In the dreary deserts of Thar, when raindrops fall on the parched land and its people, songs of romance and compassion burst forth, like colors of a rainbow!
One such song speaks of the anxious heart of a lovelorn girl, who can not fall asleep as it is raining and her husband is nowhere near her. Bringing to you from the Manganiyar people, the desert dwellers of Thar. This song of love and longing will delight you to no end!
Artist: Manganiyar Group
Location: Thar Desert, Rajasthan
Song: Jhilmil Barse Megh (Tinsel showers)
The Manganiyars are renowned professional musicians, highly skilled in classical folk music. Since time immemorial, their songs are carried through generations as the oral history of the desert. Just like the people playing them, their instruments are quite exquisite.
Music Instruments:
Kamaicha is a 17-string bowed instrument made out of mango wood. Its rounded resonator is covered with goat skin. Three of its strings are goat intestine while the other 14 strings are made of steel.
Khartaal derives its name from “Khar”, meaning hand, and “Taal”, meaning rhythm. It is a kind of castanet made of teak.
Dholak is a classical hand drum, extensively used in Northern India, Pakistan and Nepal. It is similar in timbre to a bongo. It may have traditional lacing or turnbuckle tuning. It has a simple membrane and a handle on the right hand side. The left hand membrane has a special coating on the inner surface. This coating is a mixture of tar, clay and sand (dholak masala) which lowers the pitch.