Kajari is a folk song and dance form from Bhojpuri region of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.[1] It is of the Hindustani classical music genre, performed during the rainy season usually late June to September when lush greenery reappears and agricultural labor begins again.[2] Kajari derives from word kaajar or kohl.[3][4] It is primarily sung in Uttar Pradesh and parts of western Bihar.[5]
Kajari fall in the category of folk songs and are set in the semi-classical mold. The tradition of the Kajari has been originated in Bhojpuri region and maintained and brought into the classical fold by musicians from the Benares gharana school, such as Rasoolan Bai, Sidhdheshwari Devi, and Girija Devi.[6] Kajari was also popularized by Bhojpuri film industry.[7] Kajari is celebrated as a festival in Mirzapur.[8] It is also sung in nearby Awadhi-speaking areas.[9]
Kajari dwell on such themes as the separation of women from their beloved, for it is believed that the gloom cast by the rains intensifies their feeling of loneliness. In these songs are highlighted the moods and pangs of separation of the women, and the rains are said to evoke in them a longing for their beloved.[2] The kaga (crow) is often described as a messenger carrying a message to the Pardeshi Sainya (that is, the lover) in faraway lands.
- ^ "Kajari Music". www.bharatonline.com. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ a b Chauhan, Milan; Mishra, Swasti (2024). "Kajari Folk Songs: Mechanism for Emotional Regulation" (PDF). Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities. 16 (1). doi:10.21659/rupkatha.v16n1.06g. ISSN 0975-2935. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 2. Routledge. 1 February 2013. ISBN 978-1-136-09602-0.
- ^ The Indo-Asian Culture. Vol. 11. Indian Council for Cultural Relations. 1962.
- ^ Upadhaya, Krishna Dev (15 January 2025). "Avadhee Lok Geet: Collection of Avadhi Folklore" (PDF). Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.
- ^ Sahai-Achuthan, Nisha (1987). "Folk Songs of Uttar Pradesh". Ethnomusicology. 31 (3): 395–406. doi:10.2307/851663. ISSN 0014-1836. JSTOR 851663.
- ^ Praveen, Aanchal; Singh, Neeraj (2022). "Awadhi Folk Songs: A Comparative Study Between Traditional Media and New Media Platform" (PDF). Neuroquantology. 20 (1): 859–867. doi:10.48047/NQ.2022.20.1.NQ22368 (inactive 16 January 2025). Retrieved 15 January 2025.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2025 (link) - ^ "Mirzapur's Kajari Festival: A Tribute to the Melodious Kajali 2023 - Mirzapur Official | Mirzapur News In Hindi". mirzapurofficial.in. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Nair Pandurangi, Pranita (28 September 2018). "Monsoon Music: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar's Kajri — an ode to dark clouds".