Folk Music

Definition and characteristics:

The international Folk Music Council defined folk music as the product of a musical
tradition that has been evolved through the process of oral transmission. The factors that
shape the tradition are a. continuity which links the present with the past b. variation
which arises from the creative impulse of the individual or the group c. acceptance by the
community which determines the form or forms in which the music survives. This
definition is applicable to a music which has been evolved form an elementary beginning
by a community without being affected or influenced by art music or to a music initially
created by an individual but subsequently been accepted by the whole community and
absorbed in the unwritten living tradition of that community. Folk song therefore must be
founded on certain inflexible principles but constantly subjected to individual variation
and general acceptance of that variation by the country. It constantly struggles for
synthesis between collative and individual, between tradition and innovation.

The folk songs of Bangladesh may roughly be divided into three categories: 1. Religious
2. Secular or Functional and 3. Romantic.Besides these, there are innumerable songs of
this type whose authors are unknown and they have traveled from lip to lip from one
generation to the other.

Subject variety:

Baul : Baul song is the mystical song of the Baul religious community. They nourish
one kind of religious tenet that formed on the basis of the essence of the body ( the
doctrine that the body is the seat of all truth) and on the knowledge about God. This is
known as the Baul religious tenet. It does not have any written literature or scripture. The
bauls express their religious doctrine,philosophy, view of life and their beliefs through
literature, in the language of music. This oral music is known as Baul song. The Bauls
regard their songs as part and parcel of their religion. They celebrate their religious
occasions – both formal and informal- such as religious gatherings and festivals and
mendicancy by singing music. They try to find God by practicing the doctrine of
dehotattwa (belief that body is the seat of all truths. They address God in symbolic terms,
such as human, lover or beloved, the unknown bird ect. They believe that God inhabits in
the human body. So the main objective of celebrating the body is to facilitate the meeting
of human soul with God. T he meeting is possible through the love or divotion of the
individual soul, The body-centric religious practice of the Bauls is reliant on a guru. The
bauls have to be a initiated by a guru and perform many rites and rituals to acquire
spiritual attainments or salvation. Baul music is largely concerned with body , sprit, God,
guru, love and devotion, the mystery of certain and similar other issues. The doctrine of
the sprite is concerned with the preparation of the mind, that of body with the rules of
devotion, that of guru with the devotion to the guru, that of concern with the mystery of
creation and existence of life, and that of human with meeting with God. Lalon Shah,
Duddu Shah, Pagla kanai, Panju Shah, Bijoy Sarkar, Shah Abdul karim are prominent
baul composer.

Lalon Shah (1774-1890) is the author of Baul song. He was born in the village of Bharra
in KUSHTIA, and according to another view in the village of Horishpur in Jessore
district in present-day Bangladesh. He had and died there after living and practicing his
ascetic austerities in Chheuria for a long time. He initiated many disciples and disciples’
and thus organized the Baul community. He composed Baul songs for himself and for his
disciples to sing. Later on, Lalon’s songs were collected from his disciples and disciples’
disciples. Some of his prominent disciples are Duddu Shah, Panju Shah and Pagla Kanai.
They also followed Lalon and composed many Baul songs. The number of Lalon’s songs
is from 2,000 to 2,500. His disciples also composed hundreds of songs. Rabindranath
collected and published the songs of songs by Pagla Kanai have so far been collected,
edited and published. Upendranath Bhattacharya in his book “Banglar Baul O Baul Gan
(The Bauls of Bengal and Their songs, 1364) compiled 679 Baul songs written by 90
Baul poets some of whom are little known. “O Mind! You don’t know how to cultivate
land. / Such human land is left abandoned, Which could yield gold if cultivated” – This is
the belief of the Bauls. Since the supreme beings resides in the human body, the Bauls
believe, if people know their own selves they will know God. In Lalon’s words, “If you
know yourself, you will know the Unknown” According to Lalon, the human body and
human life are above everything. He says: “Nothing is better than human. / God and god
desire / To be born as human being.” He was strongly against the caste-distinction and
the caste system, as he states: “If I could get hold of caste, I would burn it” Rabindranath
high praised the way of life of Bauls, which is free from discrimination driven by caste,
religion and communal denominations, and called it human religion. The Main musical
instrument of the baul songs is Ektara (one stringed musical instrument). Some bauls bind
the Banya (a small semicircular musical instrument of percussion played along with the
table) in the waist. They sing and dance – individually or collectively – and play the table
by the right hand and banya by the left. Baul song creates a unique emotion and beauty
through a combination of three things: music, dance and musical instruments. Muisc is
part and parcel of their religious practices. Baul songs are like Bhatiali (Musical mode
sung by boat-men) and it has stretched-out tone. These songs are also composed by a
combination of the stretched-out and light music of kirtan (a singer of songs about Radha
and Krishna). These are some other features have created an independent tradition of
Baul songs. The sad mystic tone of the Baul songs has conquered the hearts of the people
in this region. In Bangladesh, Kushta is the centre of Baul songs. In course of time, it has
gradually spread from Kushtia to the neighboring districts like Jessore, Faridpur, Pabna,
Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet. Similarly, it has also spread to Nadia, Bardhaman and
Birbhum district of West Bengal. Baul song is regarded as an important element of the
cultural tradition of this country. At present its practice is not limited to the Baul Singers
only, but it is practiced now by the trained singers of the country and these songs are
being admired home and abroad. On the other hand, the humanistic perspective and
beauty of Baul song have fascinated many people in the world. Recently, UNESCO has
decided to preserve Baul song as a memorial tradition of Mankind.

Bhatiali : Bangladesh is a pre-eminently a riverine land intersected by hundreds of rivers,

big or small. River, therefore, plays an important part in the life of Bangladeshi people.
There are many songs which emanated from, and pertain to, rivers. Of them Bhatiali and
Shari gaan are important. Etymologically Bhatiali means anything pertaining to the down
stream. Basically it expresses a feeling of languor and the longing of the soul, often to
meet the Creator or the desired one. In keeping with the theme, the tans are long-drawn
and lingering, often identical with the dancing waves of the rivers, sometimes going up,
sometimes down. The reverberating tune of the Bhatiali songs has an irresistible charm
and transports one into the domain of melody. These songs are of leisure and resignation
from the tempestuous world of ours. The themes of these songs are many, sometimes
they express awe at the vast expanse of rivers, sometimes contain words of submission to
god and sometimes they fill the atmosphere with the agonizing pangs of separation of the
lover from the beloved. The romantic aspects of these songs centre around meeting of the
boatman with the rural belle leading to exchange of hearts.

Shari song : The Shari songs are of two kinds, one based on love on boats and another
relating to boat race. The first one by now has become obsolete and the second one is
sung in chorus by oarsmen engaged in boat race.

Ghatu song : Another type of folk song connected with boat is Ghatu song. This is called
so because these songs are sung at river ghats (where boats anchor). Ghatu song is led by
a small boy in a girl’s attire and his other followers sing in chorus.

Bhawaiya and Chatka : Bhawaiya and Chatka are the songs of the cartmen which cannot
be detached from their way of living. There is no courtly grandeur in them, nor is there
any sophistication in the professional sense. They deliver the daily woes and weals of the
working people of northern region of Bangladesh. One can measure the depth of their
sorrows and sufferings, aspirations and frustrations from these songs. They intermingle
so much with the way of living of the people that one cannot isolate them to form what is
called the cultural aspect of life. They are very much a part of their life, a perennial
source of inspiration for the working people who have little scope to stand and stare.

Dhamail: A form of folk music and dance originated in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is the
practiced in the erstwhile district of Sylhet, in Bangladesh and in areas influenced by the
Sylheti culture such as Cachar, parts of Shillong, Karimganj and Hailakandi Districts of
Assam, parts of Tripura in India.

Gombhira: song (originating in Chapai Nawabganj, in the Northwest) performed with a

particular distinctive rhythm and dance with two performers, always personifying a man
and his grandfather, discussing a topic to raise social awareness.

Jatra Pala: songs associated exclusively with plays (performed on-stage). Usually
involves colourful presentations of historical themes.

Kavigan: poems sung with simple music usually presented on stage as a musical battle
between poets.

Sari: sung especially by boatmen. It is often known as workmen’s song as well.

Murshidi Gan devotional folk songs that evolved and flourished mainly through sufis.
The word 'murshid', derives from the Arabic 'ershad', and means 'to order or give advice'.
A murshid gives advice to his disciples and leads them to the spiritual way by means of
devotional rites. A murshid has the same place in Muslim religious meditation as a guru
has in yoga.
Bengal has a long tradition of guruism in the Hindu, Buddhist and Nath creeds. After the
Muslim conquest of Bengal, the people of this land became exposed to the concept of
murshid derived from sufistic and mystic practice. A murshid or pir is thought to have
attained divine grace through which human beings can find Allah; the belief has given
birth to the concept that 'the one who is murshid is maula (God)'. The murshid is the
saviour both in this world and the world after. He is the guide who helps people enter the
spiritual world. He shows the way of salvation from worldly illusions. The devotee
surrenders himself without reservation before a murshid or seeks a place at his feet for
salvation. Songs in praise of murshids are called murshidi gans.

The murshid's followers beseech him through songs such as o tumi aisare dayal amar
murshid re (O my murshid, be kind and come to me), dayal amar kandari haio re (O my
kind murshid, lead me through), and tumi dao dekha daradi re amay (O my kind murshid,
reveal yourself to me). Unlike BAUL songs, which are about mysticism, arguments and
conflicts, murshidi songs praise the murshid and appeal to him to guide the devotee.

Apart from eulogising the murshid, murshidi songs also speak of divine love. Rivers,
boats, birds and Radha and Krishna are used in these songs symbolically. What makes
them different from other types of songs is that they are about spiritual love and devotion.

The tunes of murshidi songs are essentially sorrowful and heart-rending, arising out of
the pain of the followers' perception of inability, ignorance and non-attainment of
spiritual bliss. Songs of bichchhed, marfati, DHUYA GAN as well as Baul songs praise
murshids and crave their blessings. Murshidi songs are usually sung in slow measures,
but sometimes rapid measures are employed to make them more attractive.

Maizbhandari Gan:Maizbhandari Gan mystic folk songs of the Maizbhandari cult,

started in Chittagong about a century ago by Syed Ahmadullah (1826-1906), a resident
of the village of Maizbhandar under Fatikchhari in chittagong. He and his followers used
to assemble at Maizbhandar to practise mystic rites and sing spiritual songs. The cult
became known as Maizbhandari and the songs as Maizbhandari songs.
Maizbhandari songs praise Allah, the Prophet muhammad (Sm), and Muslim saints and
pirs. While many of these songs have been compiled and published, many must have
been lost. Ramesh Shil of Chittagong is perhaps the most famous composer of
Maizbhandari songs with three collections of songs: Bhandare Maola, Shanti Bhandar
and Ashek Mala. Abdul Hadi, Abdul Ghani, Bazlul Karim, Abdullah, and Mahbubul
Alam have also composed Maizbhandari songs. The songs are about love for humanity,
morality, non-communalism and divine love. Maizbhandari songs have spread beyond
Chittagong.

Marfati songs :Marfati comes under the category of semi-classical music where the lead
singer improvises the melody in certain ragas supported by an echoing group of singers.
Apart from musical instruments like the harmonium, tabla and bulbul tarang, clapping is
used in marfati a rhythm instrument. The above song does not have these features but due
to some other characteristics, it cannot be categorized under any other genre of Bengali
songs connected to Islamic society or religiosity like Karbala-Jarigan, Muslim marriage
songs, Fakiri and Marfati. The song is in praise of Khwaja Baba of Ajmer Sharif (the
founder of the Chishti Sufi order of India) who, according to common belief, brought the
tradition of marfati to the Indian subcontinent.Although the term ‘Banghla marfati'
appears in the last couplet of this verse, it has no similarity with the traditional qawwali
in terms of its music and context. Even though, the zikr/dhikr or the repetition of ‘Allah
Hu Allah’ has a connection with qawwali, the melody and style of performance had much
resemblance with Baul, Fakiri and Marfati songs. Dotara and dhol, the two traditional
folk musical instruments of Bengal, were used as accompanying instruments. When
asked about the structure of this song, Arman Fakir said:‘We cannot sing like the
Qawwals, because we belong to the Fakiri musical tradition'.