The traveling folk music apostle Madhur Padwal
Madhur Padwal with his fascinating artistic virtuosity is one of the chief ambassadors of Indian folk music across the globe. His curiosity to learn and promote India’s folk music and artists is what distinguishes him from the rest of his ilk.
IPRS got Madhur to reveal his incredible journey as a musician that has culminated into the most alluring “Project Folks-Wagon”
- What is the idea and inspiration behind your band “Folks
Wagon”? Where does your fascination for folk music emanate from?
Madhur: Folks-Wagon for me is way beyond than just a Live Band. I’ve always preferred addressing it as a Project. In 2011 while on a tour to Udaipur in Rajasthan as a Guitarist with one of the many bands I was playing with, I witnessed a few folk musicians playing various Rajasthani Folk and Traditional musical instruments. One of these was the “Ravanhatta”. Visually a unique traditional instrument with a long neck and resonating strings, its sound left a lasting impression on me. I somehow missed meeting the artists but was keen to know more about the instrument; its name, origin, and other such details. The internet back then hardly had enough information, perhaps as the instrument was relatively unknown. My curiosity aroused, I reached Udaipur and queried the locals about the instrument describing it by appearance to the shopkeepers who tried to ply their other instruments to me dismissing the Ravanhatta. “Raaste Pe Bajate Hain” (It is played on the streets) they chorused. Not the one to give up easily, I was overwhelmed by the amazing power of the instrument that pulled me back into its orbit from Mumbai and in a way recognized its universal appeal. Providence played its part and on the banks of one of the lakes I met Kishan Ji, a Ravanhatta player from the Bhopa Community. Interestingly, we jammed without much conversation and came up with some original compositions also managing to attract a decent tourist crowd. Stirred by the response, I decided to travel, explore and document more such rare instruments, Indian Folk and Traditional Music, Songs, Art, Dance and Cultural forms which has since blossomed into the wonderful tree that I call Project ‘Folks-Wagon’
- Tell us about the making of your band Folks Wagon? How did
the core of the team come together?
Madhur: Traveling, instantly convinced me that India is a treasure trove of hidden gems waiting to be discovered! And I truly believed that Indians really need to know about these hidden gems in order to put in a collective effort to preserve or revive them for a longer run. This is when I thought about forming a band to connect people to India’s rich cultural heritage, the diverse musical traditions, folk melodies, traditional rhythms and songs.
The core band is a bunch of talented musician friends back from college and university who played for various college events and festivals. Since it is a project and not a band, different live sets are curated as per the nature of event we are performing for. Sometimes it is just me doing a solo interactive & demonstrative session where I showcase these instruments and explain briefly about the history & different cultures associated with them. I’ve also performed with about 35 to 40 Artists on stage for bigger events and concerts. My preference though lies in performing with a Band of about 7 to 10 Artists like the recent one with 8 artists at The Serendipity Arts Festival December 2024 in Goa on the IPRS stage.
- You have spoken about the healing and energetic power of
folk music: Can you elaborate on this thought?
Madhur: Yes, folk music is a rich and diverse genre that varies across cultures, but there are common musical elements that define it. Most of the folk melodies and rhythms are often simple and repetitive. They tend to be straightforward, often using shorter intervals and repetitive phrases. This simplicity makes it easier for people to remember and sing along. Singing or indulging in any sort of collective jamming like the singing circles, drumming circles is always therapeutic, meditative and healing as it naturally evokes a wide range of emotions.
Listening to certain types of music can help regulate moods, reduce anxiety, calm nerves and improve blood circulation. Slow, calming music can help reduce stress, while upbeat music may boost energy and improve mental health. Any Folk and Traditional Music has immense healing and energetic power.
- You play almost 100+ folk instruments, mainly Indian and
from across the world. Your journey as a music learner must
be full of interesting people and incidents. Can
you reveal some of your learning experiences from the
interiors of India?
Madhur: It has definitely been quite an exciting ride, an incredible journey which has helped me understand life better. The simplicity, finding happiness in little things, placing emotions over material and other important life lessons are all a part of my learnings.
Collecting these instruments has been a challenge, especially since they are not available for sale at a regular musical instruments store. These are exclusively handcrafted by instrument makers and luthiers belonging to different traditional communities. Today it is difficult to find a lot of these talented instrument makers. In a changing world with technology finding its way to the remotest parts of the world, the focus of the next generation of folk & traditional artists belonging to these families and communities has shifted elsewhere. This is resulting in extinction of some of the rarest musical instruments not only in India but in different parts of the world. I’d really like to motivate and encourage everyone who’s reading this to travel more mainly to observe and absorb different cultures. There is so much more to learn about life as a whole by traveling.
Total strangers have helped me connect with folk artists from the remotest parts of India only because I really wanted to learn about those folk forms or cultures. I can warmly mention here that today I’ve at least one home in almost each and every Indian State.
- What has been your experience working with folk artists and
traditional folk-art forms? What challenges have you
encountered, and what steps do you believe are necessary to
preserve and promote the rich musical heritage of our
nation?
Madhur: I have worked or interacted with Folk and Traditional Artists from almost more than 18 to 20 Indian States and various different countries. My experience working with most of them have differed on various occasions. Nevertheless, there is one common element in most of the folk & traditional artists; Mastery over their traditions and techniques through generations, often without formal education in music theory or other art forms.
Folk music tends to prioritize intuition, storytelling and cultural expression over academic or technical training. This helps maintaining the authenticity of any folk or traditional art form. Folk Artists often learn through an oral tradition, passing down songs, melodies and techniques within families or communities helping them create deep authentic connections to their heritage.
Since they lack formal music education, explaining them parts of musical arrangements outside their traditional patterns and melodies is a bit of a challenge. I’m over the years, trying to figure out simple and practical ways to share information with these artists to enable them to start thinking a little beyond their own expertise and explore possibilities to create much more with these rare instruments.
- Folks Wagon is definitely more than mere music and looks
like a quest you are pursuing. What are your future plans?
Madhur: Folks-Wagon for me is not just a little project, it is a meaningful objective and an opportunity to preserve, revive and promote culture, share knowledge & information and contributing to our motherland. I’m honored that over the past few years we have had an opportunity on various occasions to represent India on a global platform showcasing Indian Folk & Traditional Music.
Apart from performing live it is more important to document the cultures, art forms, music, dance and folklores from different parts of India. I’ve been working on a documentary series, where I am putting together my travel experiences, musical interactions & artists interviews elucidating about the history of their culture and its evolution. In the documentary we have instrument makers taking us through the process of the instruments being hand-crafted for the common folk to appreciate the art of making various different instruments. I’m learning to craft some of the instruments from the makers to inspire or motivate more people to learn these art forms and also facilitating the world wide sale of these local folk instruments. Hence the tag line ‘Folks-Wagon – A journey through Indian Folk Music and a lot more’
- What is the importance of platforms like the IPRS
stage? How was your experience performing on the IPRS
Stage at the Serendipity festival?
Madhur: I’ve always believed in growing organically. When various institutions, organizations and societies like the IPRS recognize, believe and support the true efforts behind projects like Folks-Wagon, it definitely helps the Artists to reach these rare works to a wider audience. Platforms like the IPRS stage at a renowned Art festival like the Serendipity Arts Festival, that supports the Folk and Traditional Cultural Forms are much needed today. It is like an extended bridge encouraging people to learn different folk music art forms.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to team IPRS (Indian Performing Rights Society) and the Serendipity Arts Team for their incredible collaboration in supporting and promoting Indian Folk & Traditional Music. This collective dedication to preserving and celebrating the rich tapestry of India’s cultural heritage has provided a meaningful platform for us artists to showcase our talents.