Rajasthan music school trains ustads of tomorrow

Chhotu Khan is no Atif Aslam. Just seven years old, Khan cannot match the mastery or the fan-following of Aslam, the famous singer from Pakistan who has made it big even in Bollywood.

Yet, when Chhotu Khan sings folk songs, listeners make comparisons.

Though none exactly says he is Aslam, some do say he is an Aslam in the making.

Such wholesome praise should be considered a huge compliment for such a young singer. But how did he learn to sing so melodiously?

“It is because children in our community are born with the gift of Ragas. Their first cry immediately after being born is also musical,” insisted Bax Khan, one of the many musicians belonging to the Manganiyar community of Jaisalmer in western Rajasthan.

Bax’s boast may not be entirely exaggerated.

It is for 15 generations now that members of the community have been serving as singers to the people of the region. “Music is in our blood. It is our life,” Bax added.

In between though, the tradition of folk music was losing its lustre and children were no longer learning it. It prompted Bax to start his music school in 2005. It allowed young members of the community like Chhotu Khan to take to music and captivate audiences.

“Most of the time, music recharges us. But there are also moments when music needs our care,” explained Bax. “Reviving the love for music has been our mission and our religion”.

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Though one among the only two original ‘gharanas’ of western Rajasthan’s folk music, Manganiyar musicians are mostly poor. “We are ones who must toil every day to put food on our plates. It was impossible for most members of the community to have instruments in the house. As a result, children were not able to learn music,” Bax said.

But his school, the Gunsar Folk Music Institute, has addressed the basic logistical issues. It has also addressed the problem of children moving away from traditional folk songs.

Most children come to the music institute after attending their regular schools. In the 18 years of its existence, it has so far trained some 500 children.

They are also taught how to make nine traditional musical instruments including Dhol, Been, Khartal and Kamaicha.

The 17-string Kamaicha is a bowed instrument. Made of mango wood, its rounded resonator is covered with goat skin. Three of its strings are goat intestines while five others are made of copper while the rest are made of steel wire.

In the music school, the children learn ragas, geet, and lyrics of their 1000-year-old traditions. They also acquaint themselves with their indigenous knowledge, sculpture, syncretic living, history, hospitality, rain, and sand dunes.

It helps them to connect with the rich tapestry of their immediate environment and its diverse landscape, including forests and arid deserts.

After all, the lyrics of their folk songs delve deep into them.

“The children thereby become true ambassadors of our culture,” Bax proclaimed.

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As many as 12 of the 35 children currently on the school’s rolls are girls.

The institute offers coaching free of cost to them. It has six teachers, all trained in folk traditions. The teachers and Bax Khan have paired with the famous Salim-Sulaiman duo and travelled in over 80 countries to raise awareness about local musical traditions.

Students of the school too have visited more than 10 countries. They have won over 15 national and other awards. More than 60 of them have appeared on national television channels while 150 of them have found employment as musicians at various places.

Given the accomplishments, Bax has reasons to be proud of the young Ustads that the school produces with unfailing regularity.

“To preserve and revive western Rajasthan’s folk music is our motto,” Bax added. His hopes soar every time a student such as Chhotu Khan practices a particularly difficult raga. As the lilting voice wafts around, Bax closes his eyes wistfully with his dreams looking eminently attainable.

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The lead image on top shows the students of Gunsar Folk Music Institute of Jaisalmer who are wowing audiences across the world (Photo by Bax Khan)

Amir Malik is a freelance journalist based in Bihar. He writes about health, women and children and their interaction with nature. He is a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.