Ramnarayan ka baaja by Lina for Usawa

Ramnarayan ka baaja

This is a photograph taken by Lina Krishnan in a village library in Rajasthan in 2015; it seems quite prophetic now!

usawa issue 4

Ramnarayan ka baaja
Ramnarayan baaja bajata
Dam dam dam dam dholak bajata
Ramnarayan baaja bajata
Tan tan tan tan ghanti bajata
Ramnarayan baaja bajata
Po po po po bhonpu bajata
Ramnarayan baaja bajata

[folk rhyme]

Ramnarayan blows his trumpet
Ramnarayan goes twang twang
His drums go bang bang bang
His bells go tring a ling ting
Ramnarayan’s horn is like a town crier’s call
He’s really on a roll, banging away
Oh if you could only hear Ramnarayan jamming today

[translation, mine]

Lina Krishnan