Bhojpuri music is a form of

Hindustani Classical Music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

and includes a broad array of

Bhojpuri language Bhojpuri (;Bhojpuri entry, Oxford Dictionaries
, Oxford U ...

performances in distinct style, both traditional and modern. This form of music is mostly created in Indian states of

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

and other countries like

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

and other Caribbean Islands.

History

Origin of Bhojpuri music is quite unclear but the earliest form of Bhojpuri music song today is ''Nirguna'' was used to be sung by

Kabir Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...

. Earlier on event occasions like

Chhath Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival historically native to the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,West Bengal, Jharkhand, and the Nepalese provinces of Madhesh and Lumbini. Prayers during Chhath ...

or wedding these folks songs were used to be sung by people. When Bhojpuriyas were taken as plantation workers in British colonies, globalisation o
Bhojpuri music
took place and it extended its radius in counties like

and Caribbean Islands. It also mixed with the folk or modern music form of that countries and this leads to the birth of a different form of Bhojpuri music like

Baithak Gana {{unreferenced, date=June 2014 Baithak Gana is a form of music originating in Suriname by the Indian community. Baithak is a social gathering. It is a mix of Bhojpuri folk songs with other Caribbean influences. It is similar to Chutney music that o ...

Chutney music Chutney music is a fusion genre of Indian folk music, specifically Bhojpuri folk music, with local Caribbean calypso and soca music, and later on Bollywood music. This genre of music that developed in Trinidad and Tobago is popular in Trinida ...

and Geet Gawai in

. The modern form of Bhojpuri music generated from Bollywood movies of 1950s. Later after the release of the first Bhojpuri Film

Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo ''Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo'' (English: O Mother Ganga I will offer you a yellow cloth) is a Bhojpuri film released in 1963 directed by Kundan Kumar. It was the first-ever Bhojpuri film, and starred Kumkum, Ashim Kumar and Nazir Hussain ...

the modernisation of Bhojpuri folk songs happened along with a generation of Modern Bhojpuri music.

Classification

Bhojpuri Folk music can be classified on several basis:

Occasional

These songs are sung on various occasions, events and religious rituals: # Child Birth: Song that are sung on the birth of a child are called Sohar. #Mundan : These are sung during

Mundan The Chudakarana ( sa, चूडाकरण, ) or the Mundana ( sa, मुण्डन, ), is the eighth of the sixteen Hindu saṃskāras (sacraments), in which a child receives their first haircut. No reference is provided in any Grhya Sutras ...

. # Marriage : There are several different songs that are sung in the different marriage rituals.

Caste based

Different caste in

Bhojpuri region The Bhojpuri region or Bhojpur is an area encompassing parts of the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, and the Madhesh, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces of Nepal, where the Bhojpuri language is spoken as a mother tongue. His ...

have their own folk songs.

Biraha Biraha (sometimes known as Birha) is an ethnic Bhojpuri folk genre of Ahir communities in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand in India. Its place in folk songs is as important as that of ''Dwipadi'' in Sanskrit, ''Gatha'' in Prakrit and ''Barwai ...

belongs to the

Ahir Ahir or Aheer are a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most members of which identify as being of the Indian Yadav community because they consider the two terms to be synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a ...

or Yadav caste, Pachara songs belong to

Dusadh The Paswan, also known as Dusadh, are a Dalit community from eastern India. They are found mainly in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The Urdu word ''Paswan'' means bodyguard or "one who defends". The origin of the word, per the ...

, Kaharwa to Kanhars and so on.

Season based

Many songs are sung in a particular season or month like

Kajari Kajari is a folk song and dance genre of India. It is a Hindustani classical music genre, performed during the rainy season usually late June to September when lush greenery reappears and agricultural labor begins again. It is often used to de ...

Sawan Sāwaṇ or Sāuṇ ( pa, ਸਾਵਣ, ਸਾਉਣ, ) is the fifth month in the Nanakshahi calendar. Many Indian calendars started in different eras such as Shaka Calendar (national calendar of India) traditional Vikrama as well as the Nanak ...

, Phaguwa in

Phalguna Phalguna ( sa, फाल्गुन ) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Phalguna is twelfth month of the year, and corresponds with February/March in the Gregorian calendar.Henderson, Helene. (Ed.) (2005) ' ...

etc.

Traditional music

The traditional music of Bhojpuri is either sung is special occasions like weddings, child Birth, festivals or in every month of

Vikram Samvat Vikram Samvat (IAST: ''Vikrama Samvat''; abbreviated VS) or Bikram Sambat B.S. and also known as the Vikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent. Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calend ...

. *

: The word Biraha is derived from the Sanskrit word ''virah'' which means ''separation''. Birha is a lengthy narrative tale which is sung to a series of melodic fragments. *

: Kajari is sung during the season of Monsoon or in the month of

. *Nirbani : These songs are sung on the occasion of

Marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

Chamar Chamar is a Dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action. Historically subject to untouchability, they were traditionally outside the Hindu ritual ranking system of castes known as varna. ...

women. *Sohar : This song is sung in the occasion of Child Birth.

Modern music

Modernisation of Bhojpuri Music started with Bollywood songs like ''Nain Lad Jaihe.''

Famous songs

Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela "Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela" is a famous Bhojpuri folk song, It gained popularity in 1977 when it was recreated in the first colored Bhojpuri movie Dangal. The song was sung by Manna Dey and written by Kulwant Jani. This song became ...

* Bambai Main Ka Ba * Kaise Bani

References

{{Reflist Nepalese music

Bhojpuri-language culture Indian styles of music