Why is Traditional Music so Important for Preserving Regional Languages?
Regional languages remain alive thanks to traditional music. Moreover, different regions have variable cultures to display. Furthermore, artists creatively portray various norms. This can preserve age-old customs and heritage. The youth seem distanced from their original roots. These classic melodies could revive these over the dominant languages like English. However, regional works, such as Karan Khan new song, Ashna, already captured 1.6M+ views. Hence, such singers managed to breathe life into conventional music.
Defining Traditional Music?
Traditional music comprises of melodies carried through the passage of time. They are a part of the culture and history of a community. For instance, Sahir Ali Bagga and Laila Khan song, Naray Baran currently keeps 60M+ fans in its fandom. Additionally, these narrate stories full of heartfelt emotions. This is how these songs keep people connected to each other.
Take Pakistan, for example, each province has its folk songs in diverse regional languages, too. These include Punjabi, Urdu, Pashto and so on. Nonetheless, these represent the cultures of the singer and his locality as well as entertain the masses.
Why Traditional Music Has Such Value?
Now, let us look at the significance of traditional music. Music is not the only thing we listen to sometimes for entertainment. It ties us to our culture, history and traditions. We can learn a great deal about local musicians through music.
1.ย ย ย Keeping Languages Alive with Music
Songs are rich with the finest vocabulary. Some literary words and phrases do not form part of everyday conversations. But when these words are sung, they remain imprinted on the mind of the listener. Although youth might not use the language in their daily lives, they hear it and recall it through music. One example is that in a lot of the villages, their songs to celebrate something are still sung in their local languages. That keeps the flame of the language burning as bright as it can, even if youngsters actually do not speak the words.
2.ย ย ย It Makes Learning Fun
Tunes of songs easily find its way into our minds. Unlike other languages forcefully learned, traditional music makes it fun. Moreover, if we learn with the help of music, we would find it fairly easy to do. Music has this unique beat and tempo that help in memorizing lyrics. Songs have long been a popular means of teaching children โ it works! The music gets them to grasp a whole language without their realization. The simplicity and repetitiveness in the lyrics of songs help children learn new words quickly.
3.ย ย ย Music Keeps Culture Alive
Musical tradition is also about culture. Each song is like a small narrative of people and their history, and traditions. Singing native songs in a regional language helps keep the culture and tradition corresponding to that language alive. Several regional songs are based on some historic event, festival or a local hero. These tales bind individuals to their origins and recall the glory of the past.
We may also forget the culture if we keep forgetting the language. So, by chanting these traditional songs, we pass on the cultural stories to the next generation. This helps people appreciate their language and culture. This also means, for example, that quite a few songs in India mention the cultural traditions of different states. They remind people of the heritage that they were born into.
Transfer of Stories Through Music
Across the world, traditional music often tells stories. They can be accounts from history, profiles of prominent people or simply tales of everyday life. For centuries, humans have used music to communicate information that may not have been written down. In some cultures in Africa, people use music to tell stories of their ancestors. In this way, these songs allow the young generation to be aware of their history and culture.
Likewise, folk songs in India narrate local heroes, religious tales and festivities. Songs that get passed down from parent to child, songs that educate the world on history and culture. Some of these stories could possibly get lost if not for music. Yet through music, they are still being told and remembered.
Music Links the Generations
Music also helps to keep track of the whole lineage. The youngsters learn from the older generation through the music. Therefore, most children learn about their cultures in the language of melodies. Thus, music establishes links like no other.
But when people are singing together, they enjoy the common language and culture of their community. Additionally, it means this language feels more relevant to young people. It highlights the significance of their native language. Furthermore, they should otherwise continue using it and learn more about it. This music gives them a sense of pride to belong somewhere.
Contemporary Traditional Music
We now have a global music scene, but almost all of it is in languages like English. This has led to traditional music disappearing into obscurity. Today, many young people prefer to listen to pop music than their regional one. This becomes an issue, for the reason that if they do not listen to conventional music, they might divert from their norms.
However, musicians have brought innovation to music. Therefore, they are blending traditional songs with contemporary styles like pop or rock. So, it makes the traditional music itself thrilling to young audiophiles. Some artists are combining electronic beats with folk songs to create a twist on something original. Hence, they produce fresh sound in the music industry. In doing so, they preserve the language and culture as well. This fusion music attracts youth a lot.
Preservation of Regional Languages Through Music
There are ways we can preserve our regional languages through melodies. Letโs see some measures we can take.
- Listen to Traditional Music to Support: The best way to support traditional music is simply to listen to it. Search for songs in your language and hit play. Pass these tracks around to your friends and family so more people can listen to these shining gems.
- Focus on Lyrics: It is not necessary to learn the language. Musical notes have a way to enter your mind and remain imprinted on the memory.
- Teach Children: If you have siblings, children or friends that are younger than you, teach them folk songs in your language. Little kids love rhyming verses, which is a great way of learning about their culture and language.
This motivates regional artists to keep traditional music alive. Therefore, attend their shows, purchase their tracks, and post online about them.
Conclusion
Traditional music is more than entertainment. It is a great tool that keeps regional languages and cultural norms alive. Songs convey stories and history from our ancestors. Through music, we are able to bridge the generational gap and remember our original roots. So, the next time you hear a folk song, know that it is more than just a melody โ it is part of your lineage. Let us continue to listen and share traditional music. It is one of the best ways for our culture and languages to live longer in this dynamic world.