Celebrating traditional Indian folk music
WITH the dawn of a new era in optimistic South Africa, rich in cultural diversity, hope abounds among proud South Africans with a deeply rooted love for cultural heritage, that traditional folk music will not only survive but thrive.
Traditional Indian folk music dates back to 1860 when our ancestors from India set foot in South Africa to toil as indentured labourers. Through struggle and sacrifice they passionately ploughed difficult furrows in a strange soil to sow the seeds of our ancient Indian culture.
In 1860, there arrived from Porbandar in India, Sadhu Mungal, who is saluted as the father of traditional Hindi folk music in SA.
Mungal was sent to work on the sugar cane fields of Glendale near KwaDukuza (Stanger). He brought together his family, neighbours and friends and held weekly satsangs under a tree.
Mungal created the Sanathan Dharma Dancing Society bringing the Ramayana and Gita to life through song, music, dance and drama. Everyday Natalie Hindi, a form of Bhojpuri, was used.
One of the young boys Mungal taught traditional Hindi folk music to was Jugnunan Bhandan.
Bhandan was born in Riverside and in 1930 he initiated the first big mobile dancing company – the Riverside Sanathan Dancing Company.
The whirl, swirl and twirl of male dancers in female clothing was fascinating. This unforgettable group played at events all over Natal. However, they could not cope with the demand.
Bhandan encouraged the formation of a new dancing company in 1936 based in Myhill Road, Sea Cow Lake, and it was known as Royal Star Dramatic Club with legendary Harry Rampersadh joining in 1996.
Rampersadh took this club to new heights and, during this time, Flash Entertainers came into being.
The rich history of Flash Entertainers is deeply interesting.
Early in 1968, Mickey Kelavan was approached by school principal and musician Haridewal Soobuk, who was from the farming area of Redcliffe near Verulam.
Soobuk’s wife’s brother, from Estcourt in Northern Natal, was to be married and the family wanted nagara entertainment on Saturday night before the wedding.
Soobuk went to Kelavan’s house in Springvale with musicians and singers, Dhookan Bansee, Roop Balkumar and Nithia Nunkumar.
At that time Kelavan was only 19 years old but an accomplished nagara player, whose fame had spread throughout Natal.
Kelavan, who learnt to play the nagara drums from his grandfather, Roopan Jagunandhan, from the age of six, agreed to find suitable musicians to form a nagara group and travelled to Estcourt to perform.
Despite it being midwinter, in June 1968, the Estcourt guests enjoyed the entertainment so much, that the group was invited to perform at the wedding in Pietermaritzburg the following day.
The tradition of nagara, which Jagunandhan had in turn learnt from his dad, had instantly become a hit.
His father had came to SA aboard the Truro ship in 1860 with the nagara drum, a tabla set, sarangi (fiddle), jhaal (cymbals) and majeera (small cymbals).
Most of the members of this talented nagara group worked for Flash Clothing in Ottawa near Verulam.
Flash Clothing was owned by champion tennis player SS Maharaj. His brother was Dickey Maharaj and they owned a cottage on Tinley Manor Beach.
The nagara group used the beach cottage for rehearsals as it was also convenient for them to relax and go fishing. At the first formal meeting, Dickey proposed that the group call itself Flash Entertainers.
The group performed throughout the country but, on May 12, 2013, Kelavan died.
The baton was passed to his son, Sanjoo, who now heads the famous Flash Entertainers with 18 members.
Flash Entertainers have evolved into a more vibey, spicy and hot type of traditional Hindi folk music, which has come to be popularly known as chutney and nagara music.
They got hands clapping, feet tapping and people dancing with delight in unique moves.
Flash Entertainers may be credited with creating a proudly and purely vintage South African home-grown form of Bhojpuri music and song reflecting real life. This creative group has composed numerous original songs and music, including Bengali Baba dedicated to our indentured forebears.
Indeed, Flash Entertainers have defined traditional music in SA through stellar performances, enthralling huge crowds over an illustrious career spanning five decades generating Flashmania.
For contributing to the preservation and promotion of traditional music, Flash Entertainers have been rewarded with international recognition.
They received four South African Traditional Music Awards from the Department of Arts and Culture for best Indian album (2007, 2013, 2014 and 2015) and the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation awarded them a Certificate of Appreciation for Bhojpuri music excellence.
On March 3, the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha will confer the National Culture Honours Award on Flash Entertainers during a Chutney, Nagara and Sarangi Mega show at the Durban City Hall. All current members will receive Legacy Awards for keeping the legacy of traditional music flourishing.
The Legend Awards will go to dancers and singers Harry Rampersadh and Hans Lakhan as well as Rajan Gareeb, who played Lord Rama in the play Sita Haran in 1983, and Gandhi Jugnunan, who played the tabla for the Riverside Sananthan Dancing Company founded by his legendary father Jugnunan.
The line-up includes Nagara Stars, Guru Abeydhanand Beejan and Saraswathee Vibrations Sarangi Sensation.
They will be presented with the National Culture Honours Award for preserving and promoting traditional folk music.