Soorvani
Soorvani is an association of more than 300 folk musicians from Kutch District, and a 'sangam' of the varied streams of musical traditions in the region. Drawn from the syncretic cultural heritage of Kutch, the musicians - instrumental and vocal - represent a rich tapestry of communities who migrated to the coastal regions and famed grasslands of Kutch over the last 1200 years.
The surando is a rare, indigenous 5-stringed wooden instrument carved to resemble a peacock and playable only by a select few capable of mastering and harnessing its melodic sound. It was historically played by cattle herders on the occasion of coming together after long stretches alone with their grazing herds. More recently it has been used for entertainment in celebrations, festivals and marriage ceremonies. The main practitioners of the surando have been Fakirani Jats, the smallest of three sub-castes within the Jat sub-group. However, there is only one remaining surando player in the entire District.
Waai is a form of vocal music that traces its roots to the Sindh region and the evocative Sindh poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. It expresses mystical sufi poetry and while an audience is not required for performance, the songs do speak to the community of the mystical relationship with the 'beloved'. Wai singers believe that the lyrics must flow from the heart, so its practice is dependent on the mood and devotion of the artist. Today only one community in Kutch continues to honor this musical form. Their unique style of extremely high register singing is incredibly straining on the voice; a singer can only perform a few lines of text at a time before another takes over in a continual exchange.
In 2000, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS), an established organization of more than 15,000 rural women of Kutch, initiated a unique community radio progamme in the dstrict. During the course of developing the programme with the communities and artistes of Kutch, KMVS uncovered the depth and talent in kutchi folk music, and also disccovered the dire state of the musicians themselves. KMVS thereafter continued to support and showcase the musicians while documenting the music. This evenutally led to the setting up of 'SOORVANI' in 2011 as an autonomous organized association of folk musicians in Kutch. SOORVANI endeavours to improve the status, condition and welll being of Kutchi folk musicians. It's mission is to preserve, sustain, revive, energize and promote Kutch’s folk music traditions; support the musicians living in remote villages to develop their performance capacity, and enable them to earn their livelihood through their musical talent, while immersing themselves in their passion for music and poetry.
Soorvani has a Governing Board of 14 members, most of whom are folk musicians of the region. The Governing Board also includes Shri Lal Rambhia, (musician and entrepreneur), Shri Abdullah Turk (folk musician and historian), and Ms. Preeti Soni (Director, KMVS).
The surando is a rare, indigenous 5-stringed wooden instrument carved to resemble a peacock and playable only by a select few capable of mastering and harnessing its melodic sound. It was historically played by cattle herders on the occasion of coming together after long stretches alone with their grazing herds. More recently it has been used for entertainment in celebrations, festivals and marriage ceremonies. The main practitioners of the surando have been Fakirani Jats, the smallest of three sub-castes within the Jat sub-group. However, there is only one remaining surando player in the entire District.
Waai is a form of vocal music that traces its roots to the Sindh region and the evocative Sindh poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. It expresses mystical sufi poetry and while an audience is not required for performance, the songs do speak to the community of the mystical relationship with the 'beloved'. Wai singers believe that the lyrics must flow from the heart, so its practice is dependent on the mood and devotion of the artist. Today only one community in Kutch continues to honor this musical form. Their unique style of extremely high register singing is incredibly straining on the voice; a singer can only perform a few lines of text at a time before another takes over in a continual exchange.
In 2000, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS), an established organization of more than 15,000 rural women of Kutch, initiated a unique community radio progamme in the dstrict. During the course of developing the programme with the communities and artistes of Kutch, KMVS uncovered the depth and talent in kutchi folk music, and also disccovered the dire state of the musicians themselves. KMVS thereafter continued to support and showcase the musicians while documenting the music. This evenutally led to the setting up of 'SOORVANI' in 2011 as an autonomous organized association of folk musicians in Kutch. SOORVANI endeavours to improve the status, condition and welll being of Kutchi folk musicians. It's mission is to preserve, sustain, revive, energize and promote Kutch’s folk music traditions; support the musicians living in remote villages to develop their performance capacity, and enable them to earn their livelihood through their musical talent, while immersing themselves in their passion for music and poetry.
Soorvani has a Governing Board of 14 members, most of whom are folk musicians of the region. The Governing Board also includes Shri Lal Rambhia, (musician and entrepreneur), Shri Abdullah Turk (folk musician and historian), and Ms. Preeti Soni (Director, KMVS).