# The MUSIC of the People

## Overview

This chapter celebrates the incredible diversity of India’s music by highlighting folk music, regional instruments, unique voices, contributions of women in music, and the role of music in social reform. It includes song lyrics, regional traditions, listening activities, and creative exercises encouraging students to connect with their own cultural roots.

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## Key Topics Covered

### 1. Understanding Folk Music

- **Folk Music / Lok Sangeet** is the music of the people.
- Reflects festivals, rituals, traditions, occupations, emotions (rasas), beliefs, and local culture.
- Lyrics are rooted in real life, nature, and social experiences.
- Common instruments include vilavel, sarangi, damru, desi saxophone, ektara, gopi jantra, and chenda.

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### 2. Folk Songs and Community

- **Example: Assamese Bihu Song**
Title: *Bihu bihu lagise gaat* by Bhupen Hazarika
- Celebrates **Bohag Bihu** — joy, rhythm, dance, nature.
- Emphasizes rhythm through clapping and dancing.
- **Activity**: Learn and share folk songs from your own region. Identify instruments and their sounds.

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### 3. Unique Voices in Music

- Every individual has a **unique voice** — deep, soft, high-pitched, or sharp.
- **Unconventional singers**:
- **Kumar Gandharv**: Known for his deep and resonant voice.
- **Usha Uthup**: Famous for singing in a unique tone.
- **Teejan Bai** and **D.K. Pattammal**: Icons with strong traditional roots.

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### 4. Lullabies and Qawwalis

- **Lullaby (Lori)**: A soothing song sung to help a child sleep. Traditionally sung by mothers but can be sung by any family member.
- Example: *Nanhi Kali Soney Chali* by Geeta Dutt.
- **Qawwali**: A devotional music form from the **Sufi tradition**.
- Once performed only by men; now also by women.
- Famous artist: **Roshanara Begum**.

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### 5. Women in Music

- **Mirabai (15th century)**: Princess, poet, and devotee of Krishna.
- Wrote and sang hundreds of **bhajans**.
- Example: *Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo*
- Focuses on devotion and inner wealth through spiritual connection.

- **Lal Ded** (Lalleshwari): Kashmiri poet-saint known for philosophical **vakhs** (short verses).

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### 6. Music and Social Reform

- **Annamacharya (15th century)**: Telugu composer and saint.
- Composed 32,000 **sankirtanas**.
- Example: *Brahmam Okate* – Advocates equality and unity of all beings.

- **Mukunda Das (19th–20th century)**: Bengali poet-singer.
- Example: *Baan Eshechey* – Song of awakening and action, aligned with Swadeshi movement.

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### 7. Regional Instruments of India

- Music reflects regional identity.
- Instruments have unique sounds and cultural significance.
- Examples:
- **Mohuri** (Chhattisgarh)
- **Pepa** (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh)
- **Dholak** (Punjab)
- **Khanjira** (Karnataka)
- **Pung** (Manipur)
- **Chimta**, **Damamatu**, **Khuang**, **Tarpo**, and many more.

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### 8. Music Projects and Interviews

- **Know Your Musician Activity**:
- Interview a local musician.
- Explore their training, instruments, style, and advice for young artists.
- **Activity: Write your own poem/rap** as a voice for change in your community.

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## New Terms and Simple Definitions

| Term | Definition |
|---------------------|------------|
| Lok Sangeet | Folk music of the people |
| Rasa | Emotion expressed in music |
| Bihu | Assamese spring festival with song and dance |
| Qawwali | Devotional Sufi music, often group-sung |
| Bhajan | Devotional song, usually in praise of a deity |
| Sankirtana | A type of devotional song praising God |
| Vakhs | Short philosophical poems in Kashmiri |
| Swadeshi Movement | Indian movement for self-reliance and independence |
| Musical Instruments | Tools used to produce music sounds |
| Voice | The sound produced when speaking or singing |

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**Practice Questions with Answers and Explanations** included in next response →

## Practice Questions

### 🟢 Easy (3)

**1. What is Lok Sangeet?**
**A. A type of dance**
**B. Folk music of the people**
**C. Religious painting**
**D. Western music**

✅ **Answer**: B
**Explanation**: "Lok" means people, so Lok Sangeet is music of the people — folk music.

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**2. Which instrument is associated with the state of Assam?**
**A. Chimta**
**B. Khanjira**
**C. Pepa**
**D. Mohuri**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: The *Pepa* is a traditional wind instrument used in Bihu celebrations in Assam.

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**3. Who composed the bhajan "Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo"?**
**A. Annamacharya**
**B. Bhupen Hazarika**
**C. Mirabai**
**D. Mukunda Das**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: Mirabai, a 15th-century devotee of Krishna, composed this famous bhajan.

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### 🟡 Medium (2)

**4. What message does the song "Brahmam Okate" by Annamacharya convey?**
**A. Celebration of nature**
**B. Protest against British rule**
**C. Unity of all beings and oneness of God**
**D. Love for one's homeland**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: The song teaches that God is one and exists in all, promoting equality and brotherhood.

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**5. What is the primary purpose of a lullaby?**
**A. To express love for the country**
**B. To entertain an audience**
**C. To help a baby sleep**
**D. To express devotion**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: A lullaby is a soft song sung to soothe and put a baby to sleep.

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### 🔴 Difficult (3)

**6. Which female singer is known for her unique deep voice and Western-style songs in India?**
**A. Teejan Bai**
**B. Roshanara Begum**
**C. Usha Uthup**
**D. D.K. Pattammal**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: Usha Uthup is famous for her deep, unconventional voice and her fusion music style.

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**7. What contribution did Mukunda Das make to society through music?**
**A. Promoted film music**
**B. Encouraged dance forms**
**C. Spread messages of Swadeshi movement**
**D. Wrote classical ragas**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: He used music to spread awareness and inspire people during the Swadeshi movement.

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**8. What is the main feature of the Assamese song "Bihu bihu lagise gaat"?**
**A. Devotion to God**
**B. Call for social reform**
**C. Celebration of spring and dance**
**D. Political awareness**

✅ **Answer**: C
**Explanation**: The song captures the essence of Bohag Bihu — joy, rhythm, and cultural celebration.

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### ⚫ Very Difficult (2)

**9. Match the following instruments with their states:**

* i. Mohuri
* ii. Pung
* iii. Khuang
* iv. Tarpo

A. Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Daman and Diu
B. Manipur, Meghalaya, Daman and Diu, Chhattisgarh
C. Meghalaya, Manipur, Daman and Diu, Karnataka
D. Karnataka, Manipur, Jharkhand, Goa

✅ **Answer**: A
**Explanation**:

* Mohuri — Chhattisgarh
* Pung — Manipur
* Khuang — Meghalaya
* Tarpo — Daman and Diu

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**10. How does the chapter use music as a tool to understand identity and diversity?**

✅ **Answer**:
The chapter shows that music reflects the cultural, emotional, and social aspects of communities across India. By engaging with folk music, regional instruments, and songs by women and reformers, students learn to appreciate diversity, heritage, and the power of music to express identity and bring change.

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