Abstract

In this paper we can understand about the different styles of music practiced by the musicians of the Gandharba community of Nepal and the adjoining regions. These styles of music have been studied and listed. Some of these styles of music belong exclusively to the Gandharba community, while some belong to neighboring communities. All of the musical forms belong to communities residing in the central Himalayan region comprising of the country of Nepal and the adjoining Indian territories. These musical forms represent the rich cultural heritage of the Gandharba community.

Keywords: Gandharba, music, traditional, culture, history

Introduction:

The Gandharbas play numerous of musical styles. These songs span a variety of genres, including Bollywood (the Indian film industry located in Mumbai, Maharashtra) and folk songs from Nepal. They also perform songs that aren’t traditional Gandharba tunes or that might be categorized as modern. These days, songs of this modern genre are performed to meet the expectations of current audiences. However, the songs with the most cultural relevance are the traditional folk tunes. These songs are the community’s intangible cultural heritage; they were inherited from generations before. This fits the description of a traditional culture without any outward evidence.

Many facets of traditional culture are interwoven in the ancient folk songs performed by the Gandharbas. Components such as religious doctrine, folklore, and so forth. A few of these songs tell the story of actual events, some honor heroes and monarchs, while yet others discuss various ethnic cultures and their customs.

There is a numerous musical style of the Gandharbas. While some of them have direct ties to the Gandharba community, others have connections to other communities. According to Dhanali (1988), a few of them are lok jhyaure, khyali, chudka, karkha, dafe ra muralichari, and laure sandesh.

ANALYSIS:

Lok Jhyaure – The word “jhyaure” can refer to a variety of things, including a musical genre, literary meters, or musical rhythms known as “jhyaure taal.” The English word “lok” might be interpreted as “folk.” (Stir, 2015). It is said that Manbhir Khatri and Gorya Siras invented it. During the 1814–1816 British wars, these troops were stationed in the western frontiers of Kumaon and Garhwal.

The folk musical form of lok jhyaure was created when they modified it to Nepali jhyaure after returning to their home in the Baglung district in western Nepal. It is reported that individuals used to travel there from far and wide to study this musical style (Stir, 2015).

They stayed there following the drafting of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816. During their extended stay, they got to know the traditional Kumauni music of the area. 

Lok jhyaure is distinguished by unique poetic meter patterns and beats called talas that are only utilized in jhyaure songs. The Gandharbas have traditionally performed jhyaure songs using these musical instruments. These songs are played on sarangis and arbajas by nomadic Gandharbas that we come across.

Khyali – The Limbu people of the central and eastern Himalayas are the creators of this musical style. Young men and women sing conversational songs called “khyali” (Dutta, 2014). Songs of this kind are used as self-introductions. The singer thanks the audience and continues by stating their family name and maternal family name in a beautiful vocal style. 

Through this we find out if the two people are related by blood or not. Khyali are “recreational Limbu folksongs sung in any occasion,” according to Vinay Limbu (Limbu, 2019). However, as family names are exchanged to determine whether or not the performers belong to the same clan. These songs can be considered wooing songs.

Chudka – The Gurung and Magar communities’ traditional music is this genre. It is frequently accompanied by chudka or kauda, two types of dancing. It features young girls dancing to the accompaniment of guys playing tambourines (Sommer, 2015). This musical form can also be called Chutke.Chutke is a lot like jhyaure, but it lacks the melancholy that characterizes that kind of music (Gurung, 1993). The Gandharbas, who use these songs in their performances, are strongly linked to these tunes (Manger, 2020).

Karkha – Only the Gandharbas sing this kind of song. It contains accounts of the valiant actions of princes, monarchs, noblemen, military heroes, and others. The Gandharbas fully immerse themselves in this songs experience that they take on the character of the song’s hero (Dhanali, 1988).

Dafe Ra Muralichari Ko Geet – Two species of birds found in Nepal are referred to by the name dafe ra muralichari. Nepal’s national bird is the dafe, otherwise called the Himalayan Monal (lophophorus impejanus). The Terai region of southern Nepal is said to be home to the second bird, the muralichari (Dhanali, 1988). These birds are mentioned in the songs of the Gandharbas are called dafe ra muralichari geet.

Laure Sandesh and Laure Geet – We discover that Gorkha or Nepali people have enlisted in the armed services of other countries, like the United Kingdom and India. This is a because of the dearth of employment options in Nepal and its surrounding areas for young people (Dhanali, 1988). We can locate letters from these troops serving overseas to their families in either laure sandesh or laure geet. 

Since most of these troops are from the Gurung group, Gurungs can easily relate to these songs, which is why Gandharbas generally sing them when they visit Gurung villages (Morimoto, 2002). Jhalakman Gandharba’s “AmAle sodhlAn” is a well-known laure sandesh song.

Ghatana Geet or Songs Based on News:

The Gandharbas perform a different genre of music known as ghatana geet, which are songs about various events from the area. These are the Gandharbas’ most important songs in terms of culture. We can understand the social milieu of the era in which these songs are set by analyzing them. These songs serve as archives of the past. Typically, Gandharbas sing about occurrences with remarkable lucidity and clarity.

As previously noted in preceding chapters, Gandharbas functioned as news carriers throughout the region prior to the emergence of famous news media channels today. They accomplished this by writing songs that reflected the news that needed to be spread. This applied especially to the nation of Nepal. The Gandharbas had always worked in this field. 

Even now, songs based on current events are still written, and Gandharbas can be heard performing them. Popular songs sung by Gandharbas nowadays include “paccis gate asArko rAtImA”, “bAbule chorI mAreko kathA”, and “1990 sAl ko bhuIcAlo”.

Result:

The musical forms of the Gandharbas studied here are the essential foundation upon which the musical practice of the community stands. From the history of the Lok Jhyaure, to the significance of the Laure Sandesh, to the story of the Dafe ra Muralichari ko Geet, we can see how each musical form has a different background and significance. Each of which are rich and diverse by themselves. By analyzing each song form and studying them we can hope that future researchers will have a small idea about the musical forms of the Gandharbas and that they will be preserved for future generations.