Sindhi folk music () is traditional folk music and singing from
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
, which is sung and generally performed in 5 genres that originated in Sindh, the first genre "Bait" styles. The Bait style is vocal music in Sanhoon (low voice) and Graham (high voice). Second style "Waee" instrumental music is performed in a variety of ways using a string instrument. Waee, also known as
Kafi
Kafi is a classical form of Sufi music in the Punjabi and Sindhi languages that originated from the Punjab and Sindh regions of South Asia. Some well-known Kafi poets are Baba Farid, Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sa ...
. Sindhi folk music was popularized by great Sindhi sufi poet
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (; 1689/1690 – 21 December 1752), commonly known by the honorifics ''Lakhino Latif'', ''Latif Ghot'', ''Bhittai'', and ''Bhit Jo Shah'', was a Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet from Pakistan, widely considered to be the ...
.
Sindhi folk genres or singing styles
Besides Sindhi folk genres of Bait, Wae and Kafi other Sindhi folk genres include;
* Lada/Sehra/Geech: in this genre folk songs are song for special days and occasions like weddings, engagements, birth of a child etc, Sehra and Lada are genre of expressing emotions like joy, happiness, sadness etc, it is sung by females in a group, with various Sindhi folk musical instruments like dhul, Thali, kanjiri, ghungro etc.
* Dhammal: this is a folk style of singing as well as a folk religious dance, the folk instruments like Nagara, Shernai, gharyal, gughu etc are played.
* Dohiraa
* Bhagat
* Kalaam
* Classical
* Molood: is a Sindhi form of poetry about Prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
's life, with poems consisting of between five and ten verses. Mauluds are sung in a group of men in unique high and low voices.
* Moro: this folk style of singing is usually played in mountainous region of Sindh in Kohistan by the locals.
* Hamarcho: this is harvesting folk songs, sung by farmers, their families, friends, neighbours and relatives who come together and sing Hamarcho in a group, one person leading while others sing together when crops grow.
* Osara/Paar: this is style of singing for mourning for loved ones, in which the close relatives of the dead would weep while singing in sad style the phrases generally are the memories, praises and remembrance of the dead.
* Doro: this folk style of singing is performed by women of
Thar desert
The Thar Desert (), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-large ...
region of Sindh.
Today other modern genres are also being introduced.
Indigenous Sindhi Tala
The traditional indigenous Sindhi Taals are:
Bhairvi, Chainchal, Kalwarro, Chlo, Adhayo, Aulang, Mool, Wahval, Jhumir, Haswari, Naushahi, Jhamti, Lamadi, Batthi-Jhalko, Tallu, Pachhand etc.
Communities
The folk Sindhi musician communities whose ancestral work is singing and playing music instruments, are Manganhar,
Langha
The Langha are a Muslim community found in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat in India. They are unrelated to the Langah clan of southern Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and hist ...
,
Mirasi
The Mirasi (; ; ) are a community found in North India and Pakistan. They are folklore tellers and traditional singers
and dancers of a number of communities. The word "mirasi" is derived from the Arabic word (ميراث) ''mīrās'', which mea ...
s and Dumria, these communities on every special occasions were invited to sing folk ceremonial songs.
The Sheedi (African origin) community in Sindh is also traditionally known for playing Sindhi folk music on weddings and on other ceremonies, especially in Lār region of Sindh, where mostly they live, the Sindhi music has also been influenced by these Sheedi music in lower Sindh, the Sheedi community have their own style of folk music and dance, which is quite popular in Sindh. In lower Sindh (Lār) region the Sheedi community are the well known folk singers, musicians and dancers, the women are specially invited in weddings, engagements and on other ceremonious occasions to sing (Sehra, Lada and Geech). The modern Sindhi wedding songs use the Sheedi music beats as well.
Music Styles
The Sindhi music generally has three or four styles, the folk music, classical music, sufi music and modern style music, many modern singers experiment with western music,
rapping
Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
,
hiphop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
is being introduced by the young musicians.
Sindhi Sufi music
Shah Ja Raaga/Sura
The traditional compilations of
Shah Jo Risalo
Shah Jo Risalo () is a book of poems of the Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Shah Abdul Latif's poetry was transmitted orally during his lifetime and compiled after his death and designated as ''Shah Jo Risalo'' or ''Po ...
by
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (; 1689/1690 – 21 December 1752), commonly known by the honorifics ''Lakhino Latif'', ''Latif Ghot'', ''Bhittai'', and ''Bhit Jo Shah'', was a Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet from Pakistan, widely considered to be the ...
include 30 Sura (chapters) which are sang as raags. The oldest publications of
Shah Jo Risalo
Shah Jo Risalo () is a book of poems of the Sindhi Sufi mystic and poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Shah Abdul Latif's poetry was transmitted orally during his lifetime and compiled after his death and designated as ''Shah Jo Risalo'' or ''Po ...
contained 36 Suras, but later six of the Suras were rejected because the language and content did not correspond to the style of the Shah. Recently,
Nabi Bakhsh Baloch
Nabi Bakhsh Khan Baloch (; 16 December 1917 – 6 April 2011) was a Sindhi research scholar, historian, sindhologist, educationist, linguist and writer. He predominantly wrote in Sindhi, but also in Urdu, English, Persian and Arabic. He has ...
, the most famous Sindhi linguist has compiled and published a new publication after 32 years of research, into popular culture and the history of the
Sindhi language
Sindhi ( ; or , ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by more than 30 million people in the Pakistani province of Sindh, where it has official status, as well as by 1.7 million people in India, where it is a Scheduled languages of India, schedu ...
. The famous singer
Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen (; ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer, musician of Sufi music, painter and an entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest-paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music have earned her many accolades, and s ...
has recorded the entire Shah's Suras on her 11th volume CD Shah Jo Risalo, released in December 2013.
The 30 traditional Suras included in Shah Jo Risalo are:
*Kalyaan
*Yaman Kalyaan
*Khambhat/Khanbhat
*Suri Raag
*Samundi
*Suhni
*Sassui Aburi
*Maazuri
*Desi
*Kohyari
*Hussaini
*Leela Chanesar
*Mumal Rano
*Marvi/Marui
*Kaamod
*Ghatu
* Sorath
*Kedaro
*Sarang
*Assaa
*Rippa
*Khahori
*Ramkali
*Kaapa'iti
*Purab
*Karayal
*Pirbhati
*Dahar
*Bilawal
* Bervo Sindhi
Sindhi folk musical instruments
Common instruments used in Sindhi regional music include:
*
Ektara
The ''ektara'' (, , , , , ; literally 'one-string', also called ''actara'', ''iktar'', ''ektar'', , ''yaktaro'', ''gopichand'', ''gopichant'', ''golki'' , ''gopijiantra'', ''tun tuna'') is a one-stringed musical instrument used in the traditio ...
known as Yaktaro in Sindhi
*
Tanpura
The tanpura (; also referred to as tambura, tanpuri, tamboura, or tanpoura) is a long-necked, plucked, four-stringed instrument originating in the Indian subcontinent, found in various forms in Indian music. Visually, the tanpura resembl ...
known as Tamburo/Dambooro in Sindhi
* Alghozo Flute
*
Surando
Surando is an ancient traditional Sindhi musical instrument. It is played by musicians in Sindh, Kutch, Rajasthan, and Balochistan. The term "Surando" is derived from the Persian word "Surayindah," meaning "producer of tunes."
In the literatu ...
*
Bansuri
A bansuri is an ancient side-blown bamboo flute originating from the Indian Subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal-like material, used in many Indian and Nepali Lok songs. A ''bansuri'' is traditionally made from a ...
known as Bansri/Basri in Sindhi
*
Pungi
The pungi, also known as bīn or Murli, is a musical instrument that originates from the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a reservoir into which air is blown and then channelled into two reed pipe, reed pipes. It is played with ...
known as Been/Murli in Sindhi
*
Narr
Naar may refer to:
* Devin E. Naar
* Naar, the god of darkness in the Lone Wolf book series
* Naar (Encantadia)
* The concept of Hell in Islam, see Jahannam
In Islam, Jahannam () is the place of punishment for Islamic views on sin, evildoers in ...
*
Naghara
The ''nagara'' or ''naghara'' is a drum used in India. There are several types of naghara, which is considered to be the lead instrument in mandir ceremonies and weddings. These are typically two drums, one treble and one bass and are played ...
Dholak
The ''dholak'' is a two-headed hand drum, a folk percussion instrument. The dholak is most commonly recognised in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, but can also be found amongst the Indo-Diaspora in countries s ...
*
Harmonium
The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
*
Borrindo
The ocarina (otherwise known as a potato flute) is a wind musical instrument; it is a type of vessel flute. Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the bod ...
Sarangi
The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked three-stringed instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, Sindhi folk music, Haryanvi folk music, Braj folk music, and Boro folk music (the ...
*
Tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
Thaali
A mangala sutra (), or tali (ISO: ''tāḷi''), is a necklace worn by married Hindu women. During a Hindu wedding, the mangalasutra is tied around the neck of the bride by the groom. The ceremony is known as the .
''Mangalasutra'' literally ...
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...
Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen (; ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer, musician of Sufi music, painter and an entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest-paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music have earned her many accolades, and s ...
Sarmad Sindhi
Abdul Rehman Mughul, popularly known as Sarmad Sindhi (7 July 1961 – 27 December 1996), was a Sindhi folk singer and songwriter in Pakistan. He used Sindhi language and is considered one of the great singers of the golden era of Sindhi literatu ...
*
Humera Channa
Humaira Channa, also known as Humera Channa (born on 22 Jun 1966 at Hyderabad), is a 6 Nigar Award winning film playback singer from Pakistan. She has won 3rd most Nigar Awards in history, ranked only after Noor Jehan and Mehnaz.
Early life a ...
*
Mai Bhaghi
Mai Bhagi ( Sindhi:) (c. 1920 – 7 July 1986) was a Sindhi folk singer and musician.
Early life and career
Born Bhag Bhari in Mithi in Thar, Sindh in 1920. Mai Bhagi grew up in a village in the Thar Desert. Her father was Wanhyun Fakir an ...
Rubina Qureshi
Rubina Qureshi, TI ( also ''Rubeena''; 19 October 1940 – 13 July 2022) was a Pakistani Sindhi language folk singer. She was popularly known as ''Nightingale of Sindh'' as she performed most of her songs in Sindhi, Urdu, Punjabi and Saraiki l ...
Ustad Muhammad Yousuf
Muhammad Yousuf ( Sindhi: استاد محمد يوسف) (January 20, 1940 – February 14, 1997) was a folk and playback singer of Pakistan.
Childhood
Muhammad Yousuf was born in Muhalla Din Ali Shah, Tiyoon Number Talau, Tando Tayeb Hy ...
Zarina Baloch
Zarina Baloch () (29 December 1931 – 25 October 2005) was a Sindhi folk music singer, vocalist and composer from the Sindh province of Pakistan. She was also an actress, Radio and TV artist, writer, teacher for over 30 years, political activi ...
*
Zeb-un-Nissa
Zeb-un-Nissa () (15 February 1638 – 26 May 1702) was a Mughal princess and the eldest child of Emperor Aurangzeb and his chief consort, Dilras Banu Begum. She was also a poet, who wrote under the pseudonym of Makhfi (, "Hidden, Disguised, ...
*
Dhol Faqeer
Dhol Faqeer (original name Dhol) () son of Faqeer Muhammad Khaskheli, was born in 1921 at Patayoon, Mirpur Khas District. He was a famous mystic & folk singer of Sindh, Pakistan. He died on 22 June 1992.
Education
Dhol Faqeer did not have much ...
Ho Jamalo
"Ho Jamalo" is a Sindhi-language folk song and associated dance in the Sindhi culture. The performance is about the local folk hero Jamalo. It is sung in chorus to the rhythm created by the clapping of the hands apart from musical instruments. ...
", "Sindh Muhinji Amma", "Parchan Shaal Pavar Dhola" and "Peren Pavandi Saan."
Waheed Ali, Barkat Ali, Misri Faqeer and Khatadar Ahiyan are well-known Sindhi musicians.
Folk dances of Sindh
Folk dances of Sindh () are the traditional dances of the Sindhis, Sindhi people, which are indigenous to Sindh region which is now in Pakistan. These Dance, dances are performed at various events including Marriage, marriages, ceremonies, special ...