Mashak
Themashak(also known asmushak baja,masak,mishek,meshek,moshug,moshaq,moshuq,mashak bin,bin baji)is a type ofbagpipefound in Northern India,Uttarakhand,Sudurpaschim Province (especially Baitadi and Darchula district) of Nepal and parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.[1][2]The pipe was associated with weddings and festive occasions.[3]In India it is historically found inKumaonandGarhwalinUttarakhand,RajasthanandUttar Pradesh.[4]This bagpipe usessingle reeds,[5]and can be played either as adroneor as amelodyinstrument.[6]
Etymology[edit]
The etymology of the termmashakstems from its common use in India, referring to a skin bag used for carrying water. This skin bag shares a similar function to the air bag of the bag pipes.[7]
Relation with the Scottish Highland pipes[edit]
Some academics dispute any indigenous origins of the mashak; researcherAnder Burton Alterwrote in 2000 that the pipes today played in Kumaon are Scottish Highland bagpipes with one bass and two tenor drones, with no local manufacturer or evidence of existence prior to British rule in 1814.[8]OrganologistAnthony Baines,however, described an intermediary development stage wherein Indian musicians imitated the Highland pipe by tying "an extra pipe or two" into their mashak.[9]Similarly, theNew Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments(1984) describes the traditional mashak as becoming rare as it is displaced by the Scottish pipes.[10]
Bagpipes in Uttarakhand[edit]
The bagpipe is an essential part of music and culture of Garhwal and Kumaon.[11][12]
Cultural significance[edit]
In the central Himalayan region of Uttarakhand inNorthern Indiathe masak baja or masakbeen is an important part of rural wedding ceremonies. The masak baja is played to process with the groom's on their way to and from the bride's village.[13]The masak is accompanied by two pipers and drummers. The masak and its accompanying instruments send a clear message across the audible area that a wedding is taking place. The masakbeen is also used in Choliya or Chaliya dance of Kumaon and Sudurpaschim province of Nepal.
Discography[edit]
- Various Artists –Footprints In The Desert...trackRajasthan's Bagpipe (Mashak).De Kulture
- Various –Music From The Shrines Of Ajmer and MundratrackPopulat Naubat Shahna'i.Topic Records (UK), 1995
See also[edit]
- Titti (bagpipe),a Telugu bagpipe of Andhra Pradesh
- Sruti upanga,a drone bagpipe of Tamil Nadu
References[edit]
- ^Day, CR (13 February 1894)."Notes on Indian Music".Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association.Twentieth Session, 1893–94. London: Novello, Ewer, & Co. pp. 64–.
- ^Alter, Andrew (1 October 1997). "Garhwali Bagpipes: Syncretic Processes in a North Indian Regional Musical Tradition".Asian Music.29(1): 1–16.doi:10.2307/834409.JSTOR834409.
- ^Himal Associates (1993).Himāl.Himal Associates. p. 24.Retrieved23 April2011.
- ^Andrew Alter.Garhwali & Kumaoni Bagpipes: Syncretic Processes in a North Indian Regional Musical Tradition.Asian Music, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Autumn, 1997 - Winter, 1998), pp. 1-16. Published by: University of Texas Press, link at JSTOR.
- ^Geneviève Dournon (May 2000).Handbook for the collection of traditional music and musical instruments.Unesco. p. 23.ISBN978-92-3-103304-9.Retrieved23 April2011.
- ^Sibyl Marcuse (April 1975).A survey of musical instruments.Harper & Row.ISBN978-0-06-012776-3.Retrieved24 April2011.
- ^Alter, Andrew (1 October 1997). "Garhwali Bagpipes: Syncretic Processes in a North Indian Regional Musical Tradition".Asian Music.29(1): 1–16.doi:10.2307/834409.JSTOR834409.
- ^Alter, Andrew Burton. 2000.Dancing the Gods: Power and Meaning in the Music of Garhwal, North India.Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
- ^Anthony Baines (1979).Bagpipes.Pitt Rivers Museum. p. 56.Retrieved23 April2011.
- ^Stanley Sadie (1984).The New Grove dictionary of musical instruments.Macmillan Press.ISBN978-0-943818-05-4.Retrieved23 April2011.
- ^Chari, Mridula."A reminder for the Scots: India has a thriving bagpipe tradition too".Scroll.in.Retrieved8 August2022.
- ^Fiol, Stefan (11 September 2017).Recasting Folk in the Himalayas: Indian Music, Media, and Social Mobility.University of Illinois Press.ISBN978-0-252-09978-6.
- ^Alter, Andrew (1 October 1997). "Garhwali Bagpipes: Syncretic Processes in a North Indian Regional Musical Tradition".Asian Music.29(1): 1–16.doi:10.2307/834409.JSTOR834409.