qarsak

Barsāti means “rain song.” This genre is associated with the monsoon and often expresses longing for an absent husband. It was sung to ease the labor of transplanting rice. Bent over in cold muddy water, women passed the time chorusing such songs. Here, the woman confides in her husband’s sister of a pain in her side, and a Vaid healer is brought from Mandi. However, her yearning is so intense that she feels she will die without her Ranjha(“true love”), referring to the tragic Punjabi folk epic of Heer Ranjha. The lead singer here is Urmila Rana. This song was recorded in the field. The sound of splashing water and other sounds from the field provide an authentic context. Recorded and collected by Kirin Narayan

O think of the nailed wooden boards\nOr the shaking bamboo bridge that's hard to walk on\nIf it's hard to pass then mother is here to lead\nYou're on the path to school, I'm on the path of life\n\nLullabies (Ru) within the family environment has a hypnotising function, where it's used to ease the child into sleeping. Southern Vietnam (Nam bộ) lullabies was formed and sustained through the many layers of Nam bộ culture. The environmental ecosystem and culture have given it a distinctive form that is expressed through lyrics, melodies, and rhytms.

This chutka song is sung at local festivals in the western region of Nepal. First, the men lead the song and the women repeat the lines, and then the roles are reversed. Musicians also sing and dance as they play. Instruments: khainjadi, majiraa, baansuri