DAF KAHE KO BAJAYE.... /डफ काहे को बजाये -बेगम अख्तर

डफ बाज्यो है छैल मतवारे को
डफ बाज्यो है ........
Daf and the month of Faagun has a romantic and musical relationship in the Braj and its neighbouring areas. Come Faagun and the rhythmic, reverberating and beckoning beats of Daf along with the voice of Faag singers are their in the Faaguni air every evening. The Faag is sung in this area during the Faagun till the colorful festival of Holi arrives. These sessions of Faag singing are a regolar event in Krishna Temples, in Mohalla Chauks and even in the Aangans of individual homes.
'Aate hee faagun ya braj mein sahi hon lagi fauaan ki baaten......' , or ' Faagun aayo fauno ranga de rasiya .....' and 'Jasoda tero Laalaa bado utpati....' in the rasiya mode can be listened and enjoyed every where. The Rasiya, Chhailaa, Laalaa, and Bhayala in thess rasiyas is always the krishna and the songs are a kind of beckoning to the Gopis. I born in Karauli which bosts of having one or more Krishna temples in every street of the town have spent my entire Childhood and adolescent years listening to these beauties.
The most common, popular and loved Faag in these sessions always used to be ' Daf bajyo hai chhail Matwaare ko.......' and the Guonj of this daf has its impact on the one to whime it was addressed can be felt in the lyrics of this Faag which are like this:-

Daf bajyo hai chhail matwaare ko daf bajyo hai ..
Daf ke baje mero sab ghar haale
Halyo hai khambha tiwaare ko daf bajyo hai...
Daf kee dhamak mero tan man haale
Haalyo hai jhubbaa naare ko
Daf bajyo hai chhail matwaare ko.....

And this Daf and its Goonj when reached inside the recording studios those days, though in a some what modified lyrics as a beckoning call to the beloved where it became a response from the beloved as ' Daf kahe ko bajaye main to aavat rahee daf kahe ko........' ,

And when this response to the daf of The Chhail Matwaara took its shape in one of the most graceful, 'Lochdaar' and Sozful voices of our time the one and only Begum Akhtar , the effect was stunning. I have listened many live renditions of this Faag those year in Karauli and it is not possible the kind of impact it used to creat without the deep reverberating beats of daf but this rendition by Begum Akhtar is in a class of its own.

This is one of the most rarely heard Faags sung by Begum Akhtar , and i am sharing it here at this wonderful musical space SKS, for the die hard fans of music and Begum Akhtar .



-by Arun mudgal ji

(mp3 link)