Abstract

From the earliest days of human civilisation, folk music has always remained an intrinsic part of the daily life. With the gradual advent and advancement of the society, music too has found its own way of refinement. In the musical history of the Indian subcontinent, this journey of folk songs evolving into semi-classical or classical compositions has been long. And throughout this journey the vocal musical forms have always been aptly accompanied and complemented by different instruments having their particular styles. The role that the accompaniment can play in forming the character of a song is immense. This particular study focuses on this same aspect of the role that accompaniment plays on a particular song and how influential can it be in the transition of a folk song to another genre. This qualitative research study is done with the help of sources like books, journals, research articles, CDs, Internet browsing and interviews. Ultimately, to showcase the transition of folk into semi- classical through the influence of accompanying instruments, six samples of a particular seasonal folk song – a Hori - is chosen. The song is kept fixed to justify the importance of accompaniment even more and an analytical study is made within these six samples with a special focus on the rhythmic and percussive elements in them. Through the analysis, the transition from pure folk to semi-classical is showcased and the importance and influence of accompaniment is concluded.