We bet if only you knew where the good songs came from, you’d go there more often. Were they really never any more than what they were - a folk musician who gazed into the grey mist with tear-blinded eyes and made up songs that floated in a luminous haze. India is known worldwide to be the land of some of the richest art forms and cultural practices. It has been the home to numerous arts over the history of mankind and has beautifully served as the breeding ground to folk arts that have either revolutionized the world or presented a distinctive image of our country in the eyes of the global population. The nation has witnessed the evolution of the greatest art forms that have ever existed. Pottery, sculpture, paintings, wall and stone carvings, embroideries, you name it and in a country that has a plethora of art forms, it is very difficult to believe that many of the arts are on the verge of decline.

Pritam Bhartwan is a wildly talented folk singer, popularly referred to as ‘Jagar Samrat’ from Uttarakhand. A Padma Shri awardee for his contribution to the field of traditional folk art, he’s a visiting Professor in Cincinnati University and University of Illinois. With the talk titled, ‘Mystic relations of musical beats with Devbhoomi - Uttarakhand’, he has depicted the uniquely beautiful folk beats as well as the exceptional evolution of folk songs in India - mainly following the Jagar tradition of music. An expert in manoeuvring through opportunities abroad, he has shared the experiences accumulated as he’s actively spreading the knowledge and awareness in foreign lands. In his own words, keeping the folk tradition alive in newer generations has become his sole goal. He proved his mettle with melodious strings played live on the stage along with delivering an incredibly moving speech on the highs-and-lows of folk-singers and other such groups in the advancing world. Folk Singer This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx