Precious Drops from Nepal's Fountain of Folk Music

    • DVD2
    • Nepal's Hereditary Musician Castes
    • The four hereditary musician castes of Nepal are Damai, Gandharba, Kapali, and Badi. The most visible of these are the Damai and the Gandharba musicians. The Kapali are temple musicians and the Badi are drum makers. Damai are required to play for the goddess of the ruling class and also to play at all types of ceremonies and rites of passage, such as weddings and Bratabhandha. They perform in a group known as a panchai baajaa, which is composed of nine musicians playing seven different musical instruments representing the five universal elements of earth, water, fire, air, and sky, of which all matter and living things are composed. The tyamko represents earth, the damaha represents water, the jhurma represents fire, the dholaki represents air, and the narasingaa, sahane, and karnal represent the sky. Panchai baajaa music is believed to keep the elements in balance and harmony and to result in therapeutic musical healing. The Gandharba or Gaine caste musicians traditionally travel from village to village and door to door singing bhajan (hymns), songs from the great Hindu epics, and karkha (historical songs of heroes and bravery), but also bring news. They accompany themselves by playing saarangi.
  • nepal_rdvd02
SOUND LIST
1 Shree Krishna Ko Gatha
Performer: Hum Bahadur Gandharva Date of Recording: 1992 Caste: Gandharva Collector: Ram Prasak Kadel 		14'43" PLAY
2 Behuli Magne Dhun
Performers: Sankar Bahadur Pariyar, Mahendra Bahadur Pariyer, Bil Bahadur Pariyar, Manoj Pariyar, Suraj Bahadur Pariyar, Suman Pariyar, Dhurba Pariyar, Baburam Pariyar Date of Recording: 1991 Caste: Damai Collector: Dan Bahadur Nepali 		06'11" PLAY
3 Behuli Anmaune Dhun
Performers: Rajan Pariyar, Mukesh Pariyar, Prakash Pariyar, Ramswonda Pariyar, Kedar Pariyar, Bishnu Pariyar, Ramsaran Pariyar, Bhakata Bahadur Pariyar Date of Recording: 1992 Caste: Damai Collector: Dan Bahadur Nepali 		08'05" PLAY
4 Malsiri Raga in Panchai Baaja
Performers: Dhan Bahadur Nepali and friends Date of Recording: 1998 Caste: Damai Collector: Ram Prasak Kadel 		06'34" PLAY
5 Folk Melodies in Sarangi and Jhamtaar
Performers: Padam Gandharva, Surbahadur Gandharva Date of Recording: 1994 Caste: Gandharva Collector: Ram Prasad Kadel 		08'48" PLAY
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