Discover the Richness of Gujarati Songs

Gujarati is one of the 22 official and 14 regional languages of India. It is popular among a huge group of people and belongs to the Indo-European language family.

It is believed that the language evolved in the 12th century and was then classified into three different eras. The first period was the Apabhramsa period during which Parsi people learned Sanskrit the text of which was translated from the Persian literature. The Sankrit translations were then used to translate Avestan and Pahlavi texts into Gujarati. The second period was the middle era when the Urdu became the court language that laid its influence on the Gujarati people who started speaking the language that had traces from Persian and Sanskrit. The third classification of era is the modern period that witnessed the westernization of the language. Various trends, beliefs, and traditions accepted under the British rule crept into the structure and form of the language. During this era the language took a completely new form.

The richness of the literature and text is clearly reflected in the rich heritage of Gujarati songs that are known for their variety and form. It has an age old history with some of the most beautiful compositions winning hearts of millions of people around the world. Some of the old compositions have left a lasting impact on one and all.

Gujarati music is most popular for its versatile tradition and classical form of music. There are many trends and varieties of these songs like the folk songs, religious songs, bhajans, filmi songs, festive songs, devotional songs and many more. Apart from this there are many sweet lullabies that are known far across for their soothing characteristic. Many parents around the country sing these to calm their tiny tots irrespective of their religion and caste. The list is unending but the impression is a lasting one.

The earliest known type of this form is the temple-music that was produced by the Vaishnava cult in the state of Gujarat. Then there are communities like Charans and Gadhavis that was adopted the tradition of folk music and dance from their ancestors. For many this has become a hereditary profession that is still taking a ride on the land. Folk song is the purest form of song in the state that use a combination of tones and melodies from various musical instruments like Turi, Bungal, Pava, Ektaro, and Jantar.

There are many great artists like Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Maulabux Rahimkhan Pandit, Ganesh Jogi, and Teju Behan in the field who have significantly contributed to the classical tradition of Gujarati music which has further made its contributions to the classical music tradition of India.

For more information check Gujarati Songs