On a Musical Trail: Where to Catch the Manganiyars

Who are the Manganiyars?

In the courts of erstwhile rulers and emperors of India, bloomed folk singers and musicians of Rajasthan. They would sing at weddings, births and deaths. They would sing for alms. Their tunes were an amalgam of Hindustani classical music, Rajasthani folk, Sufi creations, and inspirations from the dunes and the desert. Every note, every tempo, every hum reverberated with raw, free music that touched the heart and won over the soul. The emperors became history, the rulers left the country, but what stayed behind and remained untouched until centuries later, were the progenies of these musicians and their music. These are the Manganiyars.

What Makes the Music of Manganiyars Different and Special?

There’s a popular saying that where there’s a Kamaicha, there’s a Manganiyar. A number of instruments are employed in a folk performance with astounding dexterity — there’s the dholak, harmonium, morchang and khartal, but the key instrument is the kamaicha. This bow-stringed instrument is an heirloom item, and the community of minstrels cannot stay without it. In Barmer and Jaisalmer—cities they call home—there are kamaicha ustaads and gurus with years of experience behind them. Children learn all about sur, taal, and the right technique to play kamaicha at home.

Where to Find the Manganiyars?

Dotting the Thar landscape of Western Rajasthan is the Manganiyar community. Purely and truly musically inclined, the Manganiyars are colourful people with an equally colourful family history in music. Their oral traditions run deep, going back almost 15 generations. You are most likely to find them in their courtyards singing folk music and teaching their children all the nuances they learnt from their forefathers.

Manganiyars on the Global Stage

One can fathom the popularity of the Manganiyars knowing the number of prestigious platforms they’ve performed at. Many Manganiyar groups tour internationally. They have marked their presence in every major city of the world and every major arts, music and theatre festival — starting from our very own Purana Qila in New Delhi to Perth International Arts Festival, Australia. Other places where you are likely to find them performing are Rose Theatre, New York; Kennedy Centre, Washington DC; NH7 Weekender festival, US Tour; Holland Festival, Amsterdam; and BITE Festival, London to name a few.

Manganiyar Folk Music in Bollywood

The Manganiyar lifestyle is fairly simple — they sing folk songs with the community and prepare themselves for local performances. However, there are a talented few who made their mark in mainstream cinema as playback singers. A known name today is Mame Khan. He sang Baawre in Zoya Akhtar’s film Luck By Chance, followed by Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra’s Mirzya and then teamed up with composer Amit Trivedi to belt out fusion numbers for MTV’s Coke Studio.

Manganiars Performing Live

If you would like to see them perform live on stage—which is a rare and delightful experience—catch them in action at these festivals:

Desert Festival, Jaisalmer: From 29 to 31 January 2018, the Manganiyars are going to perform in the beautiful dunes of the Thar desert. The poignant folk music recitals create an enchanting environment during this three day festival where you can enjoy camel races, and other competitions such as tug of war and turban tying, amidst delicious food and a variety of stalls displaying artefacts and handicrafts.

How to reach Jaisalmer: You can take a flight from Delhi to Jaisalmer. Alternatively, there are daily trains to Jaisalmer from every major Indian city.

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Jodhpur RIFF, Jodhpur: Every year, you can watch the Manganiyars perform at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival held in the month of October, where they offer patrons a scintillating performance. The highlight of the event has been a soulful repertoire by the Manganiyar brothers including Lakha Khan and Darra Khan, along with many other prominent names from the clan.

How to reach Jodhpur: This gorgeous palace city in Rajasthan is home to the mighty Mehrangarh Palace, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, and many beautiful lakes. There are daily flights and trains to Jodhpur from all major cities of India.

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Some Famous Manganiyars

Besides Mame Khan, these travelling minstrels have amongst them many artists such as Hakim Khan and Lakha Khan, who’ve gained mass popularity. They are now found not only on global urban stages to be consumed in a raw format by a discerning audience; but also in recorded music and fusion experiments. Check out the album The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel where these folk purists belt out traditional renditions. Another project by Abel, Manganiyar Classroom features music by the children of the community. Then there is Mame Khan’s Desert Sessions with seven folk tracks that are bound to leave you mesmerised.