It is on the young musicians to keep U’khand’s folk music alive: Hans Raj Hans

When we met Hans Raj Hans backstage, before his performance at an event in Mussoorie organised by TOI and Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, the singer was visibly elated to visit the city and he couldn’t stop gushing about it. In a conversation with Doon Times, the veteran singer, who has sang songs like Duma Dum Mast Kalander, Silli Silli Aundi Ae Hawa, talks about his love for the state, regional music scene and more.
'Pahadi log shareef, khoobsurat aur 'khoobseerat hote hai''
"People in the hills are different from people in big cities. Yaha ke log shareef hote hain, khoobsuraat hote hain aur khoob-seerat bhi hote hain. The peaceful environment of the state is the reason why people here are so warm and generous," he said.
'The moment I entered Doon, I started humming my songs'
The singer makes sure he visits Mussoorie on his every visit to Doon. "There are certain places around Doon which I make sure I visit, Mussoorie is one of them. The moment I entered Doon, I started humming my songs. The ambiance of the city is such that music comes effortlessly to a person. Also, be it Doon, Nainital or Mussoorie - the people of this state are very warm. They have always bestowed me with love. Meri weakness mohabbat hai and woh yahan ke logon ne mujhe humesha bharpoor di hai," he said.
Hans Raj Hans (BCCL/Shikhar Dua)
'The young musicians of the state need to preserve their folk music'
Hans Raj believes that the young musicians of the state should learn different genres of regional music and keep it alive. "Folk music reflects the culture of a region and we need to preserve this form of music. Outsiders can't preserve your culture or music. It's upto the young musicians of the state to take it on themselves to preserve it. They should work hard to promote regional music and take it to a bigger stage."
When asked about the current music scene in the country, the singer says, "Earlier, the focus was on making good music and lyrics played a vital part in songs. But now it is all about creating a peppy beat and earning some quick bucks."