Baul Music: Bengali Traditional Music
Everyone
who loves Bengali music is more or less familiar with Baul music. It is
one of the most popular Bengali traditional music genres. Baul music
holds a special place in the hearts of Bengali music lovers.
Baul music is actually a particular type of folk song. It carries the influence of Hindu bhakti
movement and the Sufi song. Baul music is sung mainly in open air
surrounded by village audience. It is generally instructional and
transmitted orally from singer to singer. The language of Baul music is
continuously being modernized and thus giving a current relevance and
meaning.
Although
there are many speculations about the origin of Baul music, it is not
well known. However, Baul movement was at its pick in the nineteenth and
early twentieth century. And now it has become very popular among the
rural people.
Baul
music is sung by Bauls, mystic minstrels living in rural Bangladesh and
West Bengal. Bauls travel from village to village and earn their living
from singing. This particular group of folk singers follows a musical
tradition. Baul music is sung with the accompaniment of the ektara, a simple one-stringed instrument, and a drum called dubki.
Baul
music has a great influence on Bengali music. Some of the songs of
Rabindranath Tagore were also widely influenced by Baul music.
Baul
music has a distinctive melodic style which sets it apart from other
genres of Bengali music. The lyrics of Baul songs mainly portray the
beliefs of this religious sect and speak about the existence of God in
this world in a physical form. The songs mainly depict about how God
exists in every human soul.
