We may have come a long way and upgraded ourself but still there are some pockets in our country where folk media plays a tremendous role in disseminating information to the rural mass. Traditional media transmits or serves the society as tool or medium of communication for age’s .Traditional folk media is a term used to denote ‘people’s performances’. This term refers to the performing arts which can be described as the cultural symbols of the people.
Folk dance, rural drama and musical variety of the village people, all come under traditional media. Traditional folk media is not just confined to dance and music, but also includes art and crafts. Traditional folk media originated as a consequence of people’s need to express themselves. In India folk performance is a composite art. It is a total art created by the fusion of elements from music, dance, pantomime, versification, epic ballad recitation, religion and festival peasantry.
Rural India is a treasure trove of folk art, theatre, music, dance, art and craft. The folk art forms satisfy our innate need for self expression. The traditional forms preserve and disseminate the tradition and culture of our forefathers infusing life into them. Every region has its own folk art from that is immensely popular and relevant in that area and Assam is no exception.
Some of the most popular traditional folk media of Assam include Ojapali, Mobile theatre, Bhaona, Sattriya dance, Loka Geet, Bor Geet, Bon Geet, Bihu. Puppetry and street theatre are also quite popular. Similarly the Bihu is performed with slight variations by the Assamese bauls in west Bengal and many more.
Being ancient forms of art, the folk media is very close to the hearts of the people. Traditional media holds universal appeal. Its understanding is direct and at the personal level. Traditional folk performances are uniformly popular, irrespective of the educational, social and financial standing of any community. Traditionally, folk media were primarily used for entertainment, social communication and persuasive communication. Now, there are efforts to involve folk media for conveying development messages. In the past few decades traditional folk media have been increasingly recognized as viable tools to impart development messages
Features of traditional folk media:
1. They have sustained the onslaught of time
2. They have sustained by changing with the changing times
3. Any person is always a participant in the performance, never an audience.
4. It is spontaneous.
5. It is flexible.
6. It is cost effective and therefore has enhanced repeatability.
7. It is has immediate feedback and increased attentiveness.