Gujarat has its own heritage in music. Saurashtra has been very prosperous in its variety and colorfulness of folk-music. The people of north Gujarat, Charotar, South Gujarat, the mariners of western coast and the tribals of eastern forests too have lived with their music. They have developed and preserved their own instruments like flutes, drums, trumpets, manjira, tamboor, ravanhattha etc. The devotional songs, lyrics, verses, dance-songs, duha, chhand and the songs for different occasions are a treasure. People sing their songs while at work or while at rest. The traditions of Charans, Gadhavis, Ravals and the Bhajaniks are still very much alive. Gujarat has given outstanding artists and exponents of vedic saamgan, Haveli-sangeet and classical Indian music.


The folk Music
The charani folk-songs, duha, chhand etc are a part of folk-music. The saints and devotees of Gujarat have woven the teachings of the Vedas and the Upanishadas in their devotional songs. They have helped dissolving the differences of caste, creed and colour. The bhajans of Abhram Bhagat have reached London. The voice of Ismail Valera had lured lot many people. Folk-music includes variety of occasions and songs befitting the same. Songs specially meant for recital at morning, evening, marriage, child-birth, festival songs, war-time and death-time songs, story-telling and season songs and number of other occasions are celebrated or marked with specific type of folk-songs and folk-music. Many of such songs were compiled by Meghani and Raichura.

The Light Music
Light music or Sugam Sangeet is in a way a derivation of all the streams into a popular format. Meaningful and lyrically worded poetry is composed in sweet tunes, where the tight standards of classical music are not must, but the images of light music do depend on classical touch. Avinash Vyas played a pivotal role in laying the strong foundations of light music and also popularising it in Gujarat. He wrote hundreds of songs for Gujarati movies and decorated them with sweet tunes. Kshemu Divetia, Rasiklal Bhojak, Bhailal Barot, Raasbihari Desai, Gaurang Vyas and some other artists have been strengthening the basis of light music in Gujarat either with compositions or with words, or with their voice. The world of light music in Gujarat is very prosperous in its singers. It is hard to find a parallel to the excellence of Kaumudi Munshi in light music.

The Classical Music
Aryan culture spread throughout the country, including Gujarat after the Aryan people came to this land. prabhas and Bhrigu Kutch (Bharuch) were important centres of the Aryan age. Many Rishis established their Ashram at these centres. The Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Saamveda and the Atharvaveda were taught at these Ashrams. The Saamveda deals with music. The verses of the Rigveda are recited in musical notes in the Saamveda. It is the origin of the Indian Music. Kauthumi, one of the three branches of the Saamveda is more popular in Gujarat.

The Religious and Devotional Music
Religion and the temple were the origins of many a fine arts during the ancient period. The Vaishnav sect of ancient Gujarat nourished the traditions of music to a great extent. After the advent of Vallabhacharya, traditions of music in devotion to Lord Krishna entered into Gujarat via Shreenathji of Rajasthan. The haveli-music of Gujarat thus blanded into the Vraj tradition of music. Narsinh Mehta in 15th century and Meerabai contributed a great deal in spreading the devotional music in Gujarat.