Digital library to preserve legacy of Punjabi folk art

ritsar, August 23

Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi has created a digital archive-cum-library of Punjabi traditional folk artists as a part of its project to preserve the intangible music and folk heritage.

The archives include documentaries, montages, audio-visual recordings of folk artists and their other notable works. The akademi will soon provide the digital content on Internet by launching its own YouTube channel.

Kewal Dhaliwal, president of Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, said artists such as Surinder Kaur, Prakash Kaur, Assa Singh Mastana and Kuldip Manak were a few legends of professional Punjabi music whose names were popular among generations. “And for the ones, who never went commercial, the Akademi has created a digital library of popular folk voices of Punjab,” he said.

The akademi has already recorded Punjabi folk singer Gurmeet Bawa’s songs and artiste Amarjit Gurdaspuri and released it under the title ‘Mitti di Mehak’. Gurdaspuri is among one of the foremost Punjabi folk singers and one of those who never got recorded. The project was initially launched in 2015, but got delayed over the years due to funding glitches.

“We have created a digital library of folk art forms such as nakkals, kavishers and other folk dance and music forms. We also have documentaries featuring stalwarts of Punabi cultural movement such as Uma Gurbaksh Singh, Gurmeet Bawa and Norah Richards. These artistes are a part of our cultural history. We ought to preserve our folk heritage through such initiatives,” he said.

The channel will be a medium for people to access information on the history and development of the Punjabi filk art forms and their current status. — TNS