Baul Singer Performs

 

Baul Singer

                        Like Buddhists Bhiksus Baul Singers are also an ancient group of wandering minstrels from Bengal also believes in simplicity of life and love. This vocal and performing art was made famous by Lalan Fakir (1774-1890) the greatest of Bauls, he himself use to compose and sing his own made songs in deep inside the villages of West Bengal for decades without making any record of his performances on papers , so the people of West Bengal decided to compile his repertoire. It is a wandering music cult which recognizes the singers from distant by their unique attire. They use to wear saffron color traditional Dhoti Kurta turban with a necklace of Basil or say Tulsi beads. Their uncut coiled hair is also attracting the people. They always move with Ek Tara, single string guitar. With song and dance mood they attract the masses that are their source of sustenance.

                        The Baul singers thrive on whatever the villagers offer them in return of their performance as they are wanderers and move from place to place. They are mostly Vaishnava Hindu and Sufi Muslims, not much known about them but it is believe that their origin is back to 9the Century CE. While performing the Baul Singers pour out feeling of their heart and emotions.  In ancient periods they didn’t penned their songs essentially their oral renditions which are on philosophical notes.

                        They live like a community and their main occupation and religion is Baul singing. They don’t have any formal religion. The Baul is an indigenous musical instrument made of cutting the gourd and made of bamboo and goat skin with one string attached to it. Some are made of two strings called Do Tara. The district of Birbhoom in West Bengal is the epicenter of Baul Singers, lately it is spread over Tripura in the North, Bangla desh in East in the district of Chittong, Shylet, Orissa in West are famous for Bauls. The Baul Singers come from far off places during Kenduli and Pous Mela in West Bengal. Luckily I had the opportunity to see their magical performance during Dol Mela at Shanti Niketan in Bolpur Bengal, where I shot lot of Baul singer’s performances.

                        There are many Baul singers in West Bengal. Such as 1. Basudeb Das Baul, 2. Parvathy Baul, 3. Paban Das Baul, 4. Gaur Khyapa, 5. Abdul Rahman Boyati,6. Bidit Lal Das, etc.

Text with help of Archive and Photo by- Ashok Karan,

Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,

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