Navratri 2024: From traditional music to chart-toppers, how garba music has evolved in Mumbai

Growing up in Ghatkopar, Arpita Patel remembers attending Navratri nights ever since she was a child barely five years old. It was her earliest introduction to the nine-day festival that has currently taken over the country, and more particularly Mumbai, as people sing and dance their hearts out. The celebration has been more than that for her. She explains, "I learned to play Garba literally at all these Navratri Raas Dandiya grounds. While my family doesn't have the Ghat/Garba at our home, our extended family does." Without a doubt, she has enjoyed dancing to the music which has unique beats but over time she has noticed how it has changed in so many different ways. "As a hardcore Garba player, I have always loved the beats of Garba but the music has evolved over some time. The tunes that played when I was young were purely related to Raas Garba but now it is a mix of fusion music, Bollywood and the Garba tunes," she adds.

The 25-year-old city-based copywriter is one among many Mumbaikars who have witnessed the change in the music played during Navratri in Mumbai. Garba is a dance form that originated in Gujarat and is particularly performed during Navratri during this time of the year, apart from the community's weddings. While the garba music in Gujarat hugely differs from that in Mumbai, one cannot deny the influence of modern sounds and music that showcases how the times have changed but also how the new generations are enjoying the festival. Take for example, ‘Khalasi', the popular Gujarati song that released in 2023 and went on to become a hit during Navratri. Before that, it was ‘Char Char Bangdi Wale' in 2019, ‘Chogada Tara' from Loveyatri (2018), or even ‘Shubhaarambh' from Kai Po Che (2013). Music played during Navratri has evolved in so many different ways. While purists may not like the change, the influence of modern tunes and Bollywood on the sub-genre is hard to ignore, and one that has been accepted by many people at least in Mumbai.

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Co-existence of traditional and modern Navratri music
Patel is one of them. This co-exists at a time when Falguni Pathak, who is synonymous with Navratri over the decades and even called ‘Garba Queen', still reigns supreme. "It is refreshing to see a new artist perform during Navratri as the way different people perform traditional folk songs is different and it just gives a new and fresh vibe. It is a change for the better because fresh talents get a chance to showcase their art, and the music also evolves with new styles being experimented." Beyond the singers who perform on the stage, the Mumbaikar also attributes it to streaming platforms. Being one of the many to embrace this change, she points out, "A huge shift has happened in the way Instagram and YouTube quickly make a song viral. Last year, it was ‘Khalasi'. This year, it is ‘Tetudo'. So, the modern music and video streaming platforms play a huge role in the way music is being consumed."

However, even through all this, ask Patel which one she prefers and the Mumbai-based copywriter is quick to say the traditional music. "I prefer traditional music as it is soothing and garba flows well on those beats. The contemporary music beats don't excite me as much as traditional ones do. Nostalgia might also have a huge part to play here, but I would pick traditional music any day," she adds. It is no wonder then that her top Navratri songs to dance to are ‘Damar Vagya', ‘Amu kaka bapa na', ‘Payal hai channkayi', ‘Pari hun main'. "Almost all these songs have a modern version now, but the traditional ones remain classic for me. All these Navratri songs just make you dance wherever you are, at least they have that effect on me," she expresses.

Even Prakash Parmar, a Dombivali-based choreographer, has his list of favourite songs, and there is one similarity. He shares, "My favourite songs are ‘Alya hadi karta pahela karjo ek j vichar', ‘Sanchi Re', ‘Dakla', ‘Nagada sang dhol' and all Falguni songs." Just like Patel, Parmar has grown up dancing to these songs since he was three years old in Mumbai. "Earlier, it was purely based on instrumental music and few known people from around singing, now we have our top artists like Falguni (Pathak), Aishwarya (Majmudar), and Parthiv Gohil singing live for us,' he notes about how Navratri nights have evolved over the last two decades since he actively started participating in the tradition. The evolution may have occurred naturally over time, but Parmar says it is fun to see how the singer has their style and way of conducting a show, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Just like Patel, even Parmar is a fan of the traditional garba music primarily because ‘it keeps him rooted'. Interestingly, the Mumbaikar has also gone beyond dancing and winning many garba nights to even choreographing dances to suit the occasion. He explains, "Traditional music demands traditional choreography and authentic garba moves. With the new age music being more modern and having a slightly westernised vibe, the choreography also evolves in that way. The authentic garba moves are blended with a little bit of Bollywood and lyric-based choreography."

On the other hand, Pooja Solanki, says music has certainly changed with time, and she for one, has gone with the flow. "Honestly, I have enjoyed playing Garba on dhol, which is a rare sight at garba grounds which are orchestra-driven. Most of the music has remained the same but the way they are presented has changed today. The additional beats and remixes along with the addition of Bollywood songs have changed the music scenario but it's still enjoyable."

With familial roots in Rajkot, Solanki says she has never played garba there but like every other Gujarati agrees, the garba and Navratri nights are more traditional there. She explains, "I have heard that Dakla is very popular there. Dakla is fast-paced and dances on an upbeat tune. While Falguni Pathak remains a classic and makes us nostalgic whenever we hear ‘Odhni Ude toh', artists like Aditya Gadhvi, Kinjal Dave, Aishwarya Majmudar and Geeta Rabari have delivered Garba hits in recent times, and their music is also played in Gujarati wedding Sangeet." Personally, her top favourites are ‘Dakla', ‘⁠Odhni Ude toh' by Falguni Pathak, ‘Sanedo', ⁠Rangtaali' and ‘⁠Gori Radha ne Kado Kaan'.

While the newer tunes have been getting popular over the years, Aditya Gadhvi and Achint's ‘Khalasi' that released on Coke Studio Bharat in 2023 is a prime example of the shift. Being one who follows trends, the 30-year-old content specialist from Thane, says, "It tells us the potential of regional music in defining Gen Z trends. When Kinjal Dave's single ‘Char Char Bangdi Vali' came out, it was such a rage among the Gujarati community. Indie artists have been able to do wonders through the modern-day streaming apps and have clicked with the audience with their foot-tapping relatable numbers."

It is also why even though the Mumbaikar loves the classics, she has been open to the modern twist these new-age artists give to some of the classic Garba and Gujarati songs. "Increasing the tempo naturally speeds up your Garba routine and it's really fun," she adds.

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From Gujarati song to Navratri earworm
The change from being a Gujarati song to a Navratri song has been a very fine line but one that includes every person making the song. While the singers lend their melodious voices to the tunes that make them catchy, the words by songwriters give form to them and contribute in more than one way to the song. The best example is that of ‘Khalasi', which is still a favourite among many people. Saumya Joshi, who is the writer of the song, explains, "A lyricist's job is to also create sound. My perspective on the song that I created was in sync with the ambiance and that contributed to the success of it. While the musician and singer create a particular sound, the lyricist also needs to create a sound that suits the lyric and if that happens, the lyric has a better connection. If you hear the sound effect of ‘Nathi Je Maja Ma Khaali Vaavata Dhaja Ma', it can be seen that; it has that effect, so even if people don't understand the lyric, the sound will matter."

Being somebody who likes to explore the vast history of music that Gujarat boasts of, Joshi has always been extraordinarily amazed by the folk music of the land and the song was a result of this very love. As a writer, he says, "Using similar metaphors on the same soil, I love to create new meanings, contemporary ideas of emancipation, liberation and freedom and a lot of other things. I want to capture the essence of the era in which I live traditionally."

With ‘Khalasi', a song that explores life along Gujarat's coast, the lyricist, who is also a theatre artist and film writer, wanted to use this very subject metaphorically but traditionally wanted to get away from the garba and dhol images of Gujarati music. He explains, "In the mainstream, Gujarati music is only represented in a particular way, so I wanted to write lyrics that would set it apart. So ‘Khalasi' became an outward and inward journey of adventure."

It is funnier that the song was never a traditional garba song and not garba at all. However, Joshi says, "We (Gujaratis) are people who find ways to dance to the steps of garba, so ‘jo bhi hit ho jata hai, hum use garba main leke hi aate hai'. Lots of people really turned it into garba while dancing and that was fun to see. The tune that Achint created was not at all garba, but it had the musicality that people turned into the steps of garba." Even after the virality of the song, the lyricist says he doesn't really care much about virality or social media. "Any artist should be very honest to his work and be very happy and satisfied with what he or she creates, and if that happens, most of the time, it will succeed," he adds.

The best part is that Joshi doesn't consider any part of writing lyrics to be challenging while he juggles his theatre and film writing, because he simply derives happiness from it, so it's no wonder that he would like to write more and more lyrics when the opportunity presents itself. While the lyricist isn't much of a dancer himself, the last three days are going to be when he descends to celebrate to the fullest with family and friends, amid a busy schedule, and the release of a song this Navratri that he hopes people will like.