love the Bauls

[ChiefCowpie]

BAULS OF BENGAL

http://www.adem.ch/Projets/baul2.jpgThe musical culture and life style of the Bauls has inspired village life in Bengal so deeply that Bengali people have protected Baul practitioners for many centuries. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (13th Century) was the greatest known Baul singer, and he travelled all over India. History counts him as the biggest influence among Baul poets and singers of later generations. The word " Baul " refers to three terms : betul, which means " mad ", " out of rhythm " ; vayu, " air ", or the inner flow of energy which gives life and harmony to all sentient beings ; and âuliyâ, a term of Arabic origin, which means " saint ", " holy man ". Bauls can come from a Hindu or a Muslim background ; in both cases, they are usually rebels against orthodox practices and social institutions. The reason of that is purely spiritual : they are continuously searching for Adhar Manush, the " Essential Man ", the inner being which is inside of each human body, and this quest for mad love goes beyond all boundaries.

The way of the Bauls uses poetry, dance and singing as tools to reach that goal. Therefore Bauls used to wander from village to village and sing for the people who would give them alms for the maintenance of their everyday life. It is said that Bauls would accept only what they needed and refuse anything more than the strict minimum. Their only possessions were their clothes and musical instruments, as well as their songs and secret practices.

The costume of the Bauls is very simple : many Bauls wear safran clothes, a long stiched piece of cotton patchwork covering their body from the shoulder to below the knees, a turban on their head and a mark on their forehead. As far as Fakir Bauls are concerned, they prefer plain white cotton.

Even today, most Bauls live in small huts ; they live in couples but are not supposed to have children : mostly they adopt abandoned children to whom they teach everything they know. Twice a week, they go to villages to collect food (mostly rice and vegetables). Sometimes they travel from one village to another in order to meet other practitioners. Most of them are also linked to non-singing gurus who teach them different spiritual practices (sadhana) and songs with an inner meaning. The verses of Baul poetry can come from past or present composers, and they always include secret teachings related to righteous practice and life style.

The living space of Bauls is called akhra ; it is somehow like an ashram, with the difference that men and women live together, considering each other as spiritual partners. Most akhras are also meeting places for other sadhakas and sadhikas, male and female practitioners, as well as for sadhus, holy men, wherever they come from. Each year, Bauls organise a big meeting where they exchange songs, experiences and spiritual teachings.

Many Baul gurus were and still are also poets ; Lalan Fakir, one of the most famous of them, was at the same time a revolutionary and a holy man ; he created more than 5000 such songs. In this poetry, the outer meaning looks sometimes very materialistic ; but the inner meaning, which is not accessible to everyone, includes teachings related to notions such as srishti tattva (doctrine of the creation of the world), atma tattva (doctrine of the soul), deha tattva (doctrine of the body), prem tattva (doctrine of love), etc.

The singing style of Bauls is linked to other Bengali folk culture, from tribal to village and even urban life. But Bauls have established their own singing style, known as baul s¸r, within which individual and regional styles sometimes remain very distinctive.

Bauls always sing and dance together in such a way that the mind melts into the soul in a harmonious way. In their dancing body, energy becomes fluid and intense, and this movement process wipes the ego away : only the Baul consciousness remains.

Baul musical instruments



Ektara : an instrument with one string linked to a skin at the bottom of a bowl.
Duggi : a kettle drum made of a small clay pot covered with a skin.
Gopi yantra or ananda lahari : a two-string instrument with variable tension, played with a plectrum.
Dotara : a lute with four to seven strings, two of them being played.
Sarinda : a four-string bowed instrument, very popular in Northern Bengal, mostly played by Muslim Fakir Bauls.
Kartal : a pair of small cymbals.

[Cloudminerva]

That's awesome. I love the music and culture of India. Thanks for the post. I am going to look up more Baul music. :sunglasse

Ben.

[ChiefCowpie]

Reviving baul musichttp://www.bangladeshshowbiz.com/news/baul.jpgBenson & Hedges presents its Heart & Soul concert

Nafid Imran Ahmed

Benson & Hedges have been in the forefront of the musical scene of the country with their continuing contribution in promoting music talents of the country. Through their different ventures in the promotion of local musicians as well as helping to organise programmes by international artists in the country, they have been one of the private organisations to earn a name as a great patron of music.




In the immediate past Benson & Hedges have organised concerts featuring international music stars, acoustic musical evenings, jam sessions with leading musical groups of the country and through their talent discovery programme Star Search, created new faces in the musical scene. Pioneers in bringing young and talented pop music bands and solo performers to the forefront, they are at present focusing on an area a little bit neglected for long in the world of music.

Baul music has a very rich Bengali heritage. Bauls are traditionally mystic singers. Their songs are intricately woven into the rich and diverse cultural history of Bengal and its lifestyle. Though neglected for some time, there has been a renewed interest in the sounds of these traditional songs among the new generation for sometime now. Young people have presented them to the masses again with a little bit of fusion with modern beats and sounds. Experiments on folks with modern instruments resulting in fusion sounds have been growing in popularity as alternative music.

As part of Benson and Hedge's promotion of folk music a special evening of folk songs titled Heart & Soul was arranged at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on April 6. This Baul musical event was an opportunity for the music lovers of the country to take a taste of the hundreds of year-old folk songs of Bengal.

The evening started with an introduction to Baul music, its origin and history. This was followed by a soul stirring performance by Baul Shahjahan Munshi. This famous blind Baul singer started the Benson & Hedges Baul music extravaganza with Lalon and his songs. He began with 'Je Name Shomon Jontrona, Jabere Mon E Shongsare, Murshid Bine Ki Dhon' Lalon's supernatural lyrics that have been popular for ages.

Next Bauls Rob Fakir and Aklima Fakir took the stage. These two singers always perform together. They are quite famous in Kushtia from where they hail and have also performed at the Bangladesh Festival in London in 1999. They perform only Lalon's songs. The magnificent sound of the Ektara and other local instruments filled the hall as they rendered the best of Baul songs starting with 'Hridkomole Bhab Darale, Ojan Khobor Apni Hoy'. A short break followed their performance.

Next came on stage Bangla, a fusion group that tries to amalgamate Bengali folk songs with western music. They started with 'Shahaj Manush'. As their female vocal Anusheh hit the microphone the whole hall room fell under the spell of her marvellous voice. Among the titles they presented were 'Ke Jash Re' and 'Namaj Amar'.

Best solo performer of Benson & Hedges Star Search 2000 Atahar Tito took the stage next. He presented 'Tumi Je Amar Pranero Behala', 'Amon Ek Khan Ghar Banaila' and others. His music was not truly traditional in its form but a fusion of western and folk tunes.

The best band of Star Search 2000, Steeler from Chittagong took to the stage next. They performed their popular numbers as 'Ekjon Baul Se', Paban Das Baul's 'Dil Ki Doya'. The audience sang along with the band as they performed this tremendously popular song. They concluded with a presentation of 'O Pran Preyoshi'.

The main attraction of the show was yet to come. The Baul of city Nagar Baul next on the line up. The audience went crazy as James made his much awaited appearance. Baul Rob Fakir performed with James and it was really this combination of the village Baul and the city Baul performing side by side that made the crowds go crazy with their dual music. 'Lace Fita' was the number with which James started his performance following up with 'Nagar Baul', 'Jedin Bondhu Chole Jabo', 'Mira Bai', 'Dukhini Dukko Koro Na' 'Jao Pakhi' and Banglar Lathial'. The crowds sang along with the band. The song that pulled the curtain on the Heart & Soul show was 'Jatra'. Nagar Baul prolonged the song mixing it with contributions of Rob Fakir and his Dhol player.

It was an enchanting evening and the music of the East and the West will remain in the memories of the audience for a pretty long time.

Baul- The Folk Music of Bengal

Baul is one of the few widely known and appreciated types of folk music in Bengal. Baul is not only a kind of music, it is basically a Bengali religious sect. The members of the sect are themselves called Bauls, and the songs they sing are named for them, Baul-gAn (Baul songs). It has been suggested that, etymologically, the word derives from Sanskrit word "Vatula" means "affected by the wind disease, mad". On the other hand, it might be derived from Sanskrit word "Vyakula" means "restless, disordered".

The Baul costume consists of a half-dhoti and an alkhalla ( saffron robes). Another noticeable identifying signs of Baul is their hair style. They don't cut their hair, so a manner has been devised for coiling it neatly atop the head in a bun. They also wear a kind of necklace made of beads formed from the stems of the basil plant (tulsi).

Among the three B'sof Bengali folk music - Baul, Bhaoyaiya and Bhatiyali- Baul is distinguished from the others textually as religious music. The texts of bhatiyali and bhaiyaiya, though they may concern of Radha and Krishna, are mainly about the problems of love in separation or unrequited love. In Baul-gan, however, though songs of similar nature occur, they are thought of as allegories on the state of separation existing between the souls of men and the spiritual ground.

The instruments, extensively used by the Bauls are Gopiyantro, khamak, dotara, ghungur, nupur and duggi. Gopiyantro, often called "ektara" means one string and that is the most popular instrument for a Baul singer. The ghungur or nupur are always used in conjunction with gopiyantro or khamak. The baul singers also use "dotara" ( two strings) as their paraphernalia. Kartal/mandira and premjuri are used as the adjunct idiophones by the singers.

[ChiefCowpie]

Some exponents of Baul music

Lalon Phakir(1774-1890) is the most famous Baul of all ages. The attitude of the Bauls regarding caste has been nicely put by him, "What form does caste have ? I have never seen it, brother, with these eyes of mine!"

Purno Chandra Das is the most widely known Baul today. Like Purno, his father, the late Naboni Das Khepa, was the best-known Baul of his generation. From his early childhood, Purno travelled widely with his father, learning his songs and performing with him. At age seven he won a gold medal for his singing at a music conference at Jaipur, the pink city of India. Although Purno Das has become widely popular as an entertainer, he is criticized both by his peers and by some of the urban elites for his lifestyle and for having transplanted Baul-gan to new performance context.

Another exponent of this area is Yotin Das Baul. He is originally from the Dinajpur area of North Bengal but he spends much of his time on the road, performing at various village festivals. His manner of performance is more sedate and mellifluous. That's why he is not that famous as he deserves on the basis of his repertoire and musical competence.

Sonatan Das Thakur Baul, another Baul artist was born at Khulna, Bangladesh. Sanatan is particularly appreciated for his attractive dancing which, like his singing, has more conscious artistry about it than that of most Bauls. He is one of the few Bauls who is occasionally asked to perform on All India Radio Calcutta.

Bauls of Bengal

‘Moner katha jodi bujhte pare, keno piriti karo na’ – it isn’t a sermon or an official statement or even a famous one-liner. It is the first line of a typical Bengali ‘Baul’ song. No discussion on Bengali folk culture would be complete without giving due importance to the Baul tradition. No one exactly knows how this tradition started, but that Baul song is very much a part and parcel of Bengali folk tradition is something which is very difficult to deny.

Baul singers are almost a community by themselves. They may be Hindus or Muslims, but once they take to Baul culture, they refer to themselves as a ‘Baul’ as if to signify that they are a separate community by themselves dedicated to the spreading of the message of peace, brotherhood and goodwill through their songs. The dialect of the song is essentially local. Hence, if becomes a trifle difficult for the urban folks to understand the nuances of the language. In olden days, when sources of entertainment were scarce in rural Bengal, Baul singers had a field day moving from village to village attired in saffron clothes with an ‘ektara’ in their hand. No wonder Rabindranath said ‘Gramchhara oi ranga matir path’. Baul singers narrated various folk tales, mythological tales and contemporary problem through their songs. Since, they sing in the language of the village folks, their song always have a ready appeal. Most of the Baul singers earned their livelihood through singing songs. Baul singers used to get not only cash money but also foodgrains and other items as a ark of appreciation for their songs. As sources of entertainment were scarce, they used to entertain people throughout the year.

Tradition entails that Baul singers should live like a community. They may own land or work as agricultural labourer but their prime occupation would be the propagation of Baul music. No matter whether a Baul is Hindu or a Muslim, they must stay together and strive for the propagation of the song. Baul singers normally have no religion. Most of them worship Makali, because, for them, Ma Kali is a source of inspiration. One of the greatest Baul of all time Lalan Fakir, was a Muslim. But he is known to posterity not as a Muslim, but as a Baul whose songs still mesmerize many in this modern time. Baul singers, can till date, be safely said, to be the most pure forms of non-communal human beings on earth. Most of their song preaches love and universal brotherhood. Hence, the high-pitched voice of a Baul singing with an ‘ektara’ in his hand is the symbol of the spirit of Bengal.

The ‘Rarh’ village or so the districts of Birbhum are called was once a home to many Baul singers. Through the equivalent of Baul song exists in other parts of India as well, the particular term ‘Baul’ can be applied only to singers hailing from Bengal or Greater Bengal, if we put it that way, that is from Tripura, Bangladesh, East Bihar and Northern Orissa. The Baul singers of Bangladesh, has a very vibrant tradition of participating in the ‘Bhasha Andolan’ of Bangladesh. Bangla Baul singers are known for their depth of voice and variety of their themes. The Baul songs from Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh, reflect only the message of love and brotherhood, but also the message of nationalism as well.

Two important fairs are held in West Bengal to showcase the Baul talents of Bengal – the Kenduli Mela and the Pous Mela. In both these fairs Bauls from for off places come to participate.

Of late, the onslaught of commercialisation and cable TV creating a lot of problems for the Baul singers. Interest is waning as village folks are becoming more interested in watching the surging top-softs of Mamta Kulkarni and the like. Now we see malnourished Baul singers joining the fairs and singing on top of their voices. The under – nourished Baul singers really mock at the rich tradition that was. People, not originally hailing from Baul culture, are taking to Baul music and culture are, in most cases, vitiating the purity of Baul. These people, more often than not, abuse the easy lifestyle and indulge in immoral practises. Is the golden days over? One is really hoping to see the coming of another ‘Nabanidas Naul or Purna Das Baul.

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