Dr. Javaid Rahi
Begum Jaan is a highly popular Tribal Folk singer of Jammu and Kashmir State. She dedicated her whole life for popularization of Gojri traditional singing among masses. She was born in a remote village Arigam of Bandipura in North Kashmir in the year 1954, in a nomadic Chechi-Gujjar family.
She started singing at the age of nine in Gojri -the third largest spoken language of J&K after Kashmiri and Dogri. Later she –with the help of tribal and nomadic girls of Kashmir formed a first ever Gojri group of girls and started a collective venture to popularize the Tribal singing and Gojri Music in Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining States of India .It was a first formed musical revolution in Tribal community of nomadic Gujjars as prior to this it was purely an isolated venture for Gujjars especially nomads.
In late 80s Begum Jaan emerged as the State’s most famous artist of Gojri language and Culture who had been instrumental in developing new themes into the tribal singing and Music of nomadic Guijjars. Her cassettes were sold and smuggled to Pakistan also.
Due to her popularity in the state she was targeted by the militants four times during nineties but she survived. However her son was killed by the militants for protecting the singing of her mother. Later she migrated to Srinagar City and stared her new life in security zone area. But she never left her love for singing and Gojri Music.
She spent her entire life for promotion and propagation of Gojri Folk –Songs and popularized the tradition of singing of Beat, Baramahi, Baar, Shopiya, Tajja, and others in Gojri and set the trend for the entire folk-singing fraternity of the State.
She also got high fame in Pakistan since 1969 when Radio Kashmir, Srinagar started broadcast of Gojri programme for tribal and nomadic population of Gujjars and Bakerwal which constitute 25% of total population of Jammu and Kashmir.
Her unique and melodious voice and delivery of folk songs and traditional music attracted whole tribal population of Jammu and Kashmir towards Radio.
She has been awarded by a number of institutions including Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in 2009 for her life time contribution to Gojri Music.
She was also awarded by Radio Kashmir, Srinagar/ Jammu during 50 years Celebration of Radio Kashmir. Doodrashan Srinagar has also prepared a series on her singing for their popular programme “Karwan”. In Addition to this a number of Social and Cultural organizations of India that include Gurjardesh Charitable Trust, Jammu, Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation and Bazam-e-Adab Kangan have awarded Begum Jan for her contribution to tribal Music of Kashmir.
She represented Tribal Music through her Singing in National and International programmes organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations , North Zone Cultural Centre, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi and other bodies working in and outside the State.
She was chosen twice from Jammu and Kashmir to perform in New Delhi as an artist in a number of events organized by Ministry of Tribal Affairs Government of India.
She is now guiding a number of Gojri artists in Jammu and Kashmir and with her help notations of a number of Gojri Folk songs have been saved.
She is the member of a number of committees including Programme Advisory Committee of Radio Kashmir, and Traditional Music Advisory sub Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
Gojri in which Begum Jaan Sings is a significant tribal languages spoken in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pardesh, Utteranchal , Panjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and other States of India. Begum Jan is popular in all the Gojri populated areas of South Asia.
She is extremely popular for her rendition of Gojri folk-Song series ‘Ji Mahiya Meriya, Ji Wahe Shopia Ji, Ohh Mera Jang Baza re, Si Harfi, Baramah, Beat, Dooli, Beat, Noora Beguma , Tajoo, Jind Mahiyoo and others.
She is now 60 year old. She still sings the traditional songs which are at the verge of extinction due to rapid development. She is also teaching traditional singing and Gojri Music to her elder daughter Paraveena Jan.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
