Ganda Baja : A Musical Documentary

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The tribal and Dalit communities in Odisha do offer a unique variety of musical forms very close to their tradition and cultures. Though they have lived a marginalized life all through history and their right to live with dignity has been assaulted at every stage of history, their musical traditions have survived the test of time and have been used and are being used now also by the well-off middle class. Ganda Baja of Western Odisha is one such category of folk musical tradition, which is going through a very challenging time. The Gandas/Doms/Panas/Hadis, broadly known as Ganda (a Dalit community), have cultivated for centuries a distinctly different group of musical instruments (DholNissanTassaMuhuri, and Timkidi/Jhumka), which are performed together in festivals of Western Odisha and which also are used as accompanying instruments in group musical and dance programs. Ganda Baja is an essential part of almost all rituals of tribal and Dalit communities in which they propitiate and worship Mother Earth as the sole Provider and Saviour in various forms.

A Ganda Baja troop consists of a minimum of five members having different cultural talents. They are Muhuria (the person who plays the muhuri), Dhulia (the person who plays the dhol), Taslia (the person who plays the tassa), Nisnia (the person who plays the Nissan), and Timkidia/ Jhumkia (the person who plays the timkidi/jhumka). However, a six-member troop (with two Nisnias playing two separate Nissans) is considered a sound quorum for the group. The members have learned this art form from their forefathers. They traveled together and performed with them since childhood. The social stigma of Untouchability associated with the community forced the new generation to adopt the artistic livelihood to sustain themselves. So they learn this art form from their family as a livelihood skill.

Realizing the fact that this unique cultural tradition is facing extinction due to a host of social, economic, and political reasons, and as the young generation is hesitant to practice this form because of its associated ‘caste identity,’ we Samadhwani Team feel the necessity to create awareness among the Ganda community regarding the preservation and practice of this rare musical form. This documentary film is part of that campaign.

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ସ୍ଵୟଂପ୍ରଭା ପାଢ଼ୀ, ସମଧ୍ୱନି ପତ୍ରିକାର (ପ୍ରିଣ୍ଟ ଓ ଡିଜିଟାଲ) ସମ୍ପାଦକ, ଗାୟିକା, ଲୋକ ସଂସ୍କୃତି ଗବେଷିକା. Ms Swayamprava Parhi is a vocal Artist, cultural journalist and folk cultural researcher. She is based out of Bhubaneswar and edits her cultural magazine, Samadhwani. The magazine is available both in print and digital formats. Swayamprava has been involved in the Village Biography Writing Initiatives with school students since 2005. During Covid-19, she initiated a new approach to work with school students. She shifted her village biography work online while tying up with different schools in Odisha. She edited a book comprising the writings of village biographies of school students written during Covid-19. The name of the book is “Chota Ama Gaan Ti”. She has extensively documented issues like the Food culture of Odisha, Syncretism in India, and Music of the Marginalized Artists. Now, she is focusing on the role of Women in the Performing Folk Art forms of Odisha. She also happens to be a Documentary Filmmaker. She produced her documentary “Ganda Baja” in 2022. She has been working closely with noted organic farmer Sri Natabar Sarangi since 2008 in the Narisho/Niali areas and documenting his childhood memories, life experiences and food history of coastal Odisha particularly of Puri and Cuttack district, both in written and video formats.