WailaN Lutana

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
1

In Punjab, offering WailaN (throwing money on performers) is part of our civilized life. One does that on Quwali concerts, folk dances in the villages, or watching a show by street performers. I think it is a beautiful custom. The closest thing to this ritual is perhaps throwing money on street performers (busking in England). Are there similar customs in your part of the world? Please share.

There is one difference between Punjabi ritual and the ones I have experienced in the West. In Punjab, even if we pay up front (i.e., buy a ticket to a performance) we still offer WailaN to show our appreciation. I have not seen that in other places.

2

Some performers back in Punjab earn more from WailaN than the actual contract.
NYAhmadi, on our side of Punjab since most of sardars doing wailaN have one and half bottle of sharab in their dhiDhs, they don't even realize what they did to their wallet until next morning...when it is too late:)

Last time we went to attend a baraat in Punjab one of my cousins did so much wailaN for this nachan-gaun wali kuRi that his wallet was empty. So on our way back he threw his empty wallet out the window and when came home told his family he lost his wallet even before he arrived at the wedding:) when later they watched the wedding movie paaj khul gaya dhokheybaaz da:)

3

Hmmm.. It’s not normal for women to wailan lutana hai na? I have tried it though

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Ever experienced a wailan ka muqabla? We call it bailan, by the way. Last time we were in Paksitan, at my mamoon’s wedding his cousins had this muqabla going on, and the fun thing is no rules was defined – they didn’t even plan it. So as they love to kick one another, they started this from our village to the brides. The point is that if you back off or you say no more money you loose

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. These mamooN of mine threw God knows how much money, and the one throwing most could tell the band which song they should play. So as one party was from UK, they kept repeating that kala shah kala song, needless to say, our Brit. uncles hated it

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Hmmm did you guys know that you can ahem make deals when you hire your band? That’s what we learned after the wedding, see some of my mamooN’s were ahem playing with same rupees over and over again, rupees were re-cycling

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so they couldn’t loose, and what’s worst, they spent less then 100 rupees each in total. While the other part not only lost they also spent hmmm a lot of money.

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Basically wailan is useless, or the way we do it in our village at least, in good old days wailan were supposed to be dholk wala’s money, but now that you hire your band, you pay them a fix price and you do this wailan thingie. You can’t ‘give’ wailan on some bands, like fauji bands are too boring and they are not good this sort of tamasha. They can’t do those numbers normal dhol walas do, when they accept wailaN, like yelling who’s wail it is and the duas etc. Wail is good on dhol ki dhamak and dunno what they call those instruments, those traditional bands? They are great as well.

There’s also an ugly side of this tradition as well

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4

sabah, your post was really funny and very real. I had some similar experiences too. They were more fun when 'marasi' used to say loudly " wail bai wail sardar Natha Singh (replace it with chaudhary rehmat ali di wail) di wail, rabb nathay dian jaibaN full karde sabh khazanay bharday.....":) and they will make it rthyme so well on the spot.

Now. people even do wailaN here in USA and most of the DJ walay have no idea why ppl are throwing money for them..

5

Yes Sabah, at times it can get out of hands, but hey, so what? I love this tradition. Chunn Ji, I can’t wait for our brother Roman to get the whack, so you and I could do each other out in throwing WailaN. Roman’s Bachelor’s Party is on me. We will arrange it somewhere in downtown Manhattan in some jazzy Bar. I will bring a couple of Dhoulees, and your responsibility will be to bring some Desi Dancers.

WaiL WaiL Roman Badshah di Wail.

6

Ahmadi bhara, tooN na khaira chadeiN mera!

I don’t remember if I personally have participated in the activity much. May be once or twice. I’m a money saver for some other sutff, you see. But I have seen people doing it.

There are various characters if you notice. There are people with money and but very composed contanenace and they will stand there on a side just giving out rupees, calm and sober. That makes them very noticeable and intimidating indeed. Dancer women love to give such characters attention and receive wailaN.

Then there are others who are quite buoyant. Active and moving and hooting. Those are the ones who engage in ‘muqabla baazi’. They are also the ones who come up with ingeneous ways of giving out a wail if the wail receiving party are dancing women. I think you know what I mean.

Then there are the third ones, a little timid, inexperienced, with a bit of lack of money but since they are the close relatives (e.g. brother of bridegroom etc) of the person for whom the party is being held, they are expected to participate and give out a lot of wail. Some times you can see the hesitation in giving out the wail after they reach a certain level. Usually they use, “I’m needed at the kitchen or I’ve to make the sleeping arrangements for the guests” excuse to bail out.

But overall, wailaN lutana is fun, you just gotta know how to do it though!

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7

NYAhmadi, eh apna Roman uttoN uttoN naaN karda ay.....vichoN ehda dill bahut karda ay viaah nu:) Khair kisay din joRhi banne gi zaroor....and I will certainly outdo NYAhmadi in wailaN with all that Indian currency I have left over from my last trip:)

8

Roman da wailan walla time aya te assaN we zaroor uthe hoiN ge.
A few Dhoulee and a few desi dancers, OYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE maza na ay? Bismillah kar ke wailaN desaN. (in Dutch Guilders

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)

btw u guys know what a sammi is? a typical village dance done by a group, most of the times in a circle.

Roman bhai, i’m comin to ya soon.

9

Oye paThwali yara oye Sammi…mainu pata tuhade ilaqay ch bahut mash’hoor ay.

sammi da dhola…

sammi meri vann…
koThay te par’koThRa, koThay te tandoor
vann sammian…
ginn ginn laavaN roTiyaN,khaavan wala door…
vann sammian…

Roman, lagda tainu hunn kujh himmat karni painee ain:) tere veer te langoTay kassi phirday ne

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10

Oh Chann Gee,
is noo teyaar karo na, tussan te men koi sammi bawa.

Yara Roman,
sanu ek war awaz mar de, te koi assan passaaN ande ha. Chann Gee cant wait to do a sammi

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