Chander Singh 'Rahi'

Chander Singh Rahi
Born Chander Singh Negi
28th March 1942
Giwali, Pauri, Garhwal
Died 10th January 2016
New Delhi
Known for Indian Folk Music, Uttarakhand Folk Music, Garhwali Folk Music; Poetry;

Chander Singh 'Rahi' (28 March 1942 - 10 January 2016) was a prominent folk singer, balladeer, musician, poet, story-teller, and cultural conservator from Uttarakhand.

In recognition of his deep devotion to the music and culture of Uttarakhand, he has been fondly described as the “Bhishma Pitamah of Uttarakhand folk music”.[1]

Early life

Rahi was born as Chander Singh Negi to Dilbar Singh and Sundara Negi in Giwali village in Maudadsyun.[2] He belonged to a modest Ghadiyal family from the Nayar valley of Pauri in Garhwal, Uttarakhand.[3] Rahi and his brother Dev Raj Rangeela[4] received the tradition of Pahadi (originating from the hills) music from their father, a known singer of the Jagar form of music of Uttarakhand.

Rahi learnt the foundations of Pahadi music including age-old traditional songs, musical instruments, and the cultural practices associated with the music of the Himalayas early in life. As a child, he would accompany his father on traditional musical instruments like the thakuli, the damru, and the huruki.[3] Rahi learnt Indian classical music with Keshav Anuragi and his guru Bachan Singh much later in his adult life.[2]

Musical career

Rahi made his singing career debut on All India Radio (AIR) Delhi station on 13 March 1963 on a program for army personnel with the song Par veena ki.[3] [5] He started singing for AIR Lucknow in 1972.[3] He continued gaining popularity in Uttarakhand through the 1970’s when his songs were broadcast from AIR Najibabad station and on Doordarshan from 1980's onwards. His was the first Garhwali voice to be heard on radio.[6] In 1966 Rahi composed his famous geet (song) Dil ko umaal (Outpourings of the Heart) for his mentor, the Garhwali poet Kanhaiyalal Dandriyal who is said to have given him the now famous sobriquet Rahi (traveller).[2]

Rahi sang more than 550 songs of Garhwali and Kumaoni language. His work was available in more than 140 audio cassettes. He had perfomed live in over 1500 shows across India. [3] Some of his celebrated songs include: Sarg tara junyali rata ko sunalo, Fyonladiya, Dekh hilma chandi ku batana, Chaita ki chaitwali, Bhana ho rangeela bhana, Satpuli ka senna meri bau surila, Tile dharu bola Madhuli, Tyere chadri chhutgye pichhne, and Sauli ghura ghur. His first recorded album Sauli ghura ghur was a commercial hit.[7]

Rahi was also a songwriter and poet. His poetry collections include Dil ko Umaal (1966), Dhai (1980), Ramchhol (1981), and Geet Ganga (2010). Rahi also wrote monographs and composed music for ballets.

Rahi was considered to be the only person who could play all the folk instruments of Uttarakhand, including the dhol damaun (drums), the shehnai, the daur, the thaali, and the huruki.[8] He also had knowledge of the unknown tala sequences (beat pattern) unique to Pahadi music and would seamlessly incorporate these elements in his musical presentations.

Rahi collected and curated more than 2500 age-old traditional songs covering various folk forms of Uttarakhand including Khuder Geet, Sanskar Geet, Barhai, Panwara, Mela Geet, Jhaura, Pandavani, Chaunfla, Thadiya, Jaagar etc. His book, 'A comprehensive study of the songs, musical instruments and dances of the Central Himalayas' was to be published by Uttaranchal Sahitya, Sanskriti evam Kala Parishad.[9] He was also an avid collector of folk musical instruments of Uttarakhand.

Personal life

Rahi sold flutes for a living during his early days in Delhi where he had moved from his native Garhwal in 1957. His search for a stable livelihood finally ended when he got a government job with the Telecom department. Rahi lived in a rented house in Shakarpur locality of Delhi for 40 years of his life. An anecdote told by his family in this regard is that Rahi chose to invest whatever little finances that he had on recording Uttarakhandi folk music rather than an investing on a house.[2]

Rahi passed away on 10th January 2016 in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi at the age of 73.[10] He is survived by his wife (Sudha Negi), four sons (Virendra Negi, Mahendra Negi, Satish Negi, and Rakesh Bhardwaj), and a daughter (Nidhi Thakur)[7]. His entire family is involved in the field of music including singing, composing, playing musical instruments, production, and direction of music. Rahi is said to have passed on the bulk of his learning to his eldest son Virendra Negi who worked with his father as a musician and singer since his childhood.[7] Rahi's youngest son Rakesh Bhardwaj, a rhythmist in the Indian rock-pop band Euphoria has paid tribute to his late father’s legacy by remaking and releasing Rahi's popular Uttarakhandi songs online through his music company 'Pahadi Soul'.[6]

Tributes, legacy, and influence

Rahi is remembered for having lived for his art and for the community at large.[2]

He was a holistically talented artist who could sing, write, compose and play many rare Uttarakhand instruments.[2] He also had an excellent understanding of the intricacies and significance of his craft. Apart from his creative pursuits, Rahi was deeply passionate about conserving and propagating the music of Uttarakhand. He was considered to be a veritable treasure trove of knowledge of the musical culture of Uttarakhand which he continuously researched, represented and explained to his listeners. Rahi was known for his knowledge of the folk-lore of all of Uttarakhand from Jaunsar to Jauhar valley. [11]

He was a strong believer of presenting ‘authentic’ Pahadi music and in his later years would openly express his frustration with the ‘Bollywoodisation’ and 'VCD culture' of Indian folk music.[9][5] Rahi was also deeply afflicted by the loss of prestige for languages like Garhwali, Jaunsari, Bhotiya, and Kumaoni in the mind of their speakers, which signified to him the slow death of Uttarakhand's unique Pahadi culture.[3] He was also critical of the lack of cultural policy of successive Uttarakhand state governments.[3] He was concerned with the large scale out-migration from Uttarakhand which he tried to address through his 1980's song Apni thaati ma tu laut ke aija.[12] Rahi believed that conserving folk-music would help in conservation of Uttarakhand's languages and culture.[9]

Rahi continued giving demo-lectures across the country, especially amongst Garhwali and Kumaoni students to popularize and share his knowledge of the traditional folk-forms and the culture that they represented.[9]

His legacy continues to be an inspiration to Uttarakhandi artists of later generations. Popular Garhwali folk-singer, Narendra Singh Negi has cited Chander Singh Rahi as his inspiration.[10]

"Rahi ji’s demise has created an irreplaceable void in the music and culture horizon of Uttarakhand. He was almost singlehandedly responsible for restoring and curating hundreds of centuries old folk songs of the hill state." - Veteran Garhwali folk singer Narendra Singh Negi

Hindustan Times, Lucknow

Rahi's songs are still popular amongst the people of Uttarakhand. Two of his celebrated songs - Fyonladiya and the traditional anchari jaagar - Chaita ki Chaitwali were covered by popular Garhwali singers in 2016 and 2018 respectively. The new version of Chaita ki Chaitwali became the first Uttarakhandi song to hit the five million views mark on Youtube.[13]

In 2015, Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama) presented the 'Screening of Folk Music of Garhwal by Chandra Singh Rahi and Party' in its Sanchayan Series - an annual screening of the Academy's archival films and video recordings. [14][15]

Writer Charu Tiwari has written a book called Lok ka Chitera to mark 50 years of Rahi's musical journey.[16]

Every year on Rahi's death anniversary, his family and admirers organise a remembrance event in Delhi in which his musical repertoire is presented by his family members and popular singers from Uttarakhand. [17] His children and grand-children represent Rahi's musical and cultural lineage and style under the 'Rahi Gharana' [18]

Awards and recognition

  • Mohan Upreti Lok Sanskriti Kala Samman[3]
  • Dr Shivanand Nautiyal Smriti Puraskar[3]
  • Gadh bharati Gadhwal Sabha Samman Patr (1995)[3]
  • Monal Sanstha, Lucknow Samman Patr[3]

References

  1. ↑ Rajan, Anjana (2014-06-08). "Some lonely peaks for Chander Singh Rahi". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rajan, Anjana (2016-01-14). "Voice of a people". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 नेगी, लक्ष्मण सिंह (2009-11-05). "'सरकारी उपेक्षा के बावजूद पनप रही है लोक संस्कृति'". नैनीताल समाचार. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  4. ↑ Chugler Bagot (2016-08-03), कलजुगी नारद किशना बगोट का हास्य ब्यंग ((interview rakesh bhardwaj 2 ), retrieved 2018-09-13
  5. 1 2 mahendra negi (2014-01-15), chander singh rahi, retrieved 2018-09-10
  6. 1 2 newspost (2018-04-25). "Rakesh Bhardwaj: If Music be the food of love, play on | News Post". News Post. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  7. 1 2 3 Himalayan News (2016-03-30), छ्वीं-बथा- वीरेंद्र नेगी दिवंगत लोकगायक चंद्रसिंह राही के ज्येष्ठ पुत्र || Virendra Negi Singer, retrieved 2018-09-10
  8. ↑ "Legendary Uttarakhand Folksinger Chandra Singh Rahi Passes Away". The Unlikely Partners Network. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Folk singers need better deal in hill society: Chander Singh 'Rahi'". Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  10. 1 2 Pioneer, The. "Folk singer Chandra Singh Rahi passes away". The Pioneer. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  11. ↑ "चन्द्र सिंह राही: उत्तराखण्ड की एक सांस्कृतिक थाती". www.merapahad.com. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  12. ↑ "स्वर्गीय चंद्र सिंह राही के पलायन पर गाये गीत का हुआ विमोचन - Dev Bhoomi Media". www.devbhoomimedia.com. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  13. ↑ "Chaita Ki Chaitwal Becomes the Most Popular Garhwali Song on Youtube". DoonWire. 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  14. ↑ "Sangeet Natak Akademi invites you to the screening of Folk Music of Garhwal by Chandra Singh Rahi & Party 14 March 4pm".
  15. ↑ "Sangeet Natak Akademi presents Screening of "Folk Music of Garhwal by Chandra Singh Rahi & Party" as part of Sanchayan - Screening of archival films & video recordings at Meghdoot Theatre, Rabindra Bhavan, 35, Ferozeshah Road > 4pm to 5pm on 14th March 2015". Delhi Events. 2015-03-14. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  16. ↑ करगेती, चन्द्रशेखर (2016-02-07). "लोक का यह कैसा सम्मान है ?". नैनीताल समाचार. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  17. ↑ "Rahi Gharana". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  18. ↑ "लोक परम्परा संस्कृति में राही का सराहनीय योगदान, उत्तराखंड पहुंची पत्नी ने कहा..." www.navodayatimes.in (in Hindi). Retrieved 2018-09-12.
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