Junagadh City Navratri Garba Festival Events News Samachar Gujarat India

Garbis with Sidi sounds, folk dance a treat for spectators

Gharbo joya ghana ghar, maro nesh aner; ma aav ramva tu, tane parona karau anner... is one of the popular Kathiawadi dohas that garba revellers will be dancing to.

The age-old forgotten compositions and garbis written by poets like Dayaram and Kavi Narmad will be revived this year. City-based singers are busy researching and practising the novelty they promise to offer. Navratri is better known as the festival of dance rather than a festival of music. Not staying too far away in the race, singers are looking for innovation just like garba enthusiasts. A singer has even experimented with the beats taken from the African tribe residing in Junagadh, the Sidis, who have a peculiar music and dancing style.

Urmish Mehta, a city-based singer, said, "Revival of the garbas that were popular during the days of our grandmothers is not a cakewalk. I plan to perform that are very popular in Gir and tadpadi Kathiawadi doohasPorbandar region. I am also composing songs from old popular poetry." Inspired by bongo beats of the Sidis, Mehta has fused it into garbas this time.

Another popular city-based singer, Arun Rajguru, said, "Bollywood songs had become an in thing in the last few years. This year, I have picked garbas that were popular in Kathiawad, Saurashtra and Kutch. These are mostly songs praising Goddesses and invoking their blessings during the celebrations."

Sur-tal, a dance troupe that has been performing for last 15 years, sent one of its members to Kutch to learn their traditional dances - goff and panchiya - that are performed only by men. There are also rasado and ankhiya from Saurashtra. These dances are done with a lot of vigour, energy and action," said Darshit Shah.

"We are using Rabari and Kutchi props during performance. One of them with 10-feet-long curtains will have members of the troop dancing along with it. Other props used are kartal, dhaja, earthen pots and bamboo sticks, all in one performance," said Purvi Shah, founder of a group.