Jahaan : Five Indian Folk Songs

Omtale

for SATB, piano, and percussion Jahaa? is a set of five characterful folk song arrangements from different states and languages of India. The Hindi word 'jahaa?' translates roughly to 'that place where', evoking a sense of both distance and possibility, and each of the work's movements touches on this feeling of 'home' in a different way. The first depicts the joy associated with rain in the deserts of Gujarat, expressed by lively rhythmic patterns that sweep across the choir. The lyrical second movement uses bread-making as a metaphor for a deep, lasting marriage. 'Boitha maro re' is from an area with many waterways, and uses a boat and its oar as a metaphor for a life guided by the hand of the divine. The ethereal setting of 'Dharti dhorã ri' recounts the unearthly beauty of the sand dunes of Rajasthan. The vibrant final movement describes the snake boat races that happen around the Onam festival, in a fight song of pride for home and community that brims with warmth.