An unwritten musical legacy

All you had to do was close your eyes; the raag of ‘Kesariya balam padharo maaro desh’ would instantly transport you to the deserts of Rajasthan. The cool summer Saturday night was just made much more better; thanks to the soothing music by Kheta Khan and his musicians from the Manganiyar community in Rajasthan.

“Do you know how people get an idea that we have arrived in our village,” asks Khan? And he goes on to answer, “They simply listen to the music of our instruments and know!”

For seven generations now, Khan’s family has been making music. “We used to sing for the Kings and their families; there was nothing else we even thought of doing. Music has always been our life and my hands have only played music so far,” says Khan.

The Manganiyar community follows the oral tradition and their songs are recorded, but in their hearts and minds. “All the music and songs we have were taught to us and we have listened to so many compositions that we now just remember all the songs. We just have to listen to a song once and it stays with us,” says Khan.

The community primarily comprises Muslims and their songs are in praise of the Hindu deities. Khan elaborates, “That’s how it has always been. We belong to Jaisalmer where a Hindu Goddess is worshiped. There is one particular festival where a huge puja for the Goddess is held. The puja never commences until someone from the Manganiyar community sings, also the first prasad of the puja is given to us.”

Manganiyars are travelling musicians who go from place to place, perform at weddings and festivals and liven up the place. Their songs are so famous that even the Hindi film industry uses them, which is a problem sometimes. “Do you remember the Nimbooda song from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam?

Even before that movie was conceptualised, we had been performing that song. We sang it in a festival in the US in 1985. When Bollywood uses our songs, we don’t feel bad, but the focus is never on the community that originally makes them. It is part of our tradition and I feel that we don’t get credit,” he rues.

The community is also unique with the kind of instruments they use. Whether it is the khartal, made of four logs of teak wood, the kamaicha, a 17-string instrument or the dholak, these have remained the same over the years.

“The music sounds exactly the way it did 500 years ago; we have not altered any instrument. What has changed perhaps is the way we perform. But if you were to go back in time and check, the quality of music remains untouched.” When you ask him how old the instruments he owns are, he thinks for a while before saying,

“When I was a child, I asked my grandfather how we got the kamaicha and he told me that, he remembers asking his grandfather the same question; and he too got the same answer! Frankly, we don’t even remember when these instruments were passed down to us.”

The Manganiyars have always been a group of young men and Khan says that by tradition, women have stayed away from performing in public. “But, they perform at weddings of family members. Their knowledge of music is so deep that we get inspired by them,” he adds.

The families have all functioned in similar ways. Khan says, “The kids get trained in music since their childhood. They grow up listening to us and they practise and pick up the right notes. But now, we’re also focussing on their education. We want them to be educated because they have the gift of music. At any given point of the day, if you come down to our house, even a five-year-old will play for you!”