Is folk music’s popularisation in Bollywood a double-edged sword?

I am a millennial. There, hold on before you put me in a box and generalise my traits, style, work ethics, food habits, music choices, and everything else. For, I dig Korean rice cakes as much as I enjoy a home-cooked meal of rajma and rice, I am as slang-savy as I am well-versed with the etymology of ‘flummoxed’, and I can sing along any Taylor Swift song as passionately as I can tell a folk song and its origins even if it is ‘groovier’ with more modern, Bollywood-y beats.

What’s being a millennial got to do with my music recognition skills, you ask? (Almost) everything. I have seldom come across a Gen Z who listens to Indian regional tunes in it OG avatar; a popular, Bollywood version of it, they know and they know it well. And that brings me to the topic of this article. Is folk music's popularity among audiences a gift of Bollywood? 

Roots, inspiration, and more
Folk music, by its definition, is music ‘of the people’, ‘by the people’, ‘for the people’. In fact, Indian folk music traces its origins back to prehistoric times, considering music was an integral part of human expression at the time, too, and its references can be found in ancient scriptures such as Ramayana. With its diverse cultures and regions, India boasts a myriad of folk tunes—almost every region has its own folk music and nuances. While some forms like Rajasthan’s Ghoomar and Punjab’s Bhangra are popular in the country as well overseas, there are many a lesser-known type like West Bengal’s Baul, Gujarat’s Bhavai, and Heliamleu of Nagaland among others that are vying for recognition beyond the few local singers and musicians.

Folk music’s love-hate relationship with Bollywood
Is Bollywood, then, the Holy Grail for popularising these regional notes among people of the country—young and old? Folk music torchbearers like Papon, Mame Khan, and Ila Arun agree, but for them it is all about maintaining the essence and core of the music and treading with caution on the path of ‘taking inspiration’. Popular as a Bollywood playback singer, Papon, brings his Northeastern notes (a little bit of Rock, a little bit of Blues, and the songs of the people) to his live concerts. Take for instance his performance at Dublin Square Phoenix Marketcity in Mumbai, which was presented by Hungama Artist Aloud. He serenaded the audience with his popular Bollywood numbers and folksy songs that are close to his heart. Papon says, “Folk music and Bollywood have a long-standing relationship and it is only going to strengthen. However, it’s one thing to take a folk tune and simply change the lyrics to present it as a new song and another to be inspired, pick the vibe and groove of the song and build something on it.”

Ila Arun, a Rajasthani folk-pop singer first (my favourite), and then an actress and TV personality, concurs. “Since the very beginning, all Bollywood music composers from Jaidev and Naushad, to SD Burman, who used a lot of Bengali folk music, have either taken help of classical music for composing tunes or taken inspiration from folk music. However, they never lifted an entire song as that is copying. A fine example of building on folk music would be Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ghoomar’ for Padmaavat. While ghoomar is just a word in the song, he has built on the traditional tunes to create something that is comparatively faster-paced than the original and that resonates with the younger audiences beautifully.”

For Mame Khan, a contemporary folk artist from Rajasthan, Bollywood presents a great opportunity for folk music to shine in popular culture, but it will only benefit the genre and the people associated with it when the whole process is hyper-localised. He explains, “Most of us (folk singers) hail from small villages and we have been safeguarding our music and traditions for generations. While it makes us happy that our music is adapted by Bollywood, it would truly be beneficial if they use local talent and original singers, too. That way we can get better opportunities.”

Staying true to the roots, notes, and name
If the consensus is that Bollywood is instrumental in increasing the popularity of folk music, what is the deal if songs are picked up by music composers and ‘treated’ differently? Are folk singers being territorial about the music of the land?

For Papon, who was born to renowned singers (his father Shri Khagen Mahanta known as Bihu Samrat), folk music with a contemporary twist, was a way of living and continues to be. He calls himself to be ‘born after fusion (trend)’, yet he has a clear demarcation for the music that he creates. “If I release an album—Bihu or Tokari—and it has a folk music genre attached to its title, then I do not add contemporary notes to it. I make it pure and delve as deep as I can to find the truest tune. That is what folk is all about. It has to be pure because it is created and enhanced over the years and built on by generations after generations.”

Ila Arun, who has is credited to have taken Rajasthani regional music to international platforms when the Internet was not Internet-ing, says, “My music has changed over the years; my sound maybe different when I sing with international artists or young Indian artists like Dhruv Ghanekar, but the soul is the same. If you want to justify modernisation of folk music, it has to smell of the village, it has to retain the sound of the soil. No compromises there.”

Old tunes, new voices, new platforms
What’s next for folk music? Only a brighter future, if these supreme artists are to be believed. For Mame Khan this is the only beginning. “Today, there are enough and more opportunities for folk artists to come forward and show their talent. If you stay true to your tunes and work towards upholding the essence of folk music, there is only growth here. Audiences want to hear to these tunes, and we, the folk artists, should bring it to them.”

Ila Arun is equally enthused and optimistic, “Platforms like Coke Studio are doing a really good fusion of western and traditional folk music. Artists from across the world join regional performers to create melodies where the new tunes enhance and complement the traditional ones beautifully. Stay true to your tunes and you will be the most sought-after talent.” 

I couldn’t agree more. Don’t believe me? Look at some of the latest drops by Coke Studio Bharat—from the Rajasthani number ‘Leta Jaijo Re’ featuring Chotu Khan, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Shashwat Sachdev, to the Marathi song ‘Bayo’ featuring Cyli Khare, Srushti Tawade, and Komorebi. These artists are striving to bring to the audiences some forgotten tunes, many forgotten songs, one drop at a time, and I think we are ready for the revolution—Bollywood or not.

Lead image: Mame Khan: The agency; Ila Arun: Getty

Also read: The story of Rahul Gajjal, a visually-impaired artist, and his remarkable vision of making music 

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