This is the history of how native Yapese learned to use indigenous betel nuts (areca nuts). Native Yapese added pepper leaf and coral lime powder to betel nut and called it langad. Langad was not used by the native Yapese until it was introduced by a friendly ghost who was stranded on the main island of Yap several hundreds of years ago. The ghost, whose name was Llong, was left behind by his companion Luug. Llong then settled himself at the Ron’uw village in the northwestern part of the island. For some reason, Llong relocated himself to Gilyaboch village on the Gakaan peninsula on the western side of the island. There he lived and began making and setting fish traps along the water. Day after day, the natives saw him and wondered what he was doing in the water and who he was. The natives approached him and became friends with him. Llong taught them how to make fish traps and how to set them in the water to catch fish. When setting the traps, branchy corals were required to be placed on and around the traps to cover them. Collecting branchy corals almost every day for the traps, the natives asked Llong if those corals were edible, seeing that they were almost everywhere in the fishing ground. He replied that they were edible, but needed to be processed in advance. So they collected some of the branchy corals and brought them onto land. Thereafter, Llong taught and showed them how to make lime powder out of branchy corals. Llong explained that the powder shouldn’t be taken alone, but could only be taken with two more elements. Llong ordered the natives to bring betel nuts and pepper leaves. Native Yapese at that time used the trunks of betel nut trees only for building houses, but did not use the nuts. Llong gathered everything up and demonstrated how it use it. He added a little amount of powder in a split betel nut and wrapped a piece of pepper leaf around it, putting it in his mouth and chewing on it. After he chewed the mixture, he spat the bloody red liquid out of his mouth. It looked very interesting to the natives, so they tried it right away. Eventually, everyone had a chance to try the newly discovered products. They all felt high from using them and began singing, dancing, and enjoying the sensation until they all felt tired and wanted to take a nap. During their naps, Llong bestowed his blessings upon the langad ingredients so the natives would have the interest or the urge to use them again. When they woke up from the short nap, they were sober and all surprised to see the redness on their lips as well as the spit marks on the ground. They got worried and concerned that their chief in Lamear village might find out what they had done, so they kept it a secret from him. Later, they decided to pay the chief a visit and present him the langad. The chief tried it for the first time and was very impressed. He showed his great excitement, saying that he had never experienced such a euphoria. From then on, he proclaimed the tradition that the people should offer him the langad on a regular basis. This is the story of how native Yapese started using betel nuts. It began in Gilyaboch village, but quickly spread to their chief in Lamear village and to other allies on the island. This knowledge of chewing betel nut with coral lime powder spread throughout the island and became a tradition of the Yapese culture hundreds of years ago. Langad is now a part of daily lives in Yap. It is widely used for social gatherings, community meetings and events, funerals, and so much more.

The chaudike is a string instrument. Chaudike songs are most popular in the northern part of Karnataka, especially near Dharwad, where goddess Yellamma is worshipped by millions of people. The songs are built around the story of Jamadagni and his wife Renuka. In Saundatti (Dharwad, Karnataka), Renuka is known as Yellamma. The rise of Renuka as a mother goddess was perhaps the result of a complex merging of numerous personalities and myths. Renuka is most popular among the lower castes, such as the Pariahs, who are the performers in this recording. The community of Devadasis performs rituals that include Chaudike songs at Renuka shrines. These songs tell the story of Jamadagni, Renuka, and their son Parashurama.

This is a lullaby chant about characters called Bui (grandma) and Drose (jellyfish). It literally tells a story of a Coqeloa, an endemic pigeon from Bua & Vanua Levu in Fiji. It is known in other parts of Fiji as Soqeloa. The lyrics of the lullaby relate the life of this beautiful bird with its beautiful melodies and soft tune. It could also have a colloquial/idiomatic meaning related to the life of a bird looking for life in wildlife associated with the geographical location of the baby’s home, village, clan, community, time, space, culture, heritage, history, and lifestyle.

This is a story about traditional dances and attire in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Traditional dances tell stories of different topics such as suffering, inter-village relationships, and romantic experiences. These stories serve to transfer knowledge from generation to generation, and some of them help transmit moral lessons through lyrics and words used in the dances. Normally, it is a way of remembering events and occasions in the past that mark an important point in the history of the village, persons, community, etc. The traditional attire used consists of men’s and women’s clothes that signify the physical development of each gender and that further break down by occasions, such as daywear and those associated with special occasions.

Nhịp đuổi is one of the melodies in a Chèo play, called “Trấn thủ lưu đồn”. This melody was performed through the solo of the nhị two-string fiddle by Meritorious Chèo artist Minh Nhương,a Chèo troupe artist of Thái Bình province who was born in Khuốt village.Thái Bình is the sole place preserving the ancient folk Chèo at community houses.

Karma is a festival celebrated by the tribal communities of Central India from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand. An important aspect of the festival is dancing through the night after a Karma tree is planted. Men and women dance together. This is a Karma dance of the Gond community. In this track, five women are dancing with a group of three men, accompanied by musicians. The instruments are the mandar (drum), timki (small kettle drum), and manjira (brass cymbals). The dance consists of men and women dancing in rows facing one another, going three steps backwards and forwards.

This is a narrative of the Ahir people of Madhya Pradesh. It is performed with a algoza, a fingerhole trumpet. Circular breathing is employed along with the singing. An Ahir Goal geet are sung at weddings and happy occasions by the Ahir community around Jabalpur. This extract is from a narrative that can be sung all night long. It is about a devout woman and her in-laws. Her husband goes away and asks her to “rest with the mother-in-law, play with the sister-in-law, and seek help from the brother-in-law.” As she is expecting a child, she asks her mother-in-law to call the midwife. Instead, the mother-in-law sends her to the forest to collect wood without tying the bundle. Gods send a snake to tie her bundle, and she returns. The child is born but the in-laws do not give her water or milk. The great rivers of India, the Ganga and the Yamuna, turn their course and come to her to provide water, and a cow comes to provide milk. These miracles continue until she is reunited with her husband.

Cries are a part of work songs as well as devotional or ritualistic activities. Here, coolies, who carried loads or did other manual labor, cry Avale Bismillah, which Muslims exclaim when they are about to begin a task. The community in Kerala is not identified.

Darbari Jhumur: Classical Jhumur\nJhumur is the lifestyle music and dance of Purulia and Bankura. This folk music form dates back to being older than the Vaishnav Padabali. Jhumur songs and dances are an integral part of local community Parabs (festivals) and rituals like Badna, Tusu, Karam Puja and special occasions like marriage, harvests etc. Jhumur songs are songs of everyday life and widely accepted among all cross sections of the society.

Darbari Jhumur: Classical Jhumur\nJhumur is the lifestyle music and dance of Purulia and Bankura. This folk music form dates back to being older than the Vaishnav Padabali. Jhumur songs and dances are an integral part of local community Parabs (festivals) and rituals like Badna, Tusu, Karam Puja and special occasions like marriage, harvests etc. Jhumur songs are songs of everyday life and widely accepted among all cross sections of the society.

Darbari Jhumur: Classical Jhumur\nJhumur is the lifestyle music and dance of Purulia and Bankura. This folk music form dates back to being older than the Vaishnav Padabali. Jhumur songs and dances are an integral part of local community Parabs (festivals) and rituals like Badna, Tusu, Karam Puja and special occasions like marriage, harvests etc. Jhumur songs are songs of everyday life and widely accepted among all cross sections of the society.

Darbari Jhumur: Classical Jhumur\nJhumur is the lifestyle music and dance of Purulia and Bankura. This folk music form dates back to being older than the Vaishnav Padabali. Jhumur songs and dances are an integral part of local community Parabs (festivals) and rituals like Badna, Tusu, Karam Puja and special occasions like marriage, harvests etc. Jhumur songs are songs of everyday life and widely accepted among all cross sections of the society.