Arnold Adrian Bake (1899–1963), a Dutch scholar, took great interest in Indian music and the Sanskrit language. He came to India to pursue advanced studies in Indian music and to obtain a Ph.D. He studied under Rabindranath Tagore from 1924 to 1929. Subsequently, as suggested by Tagore, he started to research Indian folk arts, songs, and indigenous culture of tribal communities. He not only studied them but also documented them with the equipment available at that time. Among them there is a collection of 768 audio recordings related to the art of music. During 1934, Bake travelled across India, conducting field studies to learn more about Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Parsi and tribal peoples, their oral literature, their musical instruments, and their history.
Arnold Bake studied Indian music and Sanskrit and was deeply interested in philosophy. He knew English, Dutch, Sanskrit, and Hindi languages, was a nineteenth-century musicologist, and had great interest in Indology. Born in Holland in 1899, Bake was always curious and inquisitive in his reading habits. He engaged in the study of Indian music under Rabindranath Tagore from 1924 to 1929 at Santiniketan in Bengal and went on to do a Ph.D. Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, he undertook the study of Indian folklore, folksongs, and the native culture of the tribal people. From 1931 to 1934, he travelled through parts of North India, Bengal, Nepal, and Ladakh and recorded folk songs on wax cylinder medium.[1] After that, he ventured into making films with a 16 mm camera. Cornelia, a pianist, joined him in the pursuit of knowledge and desire to document everything through equipment that was available at that time. Bake travelled throughout India in 1934, conducting field studies to learn more about Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Persian, Christian, and tribal communities, oral literature, and about the musical instruments and their history. He, with his great respect for Indian music, arts, Sanskrit, and folklore, is credited to be the first to record the recitation and interpretation of Veda–suktas by the Namboodaris, the staunchly traditionalist Brahmin scholars of Kerala.
In the interest of gaining greater knowledge, he travelled to many parts of South Asia to study more about Sanskrit and musicology of India on behalf of Leiden and Oxford universities. An enthusiastic couple who studied, researched, and recorded, Arnold and Cornelia Bake were well versed in the comprehensive use of technical tools. In 1938, Bake used a device called wire recording for sound recording. Using loop type wire tape instead of today’s spool/cassette type tape, this device could record up to about 20 minutes. In those days it was possible to record only silent films and most of the silent films were recorded in black and white, and a few pieces were recorded in colour film (16 mm film medium). In this connection, the recording was done separately from the wire recording.
Arnold Bake was the first to study Indian folk music and classical music by documenting it in multimedia (audio, visual, and photographic) using machine tools. He knew western musicology. His wife was a good pianist. Along with his wife, he travelled to India and Asian countries and studied folk songs, performing arts, forms of rituals and life style, Indian puppetry, Indian music, and literary traditions, both Marga and Desi. Bake’s many collections (multimedia resources) are not all available today, some recordings have lost their original form over time, some have been lost due to lack of preservation and some have been shared among Bake’s friends. Those who have survived make us realise the responsibility of preserving these multimedia resources in the best possible way. Some of these are preserved in the Archives of the School of Oriental and African Studies Centre in London and some in the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States. Bake had a huge following of admirers and disciples who helped him in his work.
Among them, India-born Nazir Ali Jairajbhoy and his friend Amy Catlin began exploring and researching the redocumentation of the Bake collection in1983–1984. In 1946, Bake was forced to stop his study, recording and broadcasting of Tagore’s songs because of the outbreak of the Second World War. He continued to record in multimedia through silent film cameras and spool tape recorders as well as photographs. His last recording took place in Nepal in 1955. After that, no documentation was made. According to Nazir Jairajbhoy, Arnold Bake died at the age of 64 in 1963 of a serious illness. About 50 articles written by Bake have been published in magazines and journals around the world. Among his publications are Indian Music (English edition) in 1923 and Sant Chaitanya Prabhu (English edition) in 1948. Nazir Jairajbhoy and Amy Catlin also collaborated to produce a documentary on the work undertaken by Bake.
Arnold Bake and his wife Cornelia conducting their studies at Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, gradually embarked on fieldwork exploring the differences between folk songs and classical songs found in many parts of India. When Bake came to Karnataka around 1938, Shivaram Karanth, a Kannada dramatist, novelist, writer-critic, assisted him in his research. He had already made a name for himself as a writer and experimenter in the field of drama, took great interest in the medium of film and was the first to convey to the masses the charm of modernity (the era of machines) through his writings. In 1938, when the introduction of machines was in its infancy, Karanth was a resource person for Arnold Bake. As the Bake couple travelled from village to village in an Austin Wagon like folk ascetics, Karanth worked mainly as their translator, transcriber, manager, organiser, and resource person in coastal Karnataka. Shivaram Karanth’s role in facilitating research of this couple in most of coastal Karnataka is great.
In the 1930s, very few writers took any interest in Kannada folklore and had the inclination to engage in compiling them. Among them were the Halasangi brothers, Goruru Ramaswamy Iyengar, Nadakerianda Chinnappa, Archakahalli Rangaswamy and others. The first attempt to document, study, and compile the cultural aspects of people’s lives and lifestyles using mechanical devices was made by Arnold Bake in 1938. It is a pity that folklorists and historians of today do not mention his achievements anywhere. Bake’s background in fieldwork and documentation was studied by Shivaram Karanth (in Coastal Karnataka). It can be written in golden letters that the first documentation (in multimedia: audio, visual and photographic) of folk studies in Marga and Desi literature mainly in Tulu, Kodava and Kannada languages was undertaken by the Bake couple.
Among the genres of folk literature that have been collected or documented in Karnataka are the Uralu–kabitas and Paddans, mainly in the Tulu language. Among the Tulu and Kannada folk literary genres are Manjotti Gona, Neji songs, Koti Chennaya Sandhi by members of the Billava community of Badikalladka, and Obele songs, Jogula songs, Truvi songs, etc. which are mainly connected to agricultural life. He also collected wood cutting song Oyya at Sullia. The Yakshagana songs by the Kudlu Mela of Kasaragodu Division, the most famous Kudlu Mela of Coastal Karnataka, have been documented in a silent film by Arnold Bake. Bangaru Bhat is said to be a participant in Keechaka Vadhe episode (Tenku style Yakshagana) as reported on the web. S.A. Krishnaiah and K.P. Rao further researched this and found that during the recording of the Kudlu Mela performance, Shankar Tholpadithaya, an amateur Bhagavata from Puttur, and Ishwara Kunjittaya, who used to stay in the premises of Mahalingeshwar Temple in Puttur as a caretaker, were supposed to have taken part. While S.A. Krishnaiah was engaged in his research, though he met and spoke to Kunjittaya, he could not learn much about the Kudlu Mela from the Bhagavata. He was very old and had become forgetful and hence could not provide much information. Sankara Tholpadittaya was brought in for the documentation work of Arnold Bake by Shivaram Karanth. In Karanth’s book on Bayalata, there are two black-and-white photographs of Yakshagana taken by Bake. The performance of some of the Yakshagana episodes was recorded separately by wire recording to accompany the silent film of the Bake collection. Chief among them is the Keechaka Vadhe episode: “Taruni-baba-illi…” (Young girl, come this way). Apart from this, the songs of Sati-shiromani Prabhavati episode, etc. were also recorded.
It may be recalled here that the Yakshagana of Badagu–tittu was recorded only in a phonograph wire recording or tape recorder medium. In 1938, Shivaram Karanth wanted to record the performance of the then popular Bhagavata, Seshagiri Kini. He had brought Arnold Bake to Brahmavar to record the performance. When the invitation was sent to Seshagiri Kini by Karanth, he is said to have replied in Kundagannada[2], “Na eega-bappudille” (I will not come now). It is part of the history that Karanth was left with no alternative but to record the performance of Mahabala Shettar, an amateur Bhagavata performer at the time.
Mahabala Shettar of Brahmavar sang some verses of Sudhanva Kalaga and Karnarjuna Kalaga, all of which are in the Bake collection. On this occasion, he also recorded traditional songs of the Brahmin community, Patali Ramakrishnaiah’s songs, Brahmavar Aitu’s Shobana songs and songs sung during the traditional ritual of blocking the bridegroom at the door. It can be noted that after recording in Brahmavar, Bake went to Mangalore and filmed some folk genres related to Bhuta-worship and Tulu folk life. After his visit to Dakshina Kannada district, Arnold Bake went to Kerala, Madras and Mysore in September 1938. He documented the songs from Veena performers of the Mysore court and those of well-known singers and puppet shows (the troupe of Tammanna Achar’s grandfather from Hallare in Nanjangudu district). Similarly, he documented the performance of the Satya Harishchandra episode and the songs sung during the Ananta Tirthankara Nompi ritual at the Jain temple built by Vardhamanayya in Mysore. (S.A. Krishnaiah has studied this further).
Around 1938, Bake recorded the Veena performance of the famous Veena player, Mysore Doreswami Iyengar. Continuing his fieldwork, Bake travelled around Shimoga, Belur, Chitradurga, and returned to Puttur on 26 September 1938 and recorded various forms of the district’s culture. It may be recalled here that Shivaram Karanth toured with him and even arranged a lecture on ‘Indian Music’ by this scholar for the citizens of Puttur. Karanth also translated the speech into Kannada to instil a special interest in research among the people of the district (this speech was subsequently published as an article in Kannada Nudi (no. 1, Dec. 9, 1938, pp. 76–77) with the title Bharatiya Sangeet, published by Kannada Sahitya Parishat. It is to Bake’s credit that he also documented the songs of Shimoga Lambani community, that of the nomadic community of Harin Shikari of Hubballi, the Bot people’s daivavesha, blood-sacrifice ritual, song-dance and so on. Further, he also recorded the ten sutras of the Bible and Good Friday songs. He then went to Karwar on 5 October 1938 and undertook documentation of songs related to ploughing, to the folklife of Karvis or Mogaveers, wedding songs of Bhandari tribe, Dasa songs of Purandaradasa, Marathi folk songs of Dharwad, folk Tripadi compositions, Shobane songs, Yajurveda chants in Belgaum, Dodaki Shastra songs, Sri–krishna Janmashtami festival songs, etc. Bake was the first to document all these genres of folk culture. Shivrama Karanth introduced Bake to the Halasangi brothers and helped him in his field work in every way. Arnold Bake left for Hyderabad on 26 October 1938 and after that he took up research in North India and did not return to Karnataka.
A special feature of the songs compiled in Coastal Karnataka is the mixture of Kannada and Tulu words in the verses. There is a lullaby among the songs recorded by Bake along with Shivarama Karanth:
O-enna-baale putyalu bhalabhanga bandenu
…Yanna-baale putyalu iraalahagalu bandenu
Aa jojananda-baale yaake into kandide
Nanna bale kandide duddigendu kandide…
Even today, a mixture of Tulu-Kannada words can be found in some of the songs (sometimes in praise verses) sung mostly by the Panara community of Kundapura and Brahmavara.
When Arnold Bake was involved in collection and recording work in the Puttur and Mangalore areas, a Tulu song sung by Shivarama Karanth’sassociate, B.M. Idinabba, an MLA and a writer, was also recorded and is available in Bake collection. During Nazir Jairajbhoy’s research and documentation, this instance of Idinabba’s singing was also discussed.
Sonada Jogi (1938)—First recording by Arnold Bake in collaboration with acclaimed Kannada poet Govinda Pai of Manjeshwar: Sona-masa usually falls in the latter half of August and early September. During this period, in Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod, the members of Kopala (Nalike) community dress up as Jogis (ascetics of the Natha sect) and dance in the courtyards of farmers’ houses, singing songs of blessings. In Sonada Jogi, the Jogi performer is accompanied by a male member to play the Tembare (a percussion instrument). Jogi costume involves a hat made of coconut fibre in a braid pattern for the head, a red pleated skirt, a girdle made of coconut fibre on the chest, a stick, also decorated with coconut fibre, in the hand. The tradition has boys between the ages of 12 and 18 dressed up as a Jogi, with light red face paint and white dots. People believe that the arrival of Sonada Jogi facilitates warding off of diseases afflicting crops, as also the problems faced by the village. For the good omen brought by him, farmers donate rice, chilli, coconut, salt, sour cream, and soot (charcoal). As the Jogi sect is famous in Dakshina Kannada district, it is significant that the Natha sect Jogis from the hill region also visit this region, as depicted in the songs they sing. According to the documentation by the Udupi Regional Study Centre for Folk Theatrical Arts on 18 August 1995 at Ukkinadka Shenimane, Kasaragod district, Kerala, the Jogi Vesha is painted in the temple, and then the group goes to specific homes and receives the donations. It is noteworthy that the song in this dance is mainly in Kannada. In an exchange between the Jogi and the instrument player, the latter asks,
ಎಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಬಂದೆ ಜೋಗಿ
‘Where did you come from, Jogi?’
The Jogi answers:
ಘಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲಿಂದ ಬಂದೆ
ಘಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಕೊಂಡು
ಕದ್ರೆ ಮೇಲೆ ಬೆಳಗಿಕೊಂಡು
ಕಾಂತಾಣ ಕದ್ರ ಬೇಂತಾಣ ಬೆದ್ರ ಪರಮಲೆ ದಾಟಿಕೊಂಡು
ಊರೆಲ್ಲ ಬೇಡಿಕೊಂಡು
ಕನ್ಯಾರೆ ಚೌತಿಗೆ ಬಂದೆ ಜೋಗಿ…. ಹೌದು…..
‘I came from the top of the ghat,
was born in the ghat,
grew up in Kadre, crossed Kantana kadra, Bentana Bedra, Parmale
and lived on alms,
and thus came to Kanyare on the fourth day of the month,…. Yes…’
The Jogi who comes like that is given salt and sour, cucumber, rice, pepper and coconut…
ಜೋಗಿ…. ಇನ್ನೋದು ಆಟ ಆಡು
‘give us another dance performance .’
There are many differences between the Jogi literature of the Kasaragod region collected by Arnold Bake in 1938 (with the help of the poet, Manjeshwara Govida Pai) and the Jogi literature available today.
The Jogi song compiled by Arnold Bake in 1938 and its translation is as follows:
ಯಾವಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಊರೊಳಗೇಕೆ ಬಂದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಕೈಕಂ(ದಂ)ಟೆ ಕರಿಮಣಿ ತಂದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಘಟ್ಟದಲ್ಲ ಹುಟ್ದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಕದ್ರೆ ಮೇಲೆ ಮಲಗಿದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಊರೊಳಗೇಕೆ ಬಂದ ಜೋಗಿ
ನೆಟ್ಗೆ ಬಂದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಕಂ(ದಂ)ಟೇ ಕರಿಮಣಿ ತಕ್ಕೋ ಜೋಗಿ
ದೊಡ್ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಒಂದ್ಮಾನೆ ಭತ್ತಾ ಜೋಗಿ
ತೆಂಗಿನಕಾಯಿ ಜೋಗಿ
ಹಲಸಿನ ಹಣ್ಣು ಜೋಗಿ
ಮತ್ತೊಂದಾಟ ಮಾಡಿದ ಜೋಗಿ
ಭಂಗಿ ಭಂಗಿ ತಕ್ಕೋ ಜೋಗಿ,….ಜೋಗಿ….ಜೋಗಿ…..ಜೋಗಿ.
Where was Jogi born?
Why did the Jogi come to town?
Jogi brought Karimani.
Jogi was born in the hills.
Jogi slept in Kadre.
Why did the Jogi come to town?
Jogi came straight here.
Give us Karimani Jogi.
Jogi went to the headman’s house.
Jogi was given a measure of rice.
Jogi was given coconut.
Jogi was given jackfruit.
Give us one more dance Jogi.
Take this opium Jogi.
Jogi..Jogi..Jogi..Jogi.
Another form of this Sona Jogi motif may be found in the genre of praise songs associated with Kunjidi Hai Guli Sanyasi found in the Kundapur region. In some parts of Kasaragod, there are Bonya Jogi (Jogi who gives ash as a boon) and Joi Kali in Kodagu. Today, these Jogi Veshas (Jogi performances) are very rare as these folk performance genres are in a depraved state and they roam around for the sake of subsistence. Today the Sona Jogi is rarely seen in rural areas.
Here are some Kundagannada Songs from Arnold Bake Collection (dated 5 May 1938, Brahmavara, Rice Washing Song):
೧. ಕಣ್ಣೆಂಬುದು ಕಾಡೀಗಿ. . . .
ಗಂಡ್ಮಗು ನಮಗು ರತಿಕೊಡಿ !! ರಂಗಾಸ
ಕಣ್ದಿಟ್ಟೆ ಬಹಳ ಒಳಗ್ಹೋಗು
೨. ಬಾಮೀಯ ಕಟ್ಟೇಲಿ ಬಿರುಸು ಬಾಣವ ಹೂಡಿ
ಅರಸು ಮಾವಯ್ನ ಬಳುಮೀಸಿ* !! ರಂಗಯ್ಯ
ಹೂಗಿನ ಚೆಂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಗರುದ್ದಿ
(ಬಳುಮೀಸಿ = ಅರಶಿನ ಹಚ್ಚಿ ಮದುಮಕ್ಕಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಬಳಗವನ್ನು ಮೀಯಿಸುವುದು ಒಂದು ವಿಶೇಷ
ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯ)
೩. ಹಸಿವಾಗುತ್ತಂತ್ಹೇಳಿ ಯಾರ ಕೈಯಲಿ ಹೇಳ್ಲಿ
ಬಸು ಬಲ್ಲದ ತಾಯಿ ಒಳಗಿಲ್ಲೆ !!
ಶಿಶು ಕಂಡ ಹಸಿವೂ ತಣಿಯದು
೪. ಚಪ್ಪರದ ಕಂಬೀಗೆ ಚಾಚಿನಿತ್ತವರ್ಯರಯ್ಯ
ಚಂದನದ ಗೊಂಬೆ ! ಅವನಕ್ಕ!! ಜಬ್ಬಯ್ಯ
ಊಟಕ್ಕೆ ತಮ್ಮಯ್ಯ ಕರೆದಾಳು
೫. ಕೂಕಾಣಿ ನಂಟರೆ ಉಂಬೂಕೆ ಅಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲೆ
ನಾ ಕುಟ್ಯೋ ಅಕ್ಕಿ ನನ್ನದಲ್ಲ !! ನಂಟರೆ
ಬೇಕಾದ್ರೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಹೊಳೆಹಯ್ರಿ
According to P.N. Mayya (1995, p. 113), people belonging to Billava and Mogavira communities have rituals like fetching a pitcher of water (indicative of the wish to bring water of the Ganges) from the husband’s house at weddings. Usually, the pitcher of water is brought from the village headman’s house. In this tradition, the groom’s sister and brother-in-law bring Karimani (auspicious black bead worn by married women) in a brass urn while arriving with the marriage party. The bride must wear this necklace of black beads. The bridegroom should be bathed with the water brought in the pitcher decorated with mango and jackfruit leaves and the half-opened flower-sheath of an areca nut tree. This tradition is known as the Balu bath.
The Sobane song sung by Koosalu Aitu of Brahmavara (Arnold Bake collection dated 5 May 1938) is given below along with its English translation.
ನೀನೊರವಿದ ಚಿದ್ನೋರು ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ
ತಾಯಿ ಜರದಲಿ ಉರದಾಳ !! ಸೋ. .
ತಾಯಿ ಜರದಲಿ ಉರದಾಳ !! ನನತಾಯಿ
ಹಾಲುಂಡ ಹಾಸಿಗೀಲಿ ವರಗಾಳೆ !! ಸೋ. . .
ಹಾಲುಂಡ ಹಾಸಿಗೀಲಿ ವರಗಾನ ನನಮುದ್ದು
ಸೊಸೆ ಬಪ್ಪು ದಾರಿ ಕಾಯುವಳು !! ಸೋ. . .
ನಿನ್ನೆ ಬರುತಾರೆಂದು ಹಸಿನೀರ ಕಾಸೀದೆ
ನಿನ್ನೇಕೆ ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ !! ಸೋ. . .
ನಿನ್ನೇಕೆ ನೀವು ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲೆಂದೆ
ಗಂಡೀನ ತಾಯಿ ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ!! ಸೋ. . .
ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ಯಾರಲ್ಲಿ ತಡೆದಾರೆ
ಬಸ್ರುರ ಸುಂಕದಲ್ಲಿ !! ಸೋ. . .
Chidnoru did not come with you.
Mother has a high fever!! soo…
Mother has a high fever, my mother
Sleeps in the milk-fed bed!! soo…
She sleeps in the milk-fed bed, my dear
She awaits the arrival of her daughter-in-law!! soo…
That she would come, I heated the water,
Why didn’t you come yesterday!! soo…
Why didn’t you come yesterday, I ask you,
The boy’s mother did not come!! soo…
Who has stopped you?
At the Basrur toll booth!! soo…
The song ‘The beauty of the bride’s arrival’ and its English translation could be found below:
ಮದುಮಗಳು ಬಪ್ಪ ಚಂದ
ಆ ನಮ್ಮಯ ಮದುಮಗಳು ಬಪ್ಪ ಚಂದಕ್ಕೆ
ಕಾಲಿನ ಧೂಳು ಹಾರುತ್ತೆ ಸಿಡಿಯುತ್ತ
ಆ ನಮ್ಮಯ ಮದುಮಗಳ ಮೋರೆ ಕಾಂಬಾಗ
ಮೂಡಣ ಸೂರಿಯ ಉದಿಸುವನೋ
ಆ ನಮ್ಮೇಯ ಮದುಮಗಳ ಮೋರೆಯ ಸೇಗವು
ಪಡುವಣ ಚಂದಿರನು ಬೆಳಗುವುದೇ. . .
The beauty of bride’s arrival
At the loveliness of our bride’s arrival
Dust under the feet flies bursting
When we see our bride’s face
Sun rises in the east
The lovely face
Shines like the western moon…
Nee-helo Jana, sung by Puttanna Guttigar, a Riddle Song in the form of a dialogue (date of collection 5 May, 1938) and its English translation is given below:
ನೀರಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ನೀರಲ್ಲೆ ಬೆಳೆಯೋದು
ನೀರ ಕಂಡರೆ ಜಗ್ಗನೆ ಜರಿಯೋದು, ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ನೀ ಬಲರೋರು ಜಾಣ-ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ನೀರಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋ ನೀರಲೆ ಬೆಳೆಯೋದು
ನೀರ ಕಂಡರೆ ಜಗ್ಗೆನೆ ಜರಿಯೋದು ಅಂದರೆ ಅದು ಒಂದು ಉಪ್ಪು
ಅಲ್ವೆನೆ ಜಾಣ–ಅದು ಒಂದು ಮಾತು ಅಲ್ವೇನೆ
ಅಂಗಳದಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ಅಂಗ್ಳಾದಲ್ಲೆ ಬೆಳೆಯೋದು
ತಂಗೀಮಕ್ಕಳನು ಸಂಕಟಕ್ಕೆ ಕರೆಯೋದು ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳು
ನೀ ಬಲರೋರು ಜಾಣ–ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ಅಂಗಳದಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ಅಂಗ್ಳಾದಲ್ಲೆ ಬೆಳೆಯೋದು
ಅಂದರೆ ಅದು ಒಂದು ಕೋಳಿಮರಿ
ಅಲ್ವೇನೆ ಜಾಣ–ಅದು ಒಂದು ಮಾತು ಅಲ್ವೇನೆ
ಬೆರಳಗೆ ಹಾಕೋದು ಬುರುಳಗೆ ಸೆಳೆಯೋದು
ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ನೀ ಬಲರೋರು ಜಾಣ–ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ಬೆರಳಗೆ ಹಾಕೋದು ಬುರುಳಗೆ ಸೆಳೆಯೋದು
ಅಂದರೆ ನೂರು ಕಾಳು ರಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ವೇನೆ ಜಾಣ
ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲೆ ಬೆಳೆಯೋದು
ಹಾದಿ ಹೋಕರ ಸೆರಗು ಹಿಡಿದು ಸೆಟೆಯೋದು ನೀಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ನೀ ಬಲರೋರು ಜಾಣ–ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ಹಾದಿಯಲ್ಲೆ ಬೆಳೆಯೋದು
ಅಂದರೆ ಅದು ಒಂದು ಉತ್ರಾಣಿ ಕೋಲು ಅಲ್ಲೇನೆ
ಅಲ್ವೇನೆ ಅದು ಒಂದು ಉತ್ರಾಣಿ ಕೋಲು
ಗುಂಡಿಯಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ಗುಂಡಿಯಲೆ ಬೆಳೇಯೋದು
ದಾಸ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪನ ಕಾಯಾಗಿ ಹೊರಳೋದು ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ನೀ ಬಲರೋರು ಜಾಣ–ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ಗುಂಡಿಯಲ್ಲೆ ಹುಟ್ಟೋದು ಗುಂಡಿಯಲೆ ಬೆಳೇಯೋದು
ಅಂದರೆ ಅದು ಒಂದು ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ ಅಲ್ವೇನೆ
ಒಂದು ಗಂಜೀಯ ಸೇಳೆಗೊಂಭತ್ತು ನೆರಿಗೈದು
ಗಂಡು ಇಲ್ಲದ ಬಸರು ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
ನೀ ಬಲರೋರು ಜಾಣ–ನೀ ಬಲ್ಲರೆ ಹೇಳೋ
(ಉತ್ತರ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ)
What is born in water, grows in water, collapses when water is seen?
Tell me if you can. Tell me if you are wise.
That which is born in water, grows in water, collapses when water is seen
must mean salt, isn’t it, wise one?
What is born in the yard, grows in the yard, and calls its sisters and
children in crisis?
Tell me if you know, tell me if you are wise.
That which is born in the yard, grows in the yard and calls its sisters
and children in crisis must mean chicks, isn’t that right, wise one?
What is worn on the finger and poured into the grinder?
Tell me if you can. Tell me if you are wise.
That which is worn on the finger and poured into the grinder must mean a
finger millet, isn’t it, wise one?
What is born on the path, and grows on the path, grabs a passerby’s clothes?
Tell me if you can. Tell me if you are wise.
That which is born on the path, grows on the path, grabs a passerby’s
clothes must mean the Uttarani plant, isn’t that right, wise one?
What is born in a hole, grows in a hole, becomes a Dasa fruit?
Tell me if you can. Tell me if you are wise.
That which is born in a hole, grows in a hole, becomes a Dasa fruit must
mean a bitter gourd, isn’t it, wise one?
What is a piece of cloth with nine folds, is impregnated without a male,
Tell me if you can. Tell me if you are wise.
(No answer)
The Song of Weaving, a narrative song (Arnold Bake, compilation date 5 May 1938, Brahmavara) and its translation are given below:
ಚಿನ್ನ ತೂಗಿ ಮೈ ಬನಬಾಗಿ ಸಾಗಿವ ಬಾರೋ ಬಣ್ಣದ ನೂಲೇ !!ಪ!!
ಅರಸು ಮಗಳು ನೀರಿಗೆ ಹೋಪಾಗ ! ಅಲ್ಲೊಬ್ಬ ಜಾಣ ಎರಗ್ಯನೆ
ಅಲ್ಲೊಬ್ಬ ಜಾಣ ಎರುಗುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲಿ ! ಕಬಿಲೆ ಹಸುವಾಗಿ ಓಡ್ಯಳೆ
ಕಬಿಲೆ ಹಸುವಾಗಿ ಓಡುನ ಹೊತ್ನಲಿ ರಾಗಿ ಕಾಳಗಿ ಬಿದ್ದಳೋ
ರಾಗಿ ಕಾಳಗಿ ಬೀಳುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹಕ್ಕಿಪಕ್ಕಿಯಾಗಿ ಎರಗ್ಯನೋ
ಹಕ್ಕಿಪಿಕ್ಕಿಯಾಗಿ ಎರಗುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳ್ಳಕ್ಕಿ ಕೋಳಿಯಾಗಿ ಹಾರ್ಯಳೋ
ಬೆಳ್ಳಕ್ಕಿ ಬೆಳ್ಳೆ ಕೋಳಿಯಾಗಿ ಹಾರುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲಿ ಕಾವೇರಿ ಹೊಳೆಯಾಗಿ ಹರಿದಾಳೋ
ಕಾವೇರಿ ಹೊಳೆಯಾಗಿ ಹರಿಯುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲಿ ಸೇತುವೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಏಳ್ದನೋ
ಸೇತುವೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಎಳ್ಸುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲಿ ಗೆಂಡೆಮೀನಾಗಿ ಹೊರಳ್ಯಳೋ
ಗೆಂಡೆಮೀನಾಗಿ ಹೊರಳುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಮೀನು ಮುಗ್ಗುನಾಗಿ (ಮೊಗವೀರ) ಬಲೆ ಒಡ್ಯನೋ
ಮೀನನ್ ಮುಗ್ಗುನಾಗಿ ಬೀಸುವ ಹೊತ್ತನಲಿ ಕೆಂದ ಕುದುರೆಯಾಗಿ ಎದ್ದಳೋ
ಕೆಂದ ಕುದುರೆಯಾಗಿ ಏಳುವ ಹೊತ್ನಲಿ ದೊರೆ ಮಗನಾಗಿ ಏರ್ಯನೋ
Gold-weighted and coloured yarn is carried around the body!!
When the king’s daughter jumped into the water, a wise man besieged her.
When the wise man besieged her, she ran as a cow.
When she ran as a cow, she fell like the finger millet.
When she fell like a finger millet, he assailed like a bird.
When he assailed like a bird, she flew like a stork.
When she flew like a stork, she flowed like the river Kaveri
When she flowed like the river Kaveri, he stopped her with a bridge
When he stopped her with a bridge, she slipped away like a fish
When she slipped away like a fish, he turned into a fisherman with a net
When he became a fisherman with a net, she turned into a brown horse
When she turned into a brown horse, he rode her like a prince.
Conclusion
In the history of Karnataka folk studies, Arnold Bake is credited with being the first to undertake documentation using electronic media such as wire recording, silent film, black and white photography. Now there are many improvements in folklore studies and fieldwork techniques. Folklorists, historiographers, or oral history researchers may be able to comparatively study and analyse folk histories and documentary features by further studies of records made in the past. The fieldwork and documentation undertaken in 1938 is very valuable. Bake had used modern electronic equipment in a scientific manner. Mudenur Sanganna is credited with recording dozens of songs by famous folk singers of the country on spool tape medium. After that, the famous travelogue writer, folk scholar, and novelist H.L. Nagegowda took an interest in this field. A lot of folklore materials he collected, with an irrepressible desire to capture rural folk life in multimedia, are an invaluable resource. Today in Karnataka, he has established Janapada-loka, a museum and an archive which has unique material resources and is the best place for folklore preservation. The tape records recorded by him in 1961 in the Dakshina Kannada district are preserved in the museum of Karnataka Folklore Academy. The collections facilitated by H.L. Nagegowda constitute more than 1500 hours of recorded tapes. The work of conservation, enhancement, and systematic transmission of these to the next generation also needs to continue. We hope that the young generation of scholars of this country will continue the work.
The text of the Tulu song sung in 1938 by B. M. Idinabba, Barandi Binneru is given below:
ಬಾರಂದಿ ಬಿನ್ನೆರು ಬತ್ತೆರ್ಮಗ ಸೇಸೊ
ಕೊರಾಂದಿ ತಮ್ದನ ಕೊರೊಡಾಂಡೆ
ಕೈಬಿತ್ಬು ಗುಡಿ ಮಾರಂಡ್ಮಾರಡೆ: ಕೆರಾಂದಿ ತಣ್ಮನ ಕೇರಡಾಂಡೆ
ಕೈಟಿತ್ತಿ ಕಾಜಿಲ ಮಾರಂಡ್ಮಾರಡೆ
ಕಾರತ್ತ ಗೆಜ್ಜೆ ಮಾರಂಡ್ಮಾರಡೆ
ಸೊಂಟದ್ಪಟ್ಟಿ ಮಾರಂಡ್ಮಾರಡೆ
ಬರಾಂದಿ ಬಿನ್ನೆರ್ಬತ್ತೇರ್ಮಗ ಸೇಸೋ
ಕೆಕ್ಕಿಲ್ದ ಕಂಟಮನಿ ಮಾರಂಡ್ಮಾರಡೆ
ತರೆತ್ತ ರಾಕೋಟಿ ಮಾರಂಡ್ಮಾರಡೆ. . . .
This paper is based on a radio talk given by the author in Kannada at the All India Radio, Mangalore on 21st July, 2022. The translation of verses are by Kamalakar Bhat. I sincerely acknowledge the anonymous reviewer for comments and suggestions which have enriched the paper.
[1] Also called as Phonograph Cylinders, Wax Cylinder Medium is the earliest commercial medium for recording and reproduction of sound and was popular during 1896–1916. These cylindrical objects had an audio recording engraved on their outer surface, which could be reproduced when played on a mechanical cylinder phonograph.
[2]Kundagannada is the variety of Kannada spoken near Kundapura in the coastal Karnataka region.
[3]Some of Shivarama Karanth’s writings contain information about Bake, which was brought to the author’s attention by Mrs. Malini Malya and I am indebted to her.
References
Karanth, Shivarama. “Indian Music’. Kannada Nudi, Vol.1 (1938). 76–77.
Karanth, Shivarama. From the Smriti Patala, Vol. 3 (1979). Bangalore: IBH Prakashana, 290–299.
Karanth, Shivarama. Bayalata. Puttur: Harsha Prakatanalaya, 1957.
Karanth, Shivarama. Huccu Manassina Hattu Mukhagalu (The Ten Faces of Madness). Puttur: Harsha Prakatanalaya, 1995.
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