A paradigm shift in music and people’s tastes have discouraged folk singers lately
HYDERABAD: Folk music brings feelings of tranquillity to listeners. There was a time when folk music was played frequently on national radio and there was a steady market for it. There were mehfils where folk singers would perform. Mystical lyrics with calm and peaceful music would bring much joy to listeners. In villages, at night, one could hear from far away, the songs of Abida Parveen, Allan Faqir, Mai Bhagi and other folk singers being played in tractors. With a backdrop of a silent night and a sky full of shining stars, listening to folk music was a very harmonious experience.
A paradigm shift in music and people’s tastes have discouraged folk singers lately. There are still many folk singers in the villages of Thar and Nagarparker who have never caught the sight of the media. Due to wilful ignoring of folk music, the art is now vanishing. Professional folk singers don’t impart their skills to their offspring as they see no scope for their profession flourishing in the future.
I request our media to promote folk music and bring folk singers on television screens so that the market for folk music can be developed and a taste for it can be acquired by the younger generations. This will encourage the advent of new folk singers into the music industry. We need to do this in order to prevent the precious art form from vanishing.
Zaman Kunbhar
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2015.
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