Cing kram means bamboo gong. It is an idiophonic instrument, striking branch. Cing kram consists of two parts: a bamboo section and a resonator made of a large bamboo piece. Each Cing kram produces a pitch that corresponds to that of a gong in a bronze gong set of the Ê đê people. The five-tone musical scale of Cing kram set is equivalent to that of the bronze gong set, arranged from low to high under the names of grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and children. The instrument has a clear sound and can be played at a quick tempo, creating a joyful and bustling atmosphere. When played in an ensemble, many Cing kram are used together, with each player in charge of playing one section. The repertoire of the Cing kram set is the same as that of the bronze gong set. T he player sits in column on the Kpa couch in the communal house. The bamboo section is put on the left hand’s palm. Under each bamboo section is one resonator, which is put upright between the player’s thighs so that one head of the resonator is in close contact with the bamboo section. The right hand of the player holds a stick to strike the bamboo section. When playing, the player’s lefthand thumb is used to keep the instrument section steady and can cover or open the head of the bamboo section to adjust the vibrato

“Pravati Gayan” is chanted solely in the early morning, usually by a senior person of the household. The chant describes the beauty of the dawn light and of the morning birds' chorus, and announces that it is time to wake and start the day's work. The singer chants partially in remembrance of the family's children, symbolic of Lord Krishna. It is believed that this chant was a favourite of Yasodha’s , Lord Krishna's mother.

1. The second track has performances of two rāgas, one immediately following the other. In Telugu, the title means, “Know that the supreme soul shines everywhere.” Oral tradition has it that Tyagarāja composed and sang this song shortly before his death, when he had formally be come a saṃnyāsi, one who renounces the world, and that this gives the song its sublime beauty. Rāga nīlāmbarī: ālāpana precedes a kirtana in ādi tāḷa, ambā nīlāmbarī, translated from Telugu as “Mother, blue sky, Ocean of joy” by Tañjāvūr Ponnayya Pillai (1804-1864). Ponnayya Pillai and his three brothers, all students of Muttusvāmi Dīkṣitar (1775-1835), were renowned composers, naṭṭuvanārs (dance masters), and performing musicians. Dīkṣitar’s compositions represent a somewhat different tradition within Karṇāṭak music from his contemporary, Tyagarāja Nīlāmbarī. This music has its roots in ancient Tamil music where paṇ mēkarāgakkuriñci, known from the tēvāram songs of the seventh and eighth century CE, corresponds to this rāga. It is quite different from the Hindustāni rāga of the same name. 2. Rāga jayantasena: kirtana in ādi tāḷa, “vinatāsuta vāhana śrī ramana” (Telugu, Śrī Ramaṇa, with Vinatā’s son Garuḍa for your mount) by Tyagarāja. Jayantasena is a rare rāga known principally through this one kirtana. The ensemble plays the kirtana, “Vinatāsuta vāhana śrī ramana” without melodic improvisation to the fade-out. The tavil, however, plays inventively in the spaces created in the performance.

This wedding song, “Father, don’t give me far away,” celebrates the friendship among a cohort of girls who will all be married to different villages. The young bride asks her father not to give her far away or to a “different country” in marriage for then she would no longer be able to meet with her group of girlfriends. In the future, she might be able to meet with her father and mother on return visits, but not with her group of girlfriends. The song then goes on to make the same request to the maternal uncle. Such songs, sung around a bride, can be repeated addressing a widening range of relatives, including other paternal uncles and brothers.

This is a lullaby that mentions two characters, a grandmother (Bui) and Ququ. It is usually sung by an old man to calm the baby down, especially when the baby cries after he/she wakes up from sleep. The song has a good sense of humor, so the baby laughs in the end. Literally, it says that the child’s mother has gone to catch fish in the sea; the child, having to learn of this, refuses to eat; and the rooster ends up eating the food kept for the baby.

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.

The main jaatraa of Bishnu Devi Temple in Tinthana, Kathmandu, is the Sat Gaunle jaatraa, an annual celebratory jaatraa that takes place in December. The festival lasts three days and three nights. On the third day before dawn, the chariots of the seven children of Goddess Bishnu Devi are brought together to visit their mother in her temple in Tinthana. They rest with her until the afternoon and then are returned to their respective village temples. The chariots are carried on the shoulders of devotees from the seven surrounding villages. Their arrival at Vishnu Devi Temple is heralded by the sounds of many kaa, drums, and cymbals.

The main jaatraa of Bishnu Devi Temple in Tinthana, Kathmandu, is the Sat Gaunle jaatraa, an annual celebratory jaatraa that takes place in December. The festival lasts three days and three nights. On the third day before dawn, the chariots of the seven children of Goddess Bishnu Devi are brought together to visit their mother in her temple in Tinthana. They rest with her until the afternoon and then are returned to their respective village temples. The chariots are carried on the shoulders of devotees from the seven surrounding villages. Their arrival at Vishnu Devi Temple is heralded by the sounds of many kaa, drums, and cymbals.

The lullaby Ứ noọng nòn is popular kind of folk music at any place where Tày-Nùng ethnic minorities reside. The lullabies are often subtle and funny, so they are suitable for children. The songs reflect the lifestyles of living in a water rice civilization. Themes include a mother working in the fields, catching fish, etc. Most songs of Ứ noọng nòn have verses of five words.

This song is sung for women in their sixth or seventh month of pregnancy, in a ritual that is celebrated in communities all over India. The lyrics describe all the food that is prepared for the expectant mother, who eats her favorite dishes. A group of women from Wadagaon in Karnataka sing in this track.

This is similar to the story of the Genesis flood in the Bible. This legend states that there was a big flood when a man mistakenly killed a rat who was the incarnation of his wife’s mother. The story starts with a rat that snuck into the house and ate all the sugar cane reserved for the man’s children. The man got mad at the rat and set a trap to kill it. The rat was killed and brought in a big flood that covered the whole island of Yap.

This lullaby describes the dusk hours, the end of the day, and asks the child to go to sleep, using the phrase Jo jo bala. “The calf is tired after calling out to its mother, and it has now gone to sleep. The sparrows were chirping but are now resting in their nests. The moon had come out but is now hiding behind the clouds.”