Original folk music struggles for significance: Lakha Khan

Original folk music struggles for significance in an era dominated by multiple genres, according to Sindhi Sarangi legend Lakha Khan who strives to keep alive the traditional music of his Manganiyar community.
Khan is the seventh generation in a family of musicians who have been carrying forward the tradition of Rajasthani folk and sufi music whose legacy is said to date back "almost 400 years."
The maestro says the current generation is less enthusiastic about taking up the art.
"The zeal to learn folk music isn't what it used to be earlier. Folk music is something which requires a lot of dedication and hard work and sometimes it gets difficult to learn. That's why our younger generation is not serious about it," says Khan.

The 68-year-old musician and vocalist reminisces of an era when he began his journey into folk music at a mere age of six by learning Rajasthani folk music from his father and mentor, Tharu Khan.
"Artists from our community (Manganiyar) used to play at functions for kings and emperors. My father was also one of them, I used to accompany him to these performances and that's when I developed interest and it all started for me," says the musician.

Inspiration, says the musician one of the last living exponents of the Sindhi Sarangi, is derived from following his father's teachings and demeanour during performances and songs.

"I remember all his mannerisms and the bhajans he used to sing, I have imbibed all that, on the whole it gives a unique tinge and that altogether comes out in the performance," he adds.
In the initial stages Khan was introduced to 'Surili' (a folk instrument) by his father before he began training in vocals and perfecting the art of playing the 'Sarangi'.
In his late sixties, the maestro now opines that youngsters should take up folk music as it helps in building up music knowledge.
"The current generation of audience and artists is very confused and distracted as there's a lot of variety now. They often tend to take up easier forms of music.

"The authentic music of our country is traditional folk, it has it's own unique flavor and glimpse of our rich culture and that shouldn't't be ignored. Each music genre has its own place and originality," he says.
A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Lakha Khan is amongst the last remaining in the Manganiyars lineage to have mastered the Sindhi sarangi.