The music of the desert is vibrant with haunting rhythms. The music and dances of Rajasthan are heady, exciting, hypnotic and compelling and very much a part of the eternal appeal of this strange and wondrous land.
A perfect complement to the music could be found in the lively folk dances of Rajasthan. The tera tali performed sitting, is an exercise in rhythmic dexterity. It is performed by a group of two to three who have manjiras or metal cymbals tied to their limbs. Wizened old bhopas and dholis, jogis and miraasis-all traditional singers-chant ditties about folk heroes of yore-Baba Ramdeo, Gogaji, Tejaji, Dhola Maru and Jethwa Ujli-in voices surprisingly strong and passionate. Performances open with the stirring call of the imposing trumpet, the bankia.
Musicians use ancient, unsophisticated instruments that produce strangely mesmeric sounds-twin flutes called algoza, the hypnotic Jewish harp or morchhang, the stringed instrument with a tinkling cluster of bells called the ravanhatta and the earthen pitcher or matka turned in the hands with amazing dexterity and used as a percussion instrument are some of these instruments. The chang is yet another percussion instrument which is made of sheepskin pasted onto a large circular or octagonal wooden frame. This is used as a rhythmic accompaniment to the erotic songs and dances performed on the colorful festival of Holi. The khanjari is a tambourine used traditionally by the Kalbeliya women who belong to the snake charmer community.
