Minstrels

A jingle of tinkling bells mingled with the squeak of a viola; the guffaws of a rompish company blended with the tuneless chanting of discordant minstrels, and the gray parrot in its golden cage, suspended from one of the oaken beams of the ceiling, shook its feathers for the twentieth time and screamed vindictively at the roguish band.

The minstrels dress up in face paint and colorful satin costumes with fancy hats and parasols.

Traditional Rajasthan minstrels Babu and Seru annually travel to perform at the fair with their families. They have long been keen observers of the camel trade, and say a top camel can be worth 50,000 Indian rupees — just over $1,000.

The troubadours were medieval lyrical poets whose school originated in Occitania. They sang of courtly love and gained disciples in northern France and Germany, where they were called minstrels.