"I Am Sure Music is Healing So Many Wounds In The World At Any Given Second"

Recently Published a book which is a collection of poems, song lyrics, and some random write-ups!

Rahgir, One Of A Well-Known Folk artist, Musician, and Author. He is well famous for his uniqueness and creativity. 

During an interaction with Rahir it was questioned What makes you go with folk songs and content based on folk? 

Replying to it he said, I am fond of stories and folk music is all about that. Also, folk music is the language of simple folks, which makes it easier to reach common people while singing about day-to-day life and its different aspects. I grew up listening to folk music from passing travellers and traditional tribal music of Rajasthan.

As Hank Williams said “Sing Em Something They Can Understand” and it has helped me reach the smallest areas of the country. 

The core thing which made me fall in love with folk music is the melodies, they are quite soothing to the ears along with its very easy to hum. Also, the important thing to me is it comes naturally and I love it.

What inspires you to travel to villages and places? 

He said, Most of my songs are situation based, they have incidents and stories that I have witnessed during my travel journey and I have witnessed it and that makes my song believable and realistic and connects to audiences."While on the road, we see something, hear something or experience something which triggers a lot of emotions and we pen them down."

He says, you cannot write a believable song about hunger if you have never experienced it. It also helps me interact with different people and it sometimes changes my own way of thinking and living. Travel changes you and makes you realize that you are just a small note in a big great song but a very important one.

Knowing how and What makes Rahgir go different from general music? 

Briefing about it he said, When I first heard Bob Dylan, I fell in love and decided to sing like him but then I realized that they already have a Bob Dylan, and I thought of singing the way I know-how.

I am not saying I have something better or extraordinary to offer but I believe I have something unique which comes from my soul and every soul has something unique to offer.

I have my own way to observe, process, and deliver my feelings and that’s what makes people believe me and my uniqueness.

It was asked, was music an inbuilt quality, or did you learn and how?

He said, I guess we all have music in ourselves, but we need a way to present it in a way that can reach and connect to different people. I used to sing different folk melodies in school, but they were mere imitations of the original songs.

When I decided to sing for the public and sing my own songs, I learned how to play guitar from a friend. I learned how to play different chords, and notes and make my voice be in sync with them. 

I guess, I didn’t have much opportunity to learn to advanced levels but I am on it.

One can always sing naturally with inbuilt qualities but sometimes learning helps to use it better and you avoid abusing your throat and other skills.

Knowing How's the feeling when people recognise Raghir with his songs? 

It is a very heart-warming feeling, and that feeling makes me feel blessed to receive such love and attention. It’s like receiving recognition for being true to yourself while making people feel that they are not alone in their small struggles, happiness, grief, and dreams.

Initially, it was very frustrating to hear people dismiss your excitement to sing something new and original and request for popular Bollywood songs which never really appealed to me but that’s a part of the journey, You have to keep on keeping on and gather a group of audience which appreciates your kind of music and they keep growing if you don’t give in to the pressure to sing covers.

No matter how bad a day is going, it always makes me feel happy when someone comes to me or even messages me that my music made them feel something.

The uniqueness about Rahgir is He writes on natural things, and basic content which is generally situation-based and relatable. It was asked What striked you to begin this with lively Content, writing on natural things and happenings.

Rahgir said, I grew up in a small, sleepy village in Rajasthan and had a lot of time to look at happenings closely and learn about small things. I know about fields, crops, trees, people, and their struggles from close. I have seen a lot of small and big issues like domestic violence, child marriage, casteism, and much more. 

All this enabled me to write realistically about these things and travelling also helps.

Rahgir is Not only a musician, but he has also written a book. Knowing more about it he replied, ``I have recently published a book titled “Kaisa Kutta Hai” with Hindyugm Publication. It’s a collection of my poems, song lyrics, and some random write-ups. 

It's a collection of my chosen poems that I have written in the last 5 years. I have also written a novel titled “Aahil” which is available now on Amazon as an E-book and I am planning to publish its hardcopy soon.

What is music for you?

For me, music is a way to express myself and connect with a passer-by. It affects me in a way that a cup of tea prepared by my mother affects someone after reaching home from the office. It’s like a waterfall that comes after a trek.   

I have seen days when I would feel very helpless, lost, and sad but music always helped me live through it. Not only singing but listening to it too. No matter how bad my day is going, I would play “Jamuna Kinare mora Gaon by Prabha Atre” or “Ghat Ghat me Panchhi Bolta by Kishori Amonkar” and a lot more.

I am sure music is healing so many wounds in the world at any given second.

What do you think, are audiences loving folk music? 

Yes, they do. These days, most of the popular music is processed and full of fantasies. It doesn’t mean it’s bad or something, but there are people who still wish to listen to folk, simple melodies, real and raw artforms. 

It’s all about the timing, the same guy who would go to a club and dance to electronic music would come home tired and put Jagjit Singh’s ghazals on his phone and sleep peacefully. I guess there is a place for every kind of music and we should appreciate people making art, no matter what kind it is.

Last but not the least, What are your plans with the music and poetry, and what do you wish to go with further?

I am working on a lot of new songs and stories. I am planning to publish more books, especially novels.

I have also included Harmonica and Ghunghroo in my live shows and I am also learning new chord progressions, rhythms, and all. So, in the future, I will try to experiment with my songs and find something new.

I am also trying to be a part of some web series, and movies and also collaborate with different people. 

Times Magazine India and Team wish him good luck!