Kachaudi Gali, the Bhojpuri folk song from Coke Studio Bharat, has struck a chord with audiences by reconnecting them with their roots and childhood memories, singer Rekha Bhardwaj has said.
“The beauty of folk music is that people had such a simple life that they would celebrate and talk about it through songs while doing their daily chores. I think that’s why it’s resonating with youth,” Bhardwaj said in a recent interview.
“It’s so wonderful to know all those stories behind the song, and this helps you connect with your roots through folk music. Folk music has a natural oral tradition of preserving history,” she told PTI.
Composed by Khwaab, the song Kachaudi Gali reflects on love, longing, and separation, following the story of a woman whose husband is recruited by the British to fight in the Anglo-Burmese War.
Sung by Bhardwaj with Utpal Udit, the song explores the history of men from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh being enlisted in the British army during the Anglo-Burmese wars and World War II, and the movement of labourers from these areas to British colonies around the globe.
“Now, because of this song, everyone’s talking about the Anglo-Burmese War, how the Britishers took these husbands away from their women. This is one such story,” Bhardwaj noted.
“They’re talking about how, as children, they used to listen to this song from their ‘dadi’ or ‘nani’ (grandmothers), or somebody would be singing it in the house,” she added.
With hits such as Namak Ishq Ka, Mileya Mileya, Phir Le Aaya Ishq, Kabira, and Judaai to her credit, Bhardwaj said folk music uniquely preserves the stories of the past.
Bhardwaj also heaped praise on Coke Studio Bharat for retaining the authenticity of the track instead of blending it with contemporary dance.