GALO FOLKSONGS: A STUDY OF YAAN AND KABEN

Abstract

The Galo tribe has a rich storehouse of folksongs which are continued orally from generations to generations. Both Yaan and Kaben are two important and popular folksongs which are often sung on important occasions like childbirth, marriage, festivals, etc. Due to lack of written script, the continuity and preservation of these folksongs for posterity is a major concern for the tribe. Moreover, research, documentation, and preservation of these forms of folk culture are very limited and still at an emerging stage. This study uses anthropological methods to collect data from the primary source and the data were collected from the field using two ethnographic qualitative research methods such as in-depth individual interviews and participant observation. Yaan and Kaben are two popular Galo folksongs, and they are commonly on various occasions. In fact, these folksongs are mandatorily sung during different marriage stages and situations. As a result, they are important components of Galo marriage. Without them, a Galo marriage ceremony is considered incomplete and deficient one. Nevertheless, a few Galo Christians organized the marriage ceremonies without them in recent times. This is one of the instances of change noticed in Galo marriages in present time. One of the important findings is that despite having different regional settlements and dialectal variations these folksongs show no changes till now. There is no change in their articulation and presentations. It continues to retain its pristine essence even in the modern times.