Meet the Music Progenies of Desert Music Traditions!
Nurturing skills to continue the legacy of Rajasthani folk music.
The joyous Manganiyar children (2020)Banglanatak
The Langas and Manganiyars, hereditary musicians of western Rajasthan, believe that their children are born with a natural sense of music!
The children have an inherent sense of tunes and beats that are further developed and formalised through trainings by their families.
The skill transmission by their families happens through some magical non formal framework that is undefined and innate, yet so powerful that it has kept this tradition alive for decades.
Padmashri Anwar Khan Manganiyar teaching children by Anwar Khan ManganiyarBanglanatak
Guru Shishya Parampara
Seen here is Padmashri Anwar Khan teaching children.
The children, as they grow up, learn from their Gurus to become professional musicians in future, but their first introduction to music happens in early childhood when their mothers sing lullabies to them.
Skill transmission (2020) by Kader KhanBanglanatak
Women - the real tradition bearers
These folk musicians acknowledge that the women are the real experts and tradition bearers of their music. However, traditionally the women do not sing in public, and so their amazing skills continue to be exclusive to their families.
Gurus sharing how they learnt musicBanglanatak
Artist Speak
Gurus of Langa Manganiyar communities share how they learned music.
Hakkam Khan of Sanawada teaching Kamaicha to the community children by Hakkam KhanBanglanatak
Guru Shishya Training
Guru Hakam Khan at a session of kamaicha training of children in his village Sanawada in Jaisalmer.
Children learning songs under the guidence of Gazi Khan Barna by Gazi Khan BarnaBanglanatak
Guru Shishya Training
Guru of khartal, Gazi Khan, teaching children of his village at Barna, Jaisalmer.
Khartal guru Gafur Khan and his son Firoj Khan of Jhaphli Kala by Gafur Khan, Firoj KhanBanglanatak
Guru Shishya Training
Guru Gafur Khan, teaching his son Firoz Khan at Jhampli Kala in Sheo, Barmer. Firoz is a young prodigy of khartal.
Anwar Khan learning Sarangi from his father Askar Khan Langa at Barnawa JageerBanglanatak
Guru Shishya Training
Guru Askar Khan, teaching sarangi to his son Anwar Khan at Barnawa Jageer, Barmer.
A glimpse into the skill transmission process.
Learn more about the traditions and repertoire of desert music of western Rajasthan in this story, Desert Music: Soul of Western Rajasthan.
