In this new post, I would like to tell you about some interesting facts concerning my beloved Kalbelia dance – the ‘Loomba loomba’ Kalbelia song.
‘I see you coming dressed up as Kalbelia
Adornments hanging on your arms
Your tikka on your head
Your necklace… you are looking gorgeous´
Translating Kalbelia dance songs
This is what I think the lyrics of the song ‘Ladi loomba loomba’ must be.
Bear in mind that this is just a little research I’ve made with the guidance of my Kalbelia teacher. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Hindi (yet), we do our best to communicate in English (she speaks very good English, but some things are hard to translate and need to be experienced or felt rather than translated), because I really feel interested in understanding what we are dancing.
The Kalbelia embraces a lineage of songs that perform the stories they tell, about the desert life, the dresses they wear, the way people interact, a treasure that should be cherished, protected and honored, in my humble opinion.
It is super important to understand that the narrative of their songs accompanies history, that being able to sing it means not losing it and thus being able to pass it on from generation to generation, still alive today.
That is why I think it is essential to UNDERSTAND that you are dancing, in order to best reflect the essence of this tribe, its stories and this wonderful lineage.
The thing with this song was love at first sight, even though I didn’t know the lyrics. I was engulfed by its beauty, its perfect pace, not too fast although hypnotic rhythm. It’s one of my hits when I dance or improvise Kalbelia.
We worked with this song last year, and this year we are back all hands on deck (the expression nails it!) in reference to the jewelry hanging on the arms and wrists.
‘LOOMBA LOOMBA’ KALBELIA SONG
What ‘Loomba loomba’ are ?
As you can see in the video, they are hanging charms, braided threads with mirrors and bells. The ones on the wrists can be let loose, or tangled around the fingers.
They are Kalbelia dance costume embellishing elements, just like the tikka (the head piece), the belt or the dupatta (the scarf).
My teacher, Morya, told me that they make the dance even more beautiful, if possible, making them feel as if they were flowers blooming around the fingers and dancing to the rhythm of the drums.
I haven’t used this element very much until now, but I’m afraid it’s gonna become one of my essentials. It’s so gorgeous!
You can see that, in this presentation, I am trying to portray the story told by the song, always under the auspices of my teacher Morya. This was last year, that’s why I’m not wearing my new loomba. I’m looking forward to wearing them next time 😉
Bare chori bareeeee!!!
Study Kalbelia Dance with me (different levels) at my super professional ONLINE CLASSROOM.
