Folk Songs of Punjab are a treasure trove of rich culture, traditions and folklore. Punjab is known as the land of festivals and every festival here is associated with music and dance.
Their songs and lyrics are something which has the captivating power to transform a person entirely to the place they are set in.
Theme of Folk Songs of Punjab
A glimpse into the lives and culture of the people of Punjab can be gained through the folk songs of Punjab. A folk song is essentially a subjective expression of the emotions walling up from the depths. It borrows its metamorphous imagery from the simple things in life. Laughter, happiness, pain, sorrow, all form ingredients of Folk Songs of Punjab. There is a great repertoire of music and songs, celebrating birth, daily life and including death; songs of love and separation, marriage, fulfilment and disappointment. There are songs which tell about the love of a brother or a sister. They are simple, charming and full of the sincerity of emotion, and the purity of feeling.
Types of Folk Songs of Punjab
There is a wide range of folk songs of Punjab for every occasion from birth to death including marriage, festivals, fairs and religious ceremonies. The different types of Folk Songs of Punjab are as follows:
Songs on Community Festival: In the olden days, it was more of a community festival, where the birth of a son or the anniversary of the first year of marriage was celebrated all through the village in front of the sacred fire. Songs are sung to the beat of vigorous clapping. Groups of little children would go singing round the village collecting "Gur"and "Rewari" for them.
Songs on Agriculture: During the harvest season, for the process of washing and cleaning the grain, of making new clothes, and household items, songs are sung by the women in the family as they work through the night. "Dhol" is not used to avoid disturbing the sleeping men folk of the house.
Songs on Wedding: Any Punjabi wedding is incomplete without some dholwalas and the traditional Folk songs of Punjab. Numerous songs are associated with the Punjabi wedding. "Suhag" is sung on the bride"s side, and on the groom"s side "Sehra" and "Ghodi" are sung while he mounts the mare. When the two sides meet "Sithaniyan" are exchanged. "Patal Kaavya" is sung while the Barat is eating food together.
Songs on Child Birth: Right from the moment a woman announces the news of a new baby on the way the singing begins. The third month and the fifth month are associated with joyous songs about the impending arrival and then the actual birth brings many more.
Folk Songs of Punjabi is so rhythmic, versatile and diverse that every man can feel its beauty and charm. Punjabi people accept that "anytime is a good time for music".
