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Mannal Lal and Group

By May 28, 2021February 26th, 2023Uttar Pradesh

“Songs of love and separation by the Ganges.”

The city of Banaras is one of the most ancient, cultural and spiritual hubs of India. Previously known as Kashi and home to various temples, Mosques, and Monasteries, this place is where a huge part of the Indian population comes in search of the achievement of Nirvana. This city is not just popular among Indians, but also internationally renowned as a place to visit for a spiralling and satisfying spiritual journey.

The place, therefore, has attracted many cultural art forms and musical aficionados to live within the city’s hustle and bustle to learn and grow as artists. The streets of Banaras themselves never go silent. It is said that life in Banaras never dies, and rightly so, being home to such talented artistic folk musicians, this place is one of the loudest places in the country. As you move into the streets, you can hear the bells ringing in old temples built in every nook and corner. The Ghats have a different vibe altogether, as they lie peacefully on the bank of river Ganga and yet attract a great crowd due to their picturesque beauty.

Beside the Assi Ghat and all of the ghats of Banaras, is the riverbank that looks like a beach filled with patches of grass due to its fertile nature. One such area on the river banks is called the ‘Gadwa Ghat’ and this is where we met the much-coveted folk music group of Banaras lead by Manna Lal Yadav. Along with his brother, Jawaharlal Yadav, he performs and sings around the whole country, representing the Bhojpuri folk art forms such as Sohar, Biraha, and Kajri.

Both of them have their beliefs aligned towards preserving and promoting these art forms through their musical performances with the potential to inspire the youth towards following a similar path forward. They have been singing and performing in various events for many decades now and began learning music at a very young age of 8 years. Getting inspired by their Guru Munshi Ram Yadav, they have made a mark in the field of music through their live broadcast at Akashwani since 1976.

Along with an ensemble of five incredibly talented musicians, they came towards the site of recording, walking along the riverbank in their colourful traditional dress. Manna Lal and Jawahar Lal, despite being brothers, had a very contrasting demeanour and signified the Yin and Yang of their group. Manna Lal, being the patient and humble artist that he is, and Jawahar Lal being an individual with a highly energetic as well as communicative personality when it came to handling interactions.

Their group had percussionists, who were highly experienced and could support the vocalists with a Chorus. Raju, who would play the Khartaal, Paras Nath, who would play Jhaal, and the highly respected elder among them, Telho Ji, who would play the Manjira. Supporting these highly trained artists was Lal Ji, with his ability to help and excellence in music on the Harmonium. Ravi Prakash Yadav, son of Manna Lal Ji, was the one to take up the responsibility of handling all their interaction while being a part of the chorus group himself. When he guided them towards the set that we had created to record them right next to the river, we could see how cheerful they were in anticipation of presenting us with their music.

As they began performing, we could see the look of passion on Manna Lal’s face as he gave his best as he would in every song. Their Kajri was followed by a long and yet tantalizing display of Biraha that lasted over eight minutes. The vocals of both the brothers came in complete harmony with the Harmonium and the percussions as they recited stories of various gods and goddesses in uplifting voices by the river, on the banks of Ganga, it was a moment to remember and they began with the song, which goes like – 

“Gaave ganga ke kinare jogi sanyasi,

(Saints and hermits sings at the banks of Ganges)

Bhole baba ke nagariya dhanya baye kashi,

(Lord Shiva’s city, Kashi is blessed)

Kashi me ganga ki mahima badi nyari”

(Ganges is highly praised in Kashi)

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