This is a Baisakhi tharya. A tharya is a dance song, like a jhumelo. Baisakhi tharya are related to spring, and danced for enjoyment. Tharyas are also danced when a bride enters her new home for the first time. Recorded and collected by Ragini S. Deshpande

This is a recording of various baje rhythmic patterns of the Pandav Lila as collected by Andrew Alter. 1. Bade. Dhol-damau 2. Badai and Sabd. Dhol-damau 3. Dunyal. Dhol-damau 4. Chaunwara of the Pandavas. (Pandav Lila)

A jhumelois a song that is danced to in group community dances for a variety of occasions. This jhumelo is sung by Tolchha tribal women during fairs and festivals. Recorded and collected by Ragini S. Deshpande

This is a jagar sung as part of the Pandav puja, in which the Pandavas of the Mahabharata are worshipped. A jagar is a ritualistic religious song sung to awaken the gods. Titles of specific jagars are based on the names of gods and goddesses to whom they are addressed. In Garhwal, jagars are generally sung by the Ojhis, who are tailors by caste. Recorded and collected by Ragini S. Deshpande

This track about the Rali rituals and songs combines speech with singing. This is included as a particularly interesting way to present intangible cultural heritage. Subhadra Devi gives instructions, in Hindi, about why and how the goddess Rali is worshipped each spring. Rali is identified as a form of Parvati, with her husband Senkar a form of Shankar, in the annual spring ritual for unmarried girls to gain a good groom by celebrating the marriage of goddess Rali to Senkar, with her brother Bastu in attendance. Subhadra Devi describes the rituals and the appropriate songs in dialect. She begins with the song for gathering spring flowers and making garlands for Rali each morning. Then, she moves on to the song about assembling objects for rituals. She goes on to describe how observant girls fast over four Mondays and go from household to household singing in order to gather donations for their Rali ritual. She then offers an example of this sort of song, in which the theme of male migrant labor common in the hills spills into mythological domains here, with Rali’s brother Bastu off to Delhi, while Senkar has gone to work in Chamba, each offering to send her gifts. Subhadra Devi ends by singing an example of the sort of devotional song or bhajan sung by grown women at the auspicious ending of the Rali ritual, when the goddess is carried to a pool to be submerged. This song addresses the mulberry tree from whose wood a flute for Krishna might be made. It describes the unfinished fates of those who haven’t ever given alms, fasted on ritual days, constructed raised stands for wayfarers to rest under shady trees, or given daughters in marriage. Recorded and collected by Kirin Narayan

This CD presents a selection of the best, most distinct, and most outstanding works of Mongolian folk performing arts, which acknowledges their contribution to the cultural diversity of humanity.

Mongolian folk songs are divided in three different categories, such as long songs, short songs and the authors’ songs. Folk songs are shorter than other forms of expressions with average durations of one to five minutes, but there is a high volume of them. Thus, restoring, categorising, and digitising folk songs were the most time-consuming tasks compared to others. Within the framework of the project, just under forty-eight hours of songs were restored and digitised.

folk labor-related song

Jagar, from the word jag, means “awake” or “awoken.” Those who sing jagars are Jagariyas. Jagars are akin to ballads and come in many different forms that exist in many parts of India. Their purpose is to wake up deities. The spirits of gods and deities are invoked by singing about them, their deeds and exploits, and by asking for blessings and favors. The Nanda Devi jagar is a religious narrative associated with the Nanda Devi pilgrimage. The pilgrimage of Nanda Devi happens every few decades when the idol of Nanda Devi is carried in a palanquin to her husband Shiva’s abode. This pilgrimage entails a long and arduous journey through a rough terrain and fields of snow. The Hindu goddess Nanda Devi is worshiped in the former Western Himalayan kingdoms of Garhwal and Kumaon, which together make up the modern Indian state of Uttarakhand. During Nanda Devi’s annual festival, in the Hindu months of Bhadrapad and Shravan, her songs are sung by women throughout the state. The jagar of Nanda Devi is an example of a religious ballad that lasts for several hours and can go on through the night. This extract is the very beginning of a commissioned recording made by William Sax in 1981. The original version is six hours long. The performers are the women of Nauti village, District Chamoli, Garhwal, Uttarakhand. This initial part is a local cosmogony in which female forces and goddesses play the major roles, and are summoned. They are followed by the story of the goddess Nanda, a local version of the myth of the goddess Parvati.

“Hasi Deu Bolideu Rasaile” is a Jhyaure song most commonly heard in the mid-hills area of the central and western regions of Nepal. This type of song is performed by two groups of singers, one male and one female, and the lyrics typically express emotions, including pain or happiness.\nInstruments: maadal, chum chum, maajiraa, saarangi, baansuri

This is a song celebrating Garhwal and the beauty of the Nanda Trishuli peaks and of the holy river Ganges that flows through it. The song asks not to forget this beautiful land nor the brave Garhwali soldiers who have fought wars, spilling their blood. It asks Nanda Devi to wake up and protect. Recorded and collected by Ragini S. Deshpande