Jamshedpur, Jan. 11: They sing of love ? deep into the shadows of the night. The words echo the tenderness, the pangs, the union and the ecstasy that the emotion brings in its wake. They also speak of the battles won ? of proud warriors conquering the world.

Like the cotton-country blues of America, tribal women of Jharkhand use the angnai raga to narrate tales of love, valour and slavery down the ages.

Sitting on charpoys outside their thatched huts, their lilting voices sing the raskrira (using the angnai raga) during happy moments and bhinseria to rebel against the landlords.

Dating back to centuries, these folk songs are sung on suitable occasions and have definite synchronisation with the instruments. ?The traditional songs of Jharkhand showcase various moods ? love, slavery, death, birth, sorrow and affection,? says Mukul Nayak, an exponent of Nagpuri music.

He is in the city to take part in the Jharkhand tribal festival ? Jhunur. Ranchi-based Nayak, who sports a long curly mane and has performed in 25 countries, says mardana jhumar, janani or angnai jhumar are the two main ragas of Jharkhand. The former is sung by men and the latter by women.

?These two ragas are the essence of tribal music. Without them, songs cannot be composed,? Nayak said. The history of angnai raga can be traced back to nearly 1,000 years, when landlords oppressed innocent tribals. Women cursed their fate by singing the angnai raga. The markhi geet was sung to symbolise a family member?s death, he explained.

Nayak, who will perform tomorrow evening at Gudia Maidan in Birsanagar, said the bhinseria raga was essentially a morning note sung at the akhra (a community cultural centre) to vent collective angst. ?Though bhinseria is sentimental in nature, most of the time, they tell stories of rebellion and victory.? The Nagpuri exponent, who regaled the audience during a seminar on tribal musical instrument with his songs this afternoon, said the raskrira was sung during marriages to attract women. ?Pachpargania, kurmali and khorto are the regional languages in which most of the tribal songs are sung by minstrels of the Munda and Kharia tribes,? Nayak claimed.

According to him, there are separate ragas for men and women. ?They are used on suitable occasions. Each of these ragas synchronise with the musical instruments, including nagaras, basuri and mandars,? he added.

The artist in him forced Nayak to sing a few numbers, which had a direct link with the musical instruments. According to Giridhar Ram Gaunjhu, reader, tribal and regional languages, Ranchi University, though the raskrira can be loosely called Jharkhand?s country music, it cannot be compared to pop, rock or jazz.