Nomads in the Fort
After travelling in Rajasthan for two years we finally met a female singer who is the leader of the group. This lady is none other than Mohini Devi from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Mohini Devi is 50 years old but still, she hasn’t let the age affect her singing at all. She loves to perform as much as she was doing when she young. She belongs from a refugee community who were called nomads/ banjara. Mohini Devi is a new age woman, she doesn’t care about society and focusses on her and her family’s happiness. Her daughters are lovely Kaalbeliya dancers who love to dance. Not only this Mohini Devi has let her daughter in law also to go ahead and follow her passion for dancing and singing too. All her children are either dancers or singers but all of them are associated with music.
Whenever she performs she has mostly Langas who accompany her for her performances. The group always has a Khartaal, Sarangi, Dholak player with her, Harmonium she plays herself. Her songs are about weddings, love tales, etc. Telling about her and her family she started off with her strong bold and confident voice with extremely soothing and complementing music in the background –
Nibuli naaketo maya charu palla madu riii
I am spreading my stole you throw the fruit
Shaukeen jeevada pardeshi maya awadu thari aawe aawe ree
My husband has gone to a foreign country and now I am missing him
Thado re karaniye maya jur jur swali pad gayi
I have become dull and dark remembering him
Shaukeen jeevada pardeshi maya awadu thari aawe aawe ree
My husband has gone to a foreign country and now I am missing him
The group loves to perform and can go on and on. They have together performed at various stages on national grounds. She told us that she is always ready to perform at any time and saying this she started singing the beautiful track –
Ismaal khan re babu re bangale mein bataiyo laagi
Ismaal Khan, I will come to your bungalow the way lights are lighting up
Shaukeen jeevada re Batiyaa babu re bangale mein
Ismaal has put up lights so that she comes to his bungalow
bataiyo laagi re thamke aaun mara meethodi bolira
I can see the lights and like that, I am approaching your bungalow
Ismaal khan beggara bulaya moda gana aaya
Ismaal Khan called me home early and he himself came late
This beautiful amalgamation of Banjara and Lagha creates beautiful music each time they perform. Unlike other groups in Rajasthan, they don’t feel different on the basis of one’s community and cast, rather, they just focus on their music.