Shyopat Julia | The Tale of a Rajasthani Bagpiper | Mashak | I Believe Art Matters: Folk Edition

I Believe Art Matters: Folk Edition 2022

The Tale of a Rajasthani Bagpiper
Story of Shyopat Julia

Presented by Sanjoy K. Roy

Do you know about the fascinating story of the Indian bagpipe, which is popularly known as a mashak? Shyopat Julia is a Rajasthani mashaki (bagpiper) from the Rawla Mandi district. He has been learning the craft of the mashak since the age of 16 and is honouring the legacies of his grandfather, father and his brother. The instrument holds a special place in his heart and he describes the experience of playing the instrument as pure ‘anand’ (bliss).
In India, the instrument is referred to as a mashak, mashak bin and bin baja, while the performer is called a mashaki. The instrument’s name is derived from skin-bags that are traditionally used for carrying water. This craft is found mostly in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the mashak appears in the folk naubat (ceremonial band). The instrument generally contains single-reed pipes that are twinned, with one of them used for melody and the other one used as a drone.

For I Believe Art Matters Folk Edition, Shyopat Julia talks about his journey with the mashak. He narrates the tale of how this craft has been passed down in his family from generation to generation, how the mashak is created and what are the elements that it is composed of, the joy of playing it, the difficulties that he has faced and the importance of this folk art!

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