The Brass Baraatis
A merry baraat,with excited people clad in flashy,wedding couture and glittering jewellery,gathers around a groom.
The brass bands that liven up wedding processions each season now follow the Bollywood hit parade
A merry baraat,with excited people clad in flashy,wedding couture and glittering jewellery,gathers around a groom. Seeing them,a group of men,so far idle,suddenly bursts into life. A slight nod from the conductor,the brass band kicks off with a boisterous track-list that sends the whole party into a frenzy of wild dancing. When the wedding season arrives a few times every year,be it in Delhi,Mumbai or Pune,a select set of street musicians bring up the background score of old and new songs,groovy and pacey,or solemn numbers like Babul Ki Duayen Leti Ja,usually played during the bidaii. At every Indian wedding,there is an ubiquitous band playing. Come rain or shine,they beat their drums with passion,an indispensable part of the way we think about Indian weddings.
A typical band would have around twenty people,depending on the size of the wedding procession and the kind of fanfare the families want . “The wedding planners decide on the size of the band according to the pomp the wedding has,” says Zakir Hussain,the proprietor of Ravi Band,Delhi. However,the band cannot do without certain instruments. “The saxophone,the clarinet,the half-bass and the full bass – no wedding is complete without it,” adds Manoj Hamav,manager of Hinglai Wedding Band in Mumbai.
It’s hard work and involves long hours. The tunes they belt out may sound scratchy,but the bands work long hours perfecting them. “We have to keep playing while on the move,rarely standing still. We have also to play in all kinds of weather conditions–hot,cold or windy. Sometimes even in the rain,even though we stand the very real risk of our instruments rusting. However,a little bit of rain is not going to deter a baarati in full flow – they don’t mind getting wet while dancing,” says one of the conductors of Shiv Mohan Band,Delhi,who wished to remain unnamed. “Every day,we have to practice for up to four hours,perfecting each song,” adds Hamav.
Most popular Bollywood songs are added to the ‘song menu’ of the band as they come. But some classic tunes have remained to the point of becoming clichés. “Some songs,like the Munni and Sheila,become such a rage that they had to be added to the bank. A perfect example is Main Nikla Gaddi Leke,which became so popular when it came out in 2001 that we started playing it at every wedding and is now one of our ‘classics’. At the same time,there are some evergreen tracks which have to be played at every single wedding,” says Hussain. “I know people are scathing towards brass bands because we play songs like Meri Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai and Sapne Mein Milti Hai at pretty much every wedding,but these songs are also the most popular among baaratis. Yes,sometimes a baraati will come up to us,requesting us to play a particular song,which is why we have to keep up-to-date,as far as songs are concerned. But the real bhangra begins with Aaj Meri Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai,” says Hamav.
Employment can sometimes become a real issue,especially during the thin months of the wedding season. “Most of our workers come from states like Rajastan,Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,where weddings usually take place after harvest. They come here,looking for work in the winters. During the summer months,we are usually short-staffed,and are forced to charge higher prices,” he says.
However,over the past few years,inflation has affected the bands and they have had to increase their charges to keep things on an even keel. “Our prices have shot up by almost 50 per cent over the last three years because suddenly,the cost of living has gone up so much. Instruments have become more expensive,our artistes demand more money and even our floating workers,who work on a day-to-day basis,ask for roughly twice the amount that they used to previously!” exclaims Hussain. “Earlier,even if the pay was lower,we used to earn a good amount of money through bakshish,when a baarati,usually on hearing his favourite song,used to give us a hefty tip. However,since the recession took place,this practice has all but died out,” laments Hamav.
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