Folk Music MCQs – Set-1 | 50 questions on regional songs, devotional traditions, instruments, oral transmission, and community heritage.
Mixed difficulty · Select one answer and open each explanation to review the concept.
Which three themes does CCRT say India’s rural folk music and dances celebrate?
A Agricultural life, seasons, festivals
B Royal courts, wars, trade
C Only weddings and births
D Industry, science, technology
Answer: A. Agricultural life, seasons, festivals. CCRT connects rural folk music and dance with agricultural life, seasonal changes, and important festivals.
UNESCO describes which Bengali tradition as a particular type of folk song?
A Dhrupad compositions
B Baul songs
C Chhau melodies
D Lavani ballads
Answer: B. Baul songs. UNESCO identifies Baul music as a distinct folk-song tradition.
Bauls are described as living in rural Bangladesh and which Indian state?
A Odisha
B Assam
C West Bengal
D Rajasthan
Answer: C. West Bengal. UNESCO describes Bauls as living in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
How do traveling Bauls earn their living, according to UNESCO?
A By selling instruments
B By farming only
C By teaching dance
D By singing
Answer: D. By singing. UNESCO notes that Bauls may travel from place to place and earn a living by singing.
UNESCO names which one-string instrument as an accompaniment to Baul singing?
A Ektara
B Sarod
C Nagaswaram
D Mridangam
Answer: A. Ektara. The UNESCO description names the ektara among instruments accompanying Baul singers.
What kind of instrument is the dotara described as in UNESCO’s Baul account?
A A drum
B A lute
C A wind instrument
D A cymbal
Answer: B. A lute. UNESCO describes the dotara as a lute used in Baul music.
Name the drum in UNESCO’s description of Baul music.
A Pakhawaj
B Dholak
C Dubki
D Nagara
Answer: C. Dubki. The UNESCO Baul page names a drum called dubki.
CCRT’s Baul catalogue mentions which percussion accompaniment?
A Santoor
B Shehnai
C Veena
D Manjiras
Answer: D. Manjiras. CCRT lists manjiras among instruments associated with Baul music.
What influences are associated with Baul folk songs?
A Bhakti and Sufi influences
B Only courtly Persian poetry
C Only Vedic recitation
D Western opera and jazz
Answer: A. Bhakti and Sufi influences. UNESCO describes Baul songs as carrying influences from Hindu bhakti movements and Sufi song.
What does a Baul spiritual leader use songs to teach?
A Instrument repair
B Baul philosophy
C Court etiquette
D Dance notation
Answer: B. Baul philosophy. UNESCO says Baul songs can instruct disciples in Baul philosophy.
How are Baul songs traditionally transmitted?
A Through printed manuals
B Through notation alone
C Orally
D By silent memorization
Answer: C. Orally. UNESCO describes Baul songs as transmitted orally.
Which place is linked with Lalon Shah in UNESCO’s Baul safeguarding project?
A Jaipur
B Kochi
C Guwahati
D Kushtia
Answer: D. Kushtia. UNESCO’s safeguarding project focuses on the Baul community of Kushtia, where Lalon Shah lived and shaped a transmission tradition.
What does UNESCO say happens to the language of Baul songs over time?
A It is continuously modernized
B It remains unchanged
C It is replaced by notation
D It is no longer sung
Answer: A. It is continuously modernized. UNESCO notes that Baul song language is continuously modernized.
According to UNESCO, how do Bauls identify with organized religion?
A They follow one institution
B They do not identify
C They identify only with temples
D They belong to one denomination
Answer: B. They do not identify. UNESCO describes Bauls as not identifying with any organized religion.
The Rajasthan folk element inscribed by UNESCO belongs to which community?
A Baul
B Bhand Merasi
C Kalbelia
D Bihu
Answer: C. Kalbelia. UNESCO’s element is titled Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan.
What traditional occupation shaped Kalbelia songs and dances?
A Pottery making
B Boat building
C Textile weaving
D Snake handling
Answer: D. Snake handling. UNESCO explains that Kalbelia performers evoke their community’s former occupation as snake handlers.
What do Kalbelia performances evoke through music and dance?
A Their former occupation
B Royal court ceremonies
C Temple construction
D Harvest accounting
Answer: A. Their former occupation. The songs and dances recall the Kalbelia community’s former snake-handling occupation.
What do Kalbelia women wear while dancing, according to UNESCO?
A White veils and robes
B Flowing black skirts
C Mirror-work jackets only
D Red silk uniforms
Answer: B. Flowing black skirts. UNESCO describes Kalbelia women dancing in flowing black skirts.
What two instruments accompany Kalbelia performances?
A Ektara and dotara
B Tabla and sarod
C Khanjari and poongi
D Veena and ghatam
Answer: C. Khanjari and poongi. UNESCO names the khanjari and poongi as instruments played by accompanying men.
What type of instrument is the poongi?
A A bowed string
B A frame drum
C A metal cymbal
D A woodwind instrument
Answer: D. A woodwind instrument. UNESCO identifies the poongi as a woodwind instrument traditionally played to capture snakes.
How does UNESCO classify the khanjari in Kalbelia performances?
A Percussion instrument
B Wind instrument
C Bowed string
D Keyboard instrument
Answer: A. Percussion instrument. The khanjari is the percussion instrument used by accompanying men.
During which festival are special Kalbelia dances performed?
A Onam
B Holi
C Baisakhi
D Pongal
Answer: B. Holi. UNESCO notes that special traditional Kalbelia dances are performed during Holi.
What do Kalbelia songs convey through stories?
A Weather measurements
B Written legal codes
C Mythological knowledge
D Trade instructions
Answer: C. Mythological knowledge. UNESCO says Kalbelia songs disseminate mythological knowledge through stories.
How are Kalbelia songs and dances passed down?
A Through printed manuals
B Through formal notation only
C Through recorded lessons alone
D Through oral tradition
Answer: D. Through oral tradition. UNESCO describes Kalbelia song and dance as an oral tradition passed between generations.
What does UNESCO say about Kalbelia training manuals?
A No texts or manuals
B Every song has manuals
C Only dance manuals exist
D Texts replace oral learning
Answer: A. No texts or manuals. UNESCO states that no texts or training manuals exist for this tradition.
In which year was Kalbelia folk songs and dances inscribed by UNESCO?
A 2008
B 2010
C 2012
D 2015
Answer: B. 2010. UNESCO records the inscription of Kalbelia folk songs and dances in 2010.
What do Kalbelia songs and dances help express for the community?
A A royal title
B A written language
C Community pride and identity
D A trade route
Answer: C. Community pride and identity. UNESCO describes the songs and dances as sources of community pride and identity.
Where does CCRT place Maand in its folk-music list?
A Frozen and unchanged
B No longer practiced
C Limited to written archives
D Evolving and revitalized
Answer: D. Evolving and revitalized. UNESCO notes that Kalbelia music and dance continue evolving in creative ways.
CCRT associates Deodhani with which state?
A Maand
B Deodhani
C Ranamalyem
D Hapu Gaan
Answer: A. Maand. CCRT’s indicative list names Maand of Rajasthan.
What Kashmir-associated form appears in CCRT’s list?
A Maand
B Deodhani
C Ranamalyem
D Bhand Jasan
Answer: B. Deodhani. CCRT lists Deodhani of Assam among folk and traditional forms.
Ranamalyem is associated with which state in CCRT’s list?
A Maand
B Deodhani
C Bhand Jasan
D Gaulan
Answer: C. Bhand Jasan. CCRT’s indicative list includes Bhand Jasan of Kashmir.
Where does CCRT associate Bhajans and Abhangas?
A Bhand Jasan
B Maand
C Deodhani
D Ranamalyem
Answer: D. Ranamalyem. CCRT names Ranamalyem of Goa.
Where does CCRT place Bhajans and Abhangas in its indicative list?
A Maharashtra
B Assam
C Kashmir
D Rajasthan
Answer: A. Maharashtra. CCRT lists Bhajan and Abhangas of Maharashtra as devotional music.
SNA’s list names which Assamese women’s folk songs?
A Baul
B Sankirtana
C Maand
D Kalbelia
Answer: B. Sankirtana. UNESCO describes Sankirtana of Manipur as ritual singing, drumming, and dancing.
What folk-song form does SNA link to separation?
A Maand and Gaulan
B Birha and Hapu Gaan
C Biyah, Bhaktimulak and Nisukoni Geet
D Baul and Kalbelia
Answer: C. Biyah, Bhaktimulak and Nisukoni Geet. SNA’s intangible heritage list describes Biyah, Bhaktimulak, and Nisukoni Geet as folk songs of Assam sung by women.
Where does SNA place Birha?
A Hapu Gaan
B Maand
C Deodhani
D Birha
Answer: D. Birha. SNA describes Birha as a folk-music form revolving around separation.
Which West Bengal region is linked to Hapu Gaan?
A Madhya Pradesh
B West Bengal
C Goa
D Rajasthan
Answer: A. Madhya Pradesh. SNA’s intangible heritage listing places Birha in Madhya Pradesh.
What category from all regions does CCRT mention?
A Kushtia, Bangladesh
B Midnapur, West Bengal
C Kashmir Valley
D Kutch, Gujarat
Answer: B. Midnapur, West Bengal. SNA identifies Hapu Gaan as a traditional folk song of Midnapur in West Bengal.
What kind of songs does CCRT mention for children?
A Only royal songs
B Only work chants
C Women’s songs
D Only wedding songs
Answer: C. Women’s songs. CCRT’s indicative list includes women’s songs from all regions.
Songs connected with which narratives appear in CCRT’s list?
A Songs for rulers
B Songs for armies
C Songs for traders
D Songs for children
Answer: D. Songs for children. CCRT explicitly lists songs for children and by children.
CCRT includes songs linked to which community group?
A Songs relating to epics
B Songs about machinery
C Songs about astronomy
D Songs about court laws
Answer: A. Songs relating to epics. CCRT includes songs relating to the epics among folk-music categories.
What devotional theme is named in CCRT’s folk-song list?
A Songs about sea trade
B Songs of Mother Goddess
C Songs about railways
D Songs about elections
Answer: B. Songs of Mother Goddess. CCRT lists songs of the Mother Goddess from different regions.
Lavani varieties in CCRT’s list come from which set of states?
A Songs of one court
B Songs of one school
C Songs of various castes
D Songs of one profession
Answer: C. Songs of various castes. CCRT’s indicative folk-music list includes songs of various castes.
Where are Gaulans located in CCRT’s list?
A Assam, Goa, Bihar, Kerala
B Punjab, Sikkim, Manipur, Tripura
C Odisha, Bengal, Kashmir, Ladakh
D Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka
Answer: D. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka. CCRT’s list mentions various Lavanis of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
What form does CCRT list for Karnataka and Maharashtra?
A Gaulans
B Deodhani
C Nisukoni Geet
D Hapu Gaan
Answer: A. Gaulans. CCRT lists Gaulans of Maharashtra among traditional music forms.
Which Karnataka form appears under Kalgi Tura?
A Baul songs
B Gondhals
C Biyah Geet
D Maand
Answer: B. Gondhals. CCRT’s list includes Gondhals of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Which poet’s compositions were influenced by Baul music and culture?
A Biyah Bhaktimulak
B Sankirtana
C Nagesi Hardesi
D Ranamalyem
Answer: C. Nagesi Hardesi. CCRT names Nagesi Hardesi of Karnataka among Kalgi Tura forms.
Which poet’s compositions were influenced by Baul music and culture?
A Kazi Nazrul Islam
B Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
C Satyajit Ray
D Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: D. Rabindranath Tagore. UNESCO notes that Baul music and way of life influenced Bengali culture and particularly Rabindranath Tagore’s compositions.
What does CCRT’s broad folk-music list illustrate?
A Ektara, dotara, dhol, manjiras
B Tabla, sarod, sitar, veena
C Poongi, khanjari, nagara, dhansa
D Mridangam, flute, sarangi, santoor
Answer: A. Ektara, dotara, dhol, manjiras. CCRT names ektara, dotara, dhol, and manjiras in its Baul catalogue description.
What does CCRT’s broad folk-music list show about Indian traditions?
A Every region shares one form
B Regional forms vary widely
C Folk music has one language
D Only devotional songs qualify
Answer: B. Regional forms vary widely. CCRT’s long indicative list shows the wide range of regional, devotional, occupational, and community song traditions.