Kashmiri Ballad is a narrative song that has short stanzas or couplets, which end in a rhyme. The songs are simple, narrative and deals with emotions and desires of human beings. It is of varying length and the first line is repeated at intervals or there is a small break at the intervals while singing.
A gifted person in the village convert folk tales, legends or important events into a song and this is passed either as such or with modifications to the next generation. Professional minstrel, known as Geven Vol (singer), and a bard called, Laddi Shah, is also believed to have composed the ballads.
Some ballads are associated with religious/semi mythic themes or Persian themes and history. Others are related to Kashmiri folk tales such as Himal Nagraye, Bombur and Lolre, Zora Khoran and Hayaband and Shabrang. Some are based on incidents happening at that period. Rang is a kind of ballad with a four line stanza, which is popular.
Sometimes dances such as Bacha Nagma (male in the attire of a girl dances while singing the song), Bhanda Nagma (one person in a dramatic group sings and dances) and Hafiz Nagma (dancing girl and her companions sing a narrative poem) are accompanied with the ballad.
