Gaine: The Vanishing Folk Musicians of Nepal

Folk music as the product of a musical tradition has been evolving through the process of oral tradition, a process of entailing continuity, variation and communal selection. Street musicians formed a part of folk media that was widely used to spread the message of kings and was used as a tool for mobilizing opinions and was a medium of information for the common man. Gaine, a musical community was assigned the duty by the "Shah" kingsto spread the news of the heroicdeeds doneby themduring the battle by means of oral narration. Modernization brings changes not only in the attitude and behaviors of the people but also threatens the indigenous and traditional culture of music. The newly emerging forces of modernization and commercialization of music are attracting people to newer forms of music and this not only jeopardizes the economic conditions of the community but also affects the traditional music culture. The folk music and instruments are under immense pressure and its impact is also felt on the livelihood of the Gaine who were totally dependent on folk music. They are not only changing the form of their music, but they are also opting for newer occupations. The focus of the present study is on the occupational mobility and the consequent social mobility among the Gaine. This study also illuminates the various factors responsible for the changing livelihood patterns among the Gaine and analyses the impact of these changes on the folk music of the Gaine.