Sound and Spirit: The Musical World of Powade

Not all powade sound the same. This section delves into the variety of powade forms—religious, political, heroic—and the instruments that animate them, such as the daf, dholki, and tuntune. It’s an exploration of how rhythm, voice, and form come together to give historical storytelling its pulse.

Types of Powade and Powade Accompaniments

Types of powade

Shahiri poetry appears in three types:

1. Gondhli powade,
2. Bhativ powade,
3. Shahiri powade.

Gondhli powade deal with deeds of deities and importance of sacred places. Gondhali Shahir composed these powade. They used to sing with purpose of collecting money at the time of ‘aarti’ (a religious ceremony). Gondhal is ritual performed by Gondhalis at various religious ceremonies in temples and households.

Bhats or Bandis sing the second kind of powade. They used to enjoy royal patronage. Their work praised the ruler, their benevolence, their sports, or pleasure. Such songs were called “Bhativ” during the Yadav period. The wandering Bhats were known as ‘Nagari’ or ‘Magadh’. They used to spontaneously compose and sing to earn rewards from the rich.

The third type of singers is known as Shahir. Their subjects covered battles, deaths of illustrious personalities, killings, aggression, valor, revolutions, riots, burglary, famine, floods, etc. They used to perform from place to place and subsist on donations from the audience.

Types (According to Koshkar)

1. Powada
2. Lawani
3. Daf Gane
4. Bhedik Gane
5. Dehavarche Gane

Powade accompaniments

Initially, powade were accompanied by instruments like ‘daf’ (similar to the tambourine), ‘tuntune’ (a single stringed musical instrument being continuously played during the performance), and ‘zanj’, or ‘taal’ or ‘manjiri’ (cymbals). Subsequently many instruments other instruments were added to the mix, like, harmonium, shehnai, dholki, tabla, violin, triangle etc.

In daf gane (songs accompanied by the daf) the beginning is made by ‘gan’. This tone is rather low which is raised in subsequent part. In tamasha the party consists of both- male and female performers. The male singing falsetto was said to be of ‘gali’ voice.

Powade Accompaniments

Powada performances are not just about powerful words and passionate storytelling, they are deeply enriched by the vibrant rhythms and melodies of traditional instruments.
Each instrument carries centuries of cultural heritage, shaping the unique musical atmosphere of powade singing.

Tuntune

The tuntune (also called tuntuni) is a simple yet iconic one-stringed instrument that keeps a steady drone throughout the performance.

• In regions south of the Narmada River (Maharashtra), it is known as tuntuni, while in North India, it is commonly called ektari.
• The tuntune is typically tuned to the Madhyam note (the fourth) of the Kali 2 Shadja (Sa) scale. The tuning sits slightly higher than what ordinary singers might find comfortable.
• Interestingly, in Marathi, the term tuntunya also colloquially refers to someone who mindlessly repeats another’s words reflecting the simple, repetitive drone produced by the instrument.

 

Dholki

The dholki is a small two-headed hand drum, pivotal in powade performances for setting the rhythm.

• The dholki may represent an intermediate evolution between the large Hindustani dhol and the classical mridangam from Karnataka.
• It is usually tuned to a high pitch, driving the energy and tempo of the performance.
• The dholki establishes the taal (rhythmic cycle), making it essential for both fast and medium-paced powadas.

Halgi

The halgi is a small, hand-held frame drum essentially a more compact version of the daf.

• It is often played alongside the dholki, adding a sharper accent to the rhythm, especially during intricate or faster sections of the performance.

Daf

The Daf is a large frame drum like a tambourine, used for slow, steady rhythms

• Tempo (Laya):
  The Daf is used to provide a slower tempo during chhand style performances. In contrast to pad style (slower and melodic), chhand focuses on measured, rhythmic delivery.

Zanj/Taal

The zanj (small cymbals) and taal (larger cymbals) are vital for maintaining tempo and accentuating rhythmic beats.

• These instruments help maintain slow, deliberate laya, ensuring that words and expressions are delivered with maximum clarity and dramatic effect.

Tabla (Indian drums)

While tabla is not a traditional instrument for powade, it has been increasingly adopted in modern performances.

• Along with instruments like the harmonium and triangle, tabla has enriched contemporary powada performances, especially during staged shows and recordings.

Violin

An interesting adaptation in powade history.

• During a time when the harmonium was not permitted on All India Radio broadcasts, Shahir Prabhakar Jamkhedkar creatively used the violin and tanpura as substitutes.

• This maintained the melodic depth without violating AIR’s broadcasting rules, keeping the powada tradition alive on radio.

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