Praful Dave

Gurjar Sandhya (Sunset in Gujarat)

This is the first of two albums performed by the renowned Gujarati folk singer, Praful Dave. These albums convey the atmosphere, the folklore, the traditions, in fact, the way of life in the villages of Saurashtra and North Gujarat. Not unlike Rajasthan, these parts are also colourful, with rich ancient heritage, tradition and a life-style, much of which is being diluted away in the urban world of towns and cities. This album evokes the rural life during the evenings, as the sun sets and the working people retire from the daily chores of the day and return home and thence to the temple and village squares, depicting musically and lyrically the (sequence of) events associated with the evenings. Some of the songs here are evocative of the late evening prayers and songs associated with the end of the day rituals and ceremonies in the temple. Some other songs are more contemplative or suggestive of the moral values, the finite-ness of human life and the need to conduct one’s life in a manner that behoves good "health" of the physical body and the soul.