climax. Various songs
and dance get involved. Mostly after the song stanza the rhythm leads to a
vigorous dance rhythm. When it is a ritual, the music goes as per situation and
also creates sad mood with uneven rhythmic meter and tune. Ganda
Baja is widely practiced in the locality of Bargarh, Baud, Bolangir, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Sonepur
and Sundargarh revenue districts that share a
common folk culture. The map below is taken from the book ‘The Tribes and
Castes of the Central Provinces, vol-I’ (an ethnographic survey by Government
of India in 1916, for the purpose of demarcating the major inhabitants in the
main provinces of India according to their ethnological accounts). The
powder-blue color part in the map is referred as ‘Uriya’ that refers to the present day western-Odisha. That
part of the map (powder-blue portion) shares a common folk culture and that can
be exactly mapped as the prevalent area of Ganda Baja musical tradition. Figure 1 Figure 1
Folk music
is an inseparable part in socio-cultural life of western-Odisha’s folk. Whether
it is a marriage ceremony or a birth celebration or any fair or festivals,
music is a must. For every occasion there is music. Any act of worship has some
music. No ritual is complete without music. Particular rituals have specific
rhythms for each and every rite. Even few instruments are used only for the
rites or rituals. Considering the importance of Ganda Baja there is a
proverb in local dialect that says, “agho baja, pachhe raja” meaning,
the music band is the first priority, king comes next. “The Ganda
Baja is a ritual inter-village orchestra that carries with it indigenous
concepts of rhythms, instruments and goddesses, and is associated with marriage
alliances and religious ceremonies.” Guzy Lidia In the
marriage ceremony of western-Odisha folk culture the Ganda Baja music is
an essential component and has a unique concept of Tera mangal (specific
rhythm for specific rites from the beginning to the end of the marriage
ceremony). The Ganda Baja serves as the Mantra which spreads
auspiciousness, gaiety, positivity, and moods of celebration as well as
emotion. The joy of rhythm compels some to move feet and pace the heartbeat
with the rhythm. The ambience of the music truly befits various moods of a
common folk like, the mental state to get ready for embracing a new stage of
marital life, welcoming a new member to the family and the warmth of meeting
kin and folks. As well as the melancholic tune of Muhuri
that leads its tune when the bride is about to leave for in-law’s house; can
make anyone tear eyed. This can only be felt by a participant observer that how
deeply Ganda Baja is bonded with human life. Today, this music has given
a cultural identity to its land and people which is touted to create a
demarcation for a separate cultural identity. The
progenitors of the land have found the necessity of music in life and have
embedded all acts of life with the musical urge that has taken the shape of
folk music to what it is today. For the common folk of western-Odisha, the
experience of every aspect of life, such as, the celebration and sorrow,
prosperity and poverty, personal crisis, and collective joy; finds its
expression through the music that has developed with the flora and fauna of the
land where they are grown up with. Thereby, it has facilitated the creation of
an abundance of music for all aspects of life. Music, for them, has found its
role in public celebrations as well as in personal crisis. For those common
folk, music is a medium to communicate with Gods and Goddesses. Music plays its
role from the birth till the death of a person. The music is always associated
with nature and the music created thereby is a derivation from nature. It is a
common link between individuals, society, and nature. It is not an exaggeration
to say that Ganda Baja is the undiluted medium to understand
western-Odisha folk culture in its entirety. “No culture
can be comprehended unless the music it produces is taken into account. Similarly,
no music can be understood without the help of the insights offered by the
parent culture.” Ranade
(1992) But, in the
changing course of time, the tradition of music goes through a certain
transition in its practice, performance, function and as well as in
dissemination. Even, many music forms and music instruments go into oblivion,
unable to cope up with the taste of time. The folk music of western Odisha ‘Ganda
Baja’ is also not an exception. 2. TRADITION AND TRANSITION The
following are the various styles of practice and performance of Ganda Baja: 1)
The
traditional form: Ganda Baja 2)
The
revised form: Dulduli 3)
Commercial
or semi-commercial music industry: Ganda Baja form presented in a
contemporary context of digital recordings 4)
The
‘glocalized’ form: the processional music, Band
Party/ Melody Band 2.1. Traditional form – Ganda Baja ·
In
its traditional form, the music is highly associated with socio-cultural life
of the people of western-Odisha. One can find this music in local fairs,
festivals, rituals, and ceremonies etc. ·
The
rhythm is the main component in music making. ·
The
music performance uses only traditional instruments like Dhol,
Lisan, Tasa, Muhuri and
Jhumka. No electronics or any synthetic
membrane is used in it. ·
The
performers typically belong to hereditary musicians that usually come from the
lower stratum (sub-altern) of their community. They carry the legacy of their
forefathers. ·
The
music is served in all other communities of the local culture. ·
The
music is for common masses and not performed specifically for an audience. ·
The
use of music is for local rites, rituals, religious ceremonies and even in
personal crisis. Certain rituals have specific ‘Paar’
(rhythm). Traditionally, most of the music is to be performed only for serving
that purpose. ·
The
music compositions are entirely anonymous; the music is credited to the
forefathers of that community. ·
The
music performance sometimes sounds like a raw form of music; still the
aesthetic appeal is high. ·
There
is an entertainment aspect of that music as well. 2.2. Revised form – Dulduli ·
Dulduli is the revised form of Ganda Baja that primarily
aims at bringing a cultural awareness and establishing a cultural identity or
in other words, cultural map of its own. ·
This
form of music is observed in cultural programs/cultural activities and mostly
it features in proscenium and screen/ digitized platforms to the extent it is
conducive. ·
In
Dulduli, the dance aspect is the major
component and rhythm is relegated to second position unlike it is in the
traditional Ganda Baja. ·
This
music is set to certain bars and pre-scored, yet often fails the traditional
charm and depth a traditional master can bring to it. ·
In
Dulduli a major portion of core music doesn’t
find space. ·
Dulduli is an open platform. Persons participating in Dulduli come from various strata of that society and
hence, this music form doesn’t suffer from derogatory feeling on participants.
This contrasts with Ganda Baja where the participants usually belong to
a lower stratum. ·
Dulduli has the flexibility to incorporate various elements and
instruments which are not found in traditional Ganda Baja. In most
cases, it is an assimilation of instruments outside the purview of Ganda
Baja with traditional instruments. 2.3. Ganda Baja-form presented in a contemporary context of digital recordings ·
In
the modern times, digitized music & platform have vastly influenced the Ganda
Baja folk music to transition it into a new form of Ganda Baja which
is substantially different from the original form. ·
Though
the music styles and patterns of Ganda Baja is the main source for
scoring or composing music in this new form, the need to popularise and
monetise music is changing the core form of Ganda Baja. ·
This
new form assimilates different music instruments from different genres.
Electronics and virtual music are also getting assimilated with traditional
music and instruments. ·
It
blends in it, different music parameters taken from different genres. Sometimes
one can observe shades of a raag from Hindustani repertoire, a piece of
choir or chords, or any other cross-cultural music piece. ·
In
few cases the traditional instruments are replaced with electronics or virtual
instruments. In few other cases, the original timbre property of a traditional
instrument is modified. ·
Since
the music is studio recorded, it demands a musician of studio experience rather
than a traditional drummer. ·
The
musicality and the audio engineering both play equal roles. ·
The
music has a target audience of young masses and more prone to digital content. 2.4. Band Party/ Local Melody Band ·
It
is absolutely a ‘glocalized’ form of music and has
come to this shape as per the current taste of common mass. ·
It’s
a band for processional music. ·
It
also allows non-traditional musicians to participate in it. ·
Mostly
the performers don’t tie the instruments to their body like traditional drummers
but play the instruments keeping it static in a stand support. ·
Often
it is seen that band groups use a large number of drummers which results in
creation of sounds rather than the musical finesse of the traditional one.
Thereby, music takes a different shape. ·
Mostly
the drummers prefer to use synthetic drums accompanied with electronics
instruments. The change
in music is evident according to the societal changes from time to time.
However, music is the last thing to accept changes in a society. Coping up with
the taste of time or in other words, upgrading with the evolution process of
civilization; if the music succeeds to adapt the necessary changes without
damaging the core, becomes enduring. Unlocking the music into various
dimensions as per the taste of time, may bring it a transient achievement for a
certain period but the music loses its perspective very quickly and becomes out
of fashion. With the rapid movement of time and transition in society, if the
music unable to pace up hand to hand, slowly that music goes into oblivion. 3. TRANSITION VS DISTORTION 1)
Distortion
of Music and its Form 2)
Distortion
of Music Instrument and its Sound 3)
Distortion
in Scholastic works 3.1. Distortion of Music and its Form 1)
Stage Music:
Music making by adapting a framework that is conducive to the proscenium stage
is trendy in the cultural scenario. It has both pros and cons. The advantage of
this is that it is evolving to a revised form and is able to create a space in
pan Indian cultural mode. It promotes musicians from any background or class to
participate in it. In contrast, the proscenium framework is not that conducive
to accommodate all kinds of music making that takes place in traditional Ganda
Baja drumming. 2)
Music formation:
In the current times, the search for ‘creativity’ is causing the music to lose
its finesse. For example, using forty Lisan
drums in a program may bring attention but definitely fails to produce good
music. 3)
Music making process: Hanging the instruments on the body and dancing along is aesthetically different
from keeping the instruments on stands. Tying the Lisan
on the waist and playing is the traditional practice that allows bodily
movement of different expressions. When the feet move with Chap (Ghunguru), the experience for the audience is
grounded in cultural foundation. Not all musicians are qualified to do this.
Tying the Chap on legs adds a flavour of aesthetics to sound and
movement of rhythm. Unfortunately, in the current times, the later practice is considered
as a high status one and the former one, a low status practised by traditional
lower stratum musicians. “Of the
various aspects of a ‘living’ culture, music is most likely to be the last to
accept change. In fact, due to the inherent connection’s music has with various
life – areas, changes which may be treated as indicators of developments at
deeper levels of the societal psyche.” Ranade
(1992) One of the
major impacts that stage music - Dulduli has
had is that it has helped overcome the issue of social stigma, where a
non-hereditary musician from a higher class can also play the instrument tied
to his waist or hanging from the shoulder and yet it has respect in society. However,
in street procession music - ‘melody band party’; it has been seen that if the
musician is non-hereditary and from an upper class, he will not opt to hold the
drum on the body and play. What music you play and what way you play also
define someone’s social status and dignity. Also, it affects the music it
produces. These are very subtle aspects that shape music, culture, and social
psyche. 3.2. Distortion of Music Instruments and its Sound 1)
Modification
of sound through audio engineering may sound trendy. But the fact is that the
instrument doesn’t find its own voice, meaning the timbre. 2)
Use
of synthetic membrane may be less burdensome from a maintenance point of view,
but it does not produce the sound that is as soothing as traditional. 3)
Assimilating
allied and electronic instruments override the originality of an instrument in
terms of the music style it represents. 4)
Increasing
the numbers of instruments and drummers just contributes to a loud sound.
However, it is not feasible to produce all types of traditional music with
larger group of bands with proper coordination and aesthetics as well. 3.3. Distortion in Scholastic works The
scholastic works undertaken from time to time by various scholars have also
caused many distortions and this has not yet been addressed with proper
rationale. One of the major distortions here is, the connotations of
terminologies that have been continuously changing. For instance, the earlier
works have very poorly addressed Ganda Baja and have portrayed Ganda in
a rather bad light. The study on Ganda Baja tradition by Dr. Lidia Guzy (German Anthropologist) brought a whole new
perspective on music culture which was never present before. 1)
Data
that is obtained through secondary resources sometimes may fail to give the
factual information. The narration or description comes as per the viewpoint of
the informant or the researcher’s in-depth field study. The colonial narratives
and their worldview reflect the same. The Tribes
and Castes of Central Provinces of India, Vol – III by Russel R.V. and Hiralal, Rai Bhadur describes the
‘Ganda’ and ‘Ganda Baja’ that fail to see the sacred values that Ganda
Baja has. That work depicts the then connotation of Ganda Baja in
1916 is totally different from the present scholastic approach and perspective.
Russell
and Hiralal (1916) 2)
Use
of terminology sometimes confronts social issue. To avoid that it is sometimes
replaced with acceptable terminology. Sometimes we find scholars using the term
‘Dulduli’ instead of ‘Ganda Baja’. Just as an
example, in the thesis, “Tribal and Traditional Folk Dances of Odisha” by
Jayanta Kumar Behera we can see the term ‘Dulduli’
in the context of Sing Baja and Sing khel.
He may have his own reasons for not using the term ‘Ganda Baja’. “The folk
dance Singbaja or Singkhel
is also otherwise known as Dulduli. It is a
community based professional dance being danced by the schedule caste people of
western Odisha in almost all the districts with a little variation.” Behera
(2016) Changing
the nomenclature from ‘Ganda Baja’ into ‘Dulduli’
has resulted in degenerative impacts. “First, it
is fading out the Ganda into oblivion. Also, it is causing the Ganda to
move towards Dulduli. Secondly, the word ‘Dulduli’ is just a decade old name whereas ‘Ganda
Baja’ is centuries old, putting a limitation to the musicological history
of centuries old tradition. Thirdly, the ‘genetic’ factor has a great impact on
the authenticity of this traditional music. The revised music causes decay in
its performance, practically. The depth of drum-stroke, or the holding position
of the drums or the recitation of drum language of Ganda Baja, still to
be learnt from the traditional performers.” Prajapati (2018) 4. OBSERVATION Today, the
folk music of western-Odisha is witnessing a paradigm shift at every nook. As
per the societal change and its impact on common life, gradually the music is
changing its cultural context to current cultural demands. The music
practice and the traditional repertoire is shifting to a new mode (towards
proscenium stage) where the traditional way of making music hardly finds a
space for it to present itself according to its natural shape and the
traditional musicians found to be unfit. Hence, remain marginalized. Only dance
oriented music find a space in stage and other kinds of music are excluded. As
a result of which, the music repertoire or knowledge of centuries is gradually
decaying in its value and authenticity. The
traditional performance practice is unable to meet the current trend of
cultural demands. The traditional performer is bestowed with the explicit
knowledge and information on his respective subject or can say repertoire, but
the music is losing its socio-cultural relevance in its practice and decaying
rapidly. On the other hand, the performer of current trend who does not
necessarily belong to a hereditary or traditional background is though able to
manage a platform for his music; unable to compensate for the lack of in-depth
knowledge on the authenticity of that particular music subject. It is the
social background and their lack of information, up gradation and awareness to
current cultural happenings, the traditional musicians remain marginalized. To
expose them to the cultural platforms, it needs a mediator to connect the
musicians with facilities and platforms those are far reach from them. It’s a
big question mark to fulfil these need and way out a solution to their
constraints of economic harsh and social dignity. On the
other hand, the upcoming generation of traditional musicians either moving
towards Dulduli or leaving Ganda Baja
and searching for other professions. In few cases, if the son of a drummer gets
into a job, Ganda Baja becomes a taboo for him and the tradition that
was continuing from forefathers ends there. There has
been a huge concern over the decades by the elites, cultural organisations, and
government to revive the art forms and save it from damage. These noble
endeavours result in folk music getting accepted and practised by people from
different classes and sectors. There is a stupendous focus on the revival of
western-Odisha folk music by means of study, practice, documentation,
preservation, communication, and appreciation. The elite class embracing music
as a subject in the form of revised music. However, unable to master it like a
traditional one. According
to the changing mode of current practice of western-Odisha folk music, it is
redirecting itself into a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary platform,
finding a new space in academic or classroom or curricular mode of music
practice. The music is now not confined to traditional performance practice
aspects but rapidly moving towards stage performance-oriented music platforms. The Dalkhai (the festival of dance during Dusserah) is no longer seen in the streets but on
the proscenium or in social media platforms. Similarly, there is a significant
growth of non-hereditary musicians who do music on cultural platforms, but not
in socio-cultural life. Today, a Dalkhai song need not be sung on the occasion of Dusserah alone but can be sung on any occasion. It
can be taught to someone in a classroom, or a research work can be carried out
on it. The treatment of music can be that of traditional practice or stage
performance or teaching or cross-cultural experimentation or research-oriented
work or so. The
dissemination of music knowledge is changing its form from ‘Learning it by
doing’ to ‘Learning it through academic curricular discipline’. The government
schemes like Junior/Senior Fellowships, CCCRT Scholarships, Guru-Shishya
Parampara Grants by Zonal Cultural Centre and many facilities are encouraged
highly for learning folk music. This contemporary way of learning folk music
demands that a teacher and student necessarily follow an academic methodology,
which otherwise wasn't present in the past tradition of learning through seeing
and practice. Thereby, the traditional musician remains unfit in account
of his educational qualification account. 5. CONCLUSION
(PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND ROAD AHEAD) From the
observation, it is obvious that, it’s a crucial period of transition for the
western-Odisha folk music, where the traditionally practised music has
drastically unlocked to various dimensions and is taking different shapes
leaving behind the core. Given below are proposed action items that could be
taken up at various levels to further the cause of traditional Ganda Baja. 1)
Creating
better scopes/platforms for traditional music forms to showcase at National and
International events – Role of Govt, Role of Local Communities, Role of
Cultural Organizations. 2)
Developing
Academic Curriculum – Codifying a conceptual framework that befits traditional Ganda
Baja to develop pedagogy for current way of disseminating music knowledge. 3)
Role
of school and university in curriculum development, music as a subject –
including Ganda Baja in extracurricular activity. In this
present crisis, the folk music of western-Odisha needs an urge to bridge
between the existing tradition and on-going transition. The framework of traditional music practice
has to be linked with the revised music performed in the stage by the non-hereditary
musicians. Simultaneously, modes of disseminating music knowledge from the
traditional one with the class-room mode of present-day pedagogical methods
should be well studied and codified. That can only be possible by paying an
equal amount of importance to the core traditional musicians and their music. The Ganda
Baja should be recognized by its own nomenclature. If Ganda Baja is
replaced by Dulduli, then we are definitely
losing the core music. The traditional Ganda Baja in its core form would
be a great resource for future generation of musicians to explore, expand and
further it. To make it happen, there is an utter surge to demarcate the Ganda
Baja as well as the musicians from Dulduli
through a proper field study. It invites
a discussion from different agencies to arrive at a strategy that how to
suffice the needs of the traditional musicians and bring dignity to their music
or in other words, accommodating Ganda Baja and the musicians as a
beneficiary in various platforms. That might make an inroad for traditional Ganda
Baja. Academic
collaboration with the traditional music would be a part of solution. Rather
than just classroom techniques of teaching the music curriculum as a study, if
practical performance mode is adopted to come out as a performer, the
traditional musicians would get a platform to showcase their art and earn their
bread. Simultaneously, the students of music would derive the benefit of
experiencing the first-hand information of authentic music and would come out
as a performer but not just earning a degree. Likewise, the music can be
introduced to students in school levels and making them capable of performing
the music at least in a level of what we find in a school march-past band. Above the
all, there is a dearth of literature especially on Ganda Baja music. In
the early works Ganda Baja is least mentioned and never described in detail
as it is supposed to be. As a participant observer of this music culture and
student of music, I strongly realize that this western Odisha folk music
culture has enough to contribute to the world of folk music research as well as
contemporary folk music till the core form of music is alive. In depth study on
this music and the musicians is yet lacking. I hope, the
issues addressed in this study will open up new avenues for future works on
various aspects of Ganda Baja. Especially, scholastic studies in terms
of socio-cultural problems and the socio-economic constraints of traditional
musicians, the cultural-politics and scopes for the music making possibilities
in its revised form, experimentation of music with current technology and so
on. In the other hand, to take this music into a new horizon it needs the musicians of creative minds with having the thorough knowledge and experience of the core music as well as understanding of current music in terms of grammar, styles, technics, technology and so on. The sub-forms of the main music stream will find more possibilities to explore and will expand to the maximum if the root music is taken care well. I have my own limitation to address and justify each aspect of this study. Still this study has to be furthered to answer the question – How to blend the music of traditional musician with the current transitional development without causing any distortion.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS None. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS None. REFERENCES Behera, J. (2016). Tribal and Traditional Folk Dances of Odisha. Centre for Cultural Resources and Training. George, G. M. (2015). The Duma Among The Gandas of Western Odisha : A Socio- Anthropological study. Tata Institute of Social sciences. Retrieved on 24 April 2022. Guzy, L. (2013). Ritual Village Music and Marginalised Musicians of Western Orissa/Odisha, India. International journal of Asia pacific studies, 9 (1), 121– 140. Retrieved on 20 May 2022. Guzy, L. (2022). Dulduli : the Music ‘Which Touches Your Heart’ and the Re-Enactment of Culture. In press in : Georg Berkemer, Hermann Kulke (ed.), Centres out There ? Facets of Subregioanl Identities. Delhi : Manohar. Retrieved on 10 May 2022. Prajapati, D. (2018). Ganda Bajaa : An Ethnical Folk Music Form, a Separate Entity. Meru. Sambalpur. Ranade, A. D. (1992). Indology and Ethnomusicology : Contours of the Indo-British Relationship. New Delhi : Promilla & Co. Publishers. Russell, R. V. & Hiralal, R. B. (1916). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Vol. III. London : Macmillan and Co., Limited St. Martin’s Street. Retrieved on 15 April 2022. Senapati, N. (1971). Orissa District Gazetteer. Sambalpur. Retrieved on 04 August 2022.
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