Mungaska (Kaman Taluka), Alwar,  RAJASTHAN :

MUNGASKA-based 22-yearold folk musician has brought digital revolution among locals and other folk artists after the area received a high-speed Internet connection in 2014.

Yusuf Khan, a Bhapang player, is on a mission to digitalise dying folk music of Mewat area in Alwar. “I am an engineer but didn’t know how to operate a computer. I went to a computer institute where I realised that Internet can break geographical boundaries. In the last one year, I have opened an account on a social networking site and have also posted my music on YouTube. This has helped me get opportunities to perform in foreign countries,” said Khan, who is also a coordinator at six computer training centres.

Khan sacrificed his professional career to make the ancient musical instrument Bhapang popular. It is an instrument inspired by Shiva’s damroo.

DIGITISE MUSIC

“My grandfather and father are both renowned artists but the art is dying. I wanted to revive it. The first thing I did was digitalise all of their recordings. In order to promote the music we need to improvise. So I started following international and national artists through the Internet and have started doing fusion with Bhapang,” Khan explained.

Khan said that over 100 local and folk artists visit his computer centre to book tickets online, contact international music organisations along with creating their websites and digitalising their music.

COMPUTER LITERACY
His computer centre is famous among the locals as almost every house now has a computer literate.

Digital literacy has brought a significant change in the area as even women of the locality have email ids and social media accounts. Locals, mostly uneducated, have applied for PAN cards, passports and availed other government schemes through this centre.

source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today – Mail Today / Home> News> Mail Today / May 30th, 2016