Baithak Gana
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| Baithak gana बैठक गाना بیتک گانا | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Hindustani folk music, with influence from other Surinamese music genres and filmi |
| Cultural origins | Mid-20th century, Indo-Surinamese people with indentured servant ancestry |
| Typical instruments | dholak (hand drum), harmonium, and dhantal |
Baithak Gana (Sarnami: बैठक गाना, بیتک گانا) is a form of music originating in Suriname by the Indo-Surinamese community. Baithak is a social gathering. It is a mix of Hindustani folk music with other Caribbean influences. It is similar to Chutney music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. The most popular exponent in Surinam of the genre were Ramdew Chaitoe and Dropati.
In basic Baithak Gana there are three instruments, harmonium, dholak and the dhantal.[1] The harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. The dholak is a double headed drum that originated in Northern India, however, it is still used in the folk songs from Pakistan or Nepal. The last instrument that is used in this style of music is the dhantal which serves as the rhythmic piece of the ensemble, it consists of a long steel rod which is then "struck" by a U-formed piece, the origin of this device is unclear, as it may have been brought by the Indian indentured-laborers. The origin of the dhantal was formed from the use of a long steel rod with an almost-enclosed circle tip at the end used in the yoke of bull-driven carts that were used to transport sugar cane to guide the bulls. The U-shaped handle piece was derived from the use of a horse shoe.