Bangla Song

The Contents of the Bangla folk songs:

From time immemorial people of the globe passed many hours of the busy in searching for food to satisfy hunger and sustain life. Their chief concern was to build a secure environment for which they crossed thousands of years to gain and refine knowledge to better their surroundings. In course, human beings invented the blessings and with their adroit they dare to dream to build a more perfect world where they can share their ideas and feelings, passions and the like. Their most mastered skill led them to invent arts to charm people living with, and around them, and thus they invented the art of drawing images and tuning instruments. Thus music has inspired people living in small and large groups and left a lasting impression on their minds. It is proved that music can inspire and motivate every life form of the planet more than any other art form. This has been universally accepted form of attracting both angelic and devilish souls. Like the history of the music and songs of the world, in Bangladesh it has a long evolving history with its experience of being under various rules and regimes—  the Gupta, Pal, Sen, Mughals, English and the other.

The songs of this region are deeply influenced by the theme of love, separation, mysticism and bitter reality. The Folk songs are very different and authentic of its kind in this region. People have always been influenced and convinced by the landscape of this land. The greenery, waves in the rivers, shyly smile on the face of the beloved, care of mother, belated  love  are the main theme of the songs of the country. Hundreds of thousands of famous or little famous singers have enriched the store Bangla songs in different times with their utmost skill. They have always been motivated by the mysticism, though the underlying theme was love and separation. The folk songs are the brilliant examples of that of songs purely made out of the souls felt inside the singer mastermind.

The primitive people of Bangla have hardly used any music to make their songs more appealing except for some known instruments like tabor, flute and Ektara or Dotara. With the natural tone of the voice they could attract the attention of their listeners. Their art of choosing words or the lyric, properly implanted tune, meditating style of presentation could easily create appeal among the listeners and they earned mass popularity. With the preaching of religion and change of the rulers some songs were seen to be composed.

The very old type of songs was composed in Sanskrit by Joydeb which were known as Geetgobinda. After around three hundred years, Barhu Cahndi Das composed the most purely and remarkable Bangla songs called Sreekrishnakeertan. This was mostly influenced Gurjari, Borhari, Deshakh, Vairabi, Patmonjori, Mallar, Bhatiali, Malab, Deshaborhari, Ramakiri, Basanta and Bivas tones. Later on, many more tones and tunes have been added and mixed in this musical patterns. But the Bhatiali and other primitive type of songs are the original kind of purely invented Bangla rhythmic tone. Most of the folk songs are sung in this rhythm.

T first, folk songs were sung in praise and glory of the heavenly bodies and their mysterious love and activities which continued for many years. Nidhi Babu alias Ramnidhi introduced a new kind of folk songs called Toppa mostly on the basis of human passion during early 1800. This Toppa was based on a kind of Panjabi Folk Song which Nidhi Babu learned from Goalm Nabi. Before that gods and goddesses were the central figures of the folk songs. Nidhu Babu broke the shackles and cliché trensds and introduced Toppa which gained instantaneous popularity. Human feeling and passion were dominant in his songs and attracted people of all types. His songs were rejected by some religious saints of the accusation of vulgarity. Many of his songs were accused of indecent love and perversion which actually spoke highly of human love or such type of appeal. Some lines from his songs can be quoted:

“অনেক দিবস পর মিলন হইল।

বিরহ-বিষ-অনল ছিল অধিক প্রবল।

তাহা যে শীতল হবে মনেতে না ছিল।।

মিলন আশ্রয়ে প্রাণ, ছিল যে্ঞি তেঁই প্রাণ তোমারে পাইল।।

কত সুখ হল লাভ, কথায় কত কহিবে।

আনন্দ সাগরে মন, নয়ন সজল।”

The above quoted lines of his lyrics were accused of carnal desire and vulgarity which is completely the expression of gratification of an awaited beloved. This spoke highly of human love and passion with no mention of gods goddesses. Dhop keertan, Panchali, Akhrai, Kheurh, Tarja and other types of folk songs got immense popularity among people of different regions of Bengal. Jatra and Kabigaan were evolved and added later on to win the hearts of the audience and listeners. Bodily love, physical desire and vulgar words would dominate this type of song. Classic song and other refined songs were taught and learned around the Bengal which hardly could lose the influence of traditional folk songs. In early nineties, the wealthy and educated strongly patronized classic and raga. Most of the instruments were mostly introduced this time. Some educated young men including the Tagores started being influenced by western music and ignored folk songs and rhythm. During English rule, the traditional folk songs were revived and renewed with the spirit of patriotism and folk songs of this period gained special attention. Rabindranath Tagore had mastered the great skill of music and it was he who freed the Bangla song from the grip of the Hindus. Although most of his songs and rhythm were brought from the west, he had turned them into Banlga type in blending traditional soft tone. With his age, he matured the mastery of music and song along with his other skills. Some other lyricist masterminds like Dijendralal Roy, Atulprasad Sen, Rajanikanta Sen, Girsishchandra Ghosh and the like enriched the store of Banglaa songs with their great efforts and sincerity. Kazi Nazrul Islam was one of the most famous lyricists and singers whose songs influenced and are still influencing people. He put emphasis more on rhythm than of lyric. His poetic mastery led him to be a great singer and lyricist. He contained the traditional Bangali love, spirit, separation, atmosphere, rhythm, softness and attraction. Therefore Nazrul is now an untouchable zenith in the history of Bangla song.

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This region was flooded by a number of great singers and lyricists in the twentieth century. Their contribution is great. But they have been and are being forgotten with the passage of time ad change of taste for music. But still there are some masterminds who have earned immortality in the core of the hearts of the people of different arenas. These singers are mostly bouls whose songs have created great appeal among people. Their rhythms and tone of voice are purely influenced by the softness of nature and/or mysticism of the natural landscape of this region. The greenery, the love of youths, the great landscape, the legendary, the myths, the mysticism— all have made them to think. Love and death are dominant part of their songs. Their relentless search for God has also been noticed. Among the prolific masterminds of the bouls, Shiraj Sjain, Bijoy Pagol, Hason Raja, Lalon Shain, and his followers are mentionable. With his rhythm, lyric and mysticism, Lalon has achieved a position among the most invincible position whose songs are now influencing the people across globe. His continuous persuasion of God, preaching non-violence and universal peace have gained him the zenith of the greatest mastermind.

“সব লোকে কয় লালন কী জাত সংসারে।
লালন কয় জাতের কী রূপ দেখলাম না এই নজরে।।

সুন্নত দিলে হয় মুসলমান
নারীলোকের কী হয় বিধান

বামন চিনি পৈতায় প্রমাণ বামনী চিনি কিসেরে।।”

His songs are influenced by his nonviolent attitude and soft nature of Bengal. The tradition of Bengal is not to draw lines between the castes and nations and this has been questioned in his song. He gave a thought of natural man having no sign that could separate man from woman. This sexual difference was evident for years in the male dominated societies when women were considered nothing more than toy for enjoyment. Lalon questions and tries to answer the tormenting question. His other songs are the outputs of deadlock shackles of the then society and are deeply influenced by the tradition and culture, mysticism and geography, death and deeds of the Bengal and.

Abdul Alim and Jshimuddin are two of the most famous prolific lyricists and singers whose purely refined thoughts have produced pre Bangla folk songs with no influence the west. Their devotion and meditation have gifted some appealing folk songs that are capable of containing the hearts and deeds of the people of region. The traditional love affairs, passions, the living styles, the rootless and their dreams— all these have played the most vital roles in their songs. Abdul Alim seems to be more of a mystic singer in dealing with the theme of religion, Allah, prophet, Islamic commandments and the like. On the contrary, Jashumuddin hardly focuses religion in his songs. His songs highlight and introduce the most common and rootless people who have dreams in their lives but are tormented by the cruelty of bitter reality and natural forces. It is he who first thinks of snake-charming and sellers casts who lead a vagabond life because of their having no land of their own.  What they own is some unexpressed dream and obviously love. Their lives are shaped and influenced by natural trauma and disaster. Chronicle pains and bereavement lead them to an unpredictable future yet they have the most adoring thought of living a lofty life with no poverty and disaster. Their life is depicted by Jashimuddin in his several poems. He also depicts the natural landscape and geography of Bengal. In this regard, his sense of patriotism charms the readers and listeners. Though he deals in multifarious themes, Love plays the most vital role of all. The Love of Bengal is different and it is identical in its kind:

“ওই বিদেশি বাণিয়া মোরে পাগল কইরা গেছে

আমার মন কাড়িয়া নেছেরে সজনি!

শাখা না কিনিতে আমি হাতে বাঁধলাম ডোর

সিথির সিন্দুর কিনে চোক্ষে দেখি ঘোর।”

This description is rare in the world except for in Bengal. This is the common scenario of Love that is often hampered by manifold problems. The way of winning love through selling sindur in convincing manner has been evident here. The traditional love-winning system in this region is very different. Besides, the making of love is noticeable that is mostly resulted by the separation of desperate beloved who is burnt silently within herself waiting for the seller. This is the culture of Bengal. Social bindings and regulations forbid them to express Love for anyone, and so it goes mostly unexpressed. But the fire of Love burns everyone privately that sees a tragic end.

The wings of poesy give the singers the quality of attracting the listeners with his appealing songs only because they hold the views and passions of the people of this region. Their passions are mainly marked by Love and feeling for Love. The wanton Love goes beyond notice because of the cultural tradition of the society. Carnal Love is strengthened in the love song of the west. Our folk songs are based on Love but it is free of wanton Love and carnal desire rather filled with Platonic Love. This sort of Love songs attract all for its reality in Bengal.

Folk songs in independent Bangladesh have evolved and changed under the influence of western music and rhythm. Still People have great fascination for traditional folk songs that are purely influenced by the culture, tradition, geography, landscape, social norms and ideas. These songs are so appealing that still people are seen to listen the ‘remake’ and ‘remix’ folk songs. Our folk songs bear our value, cultural identity and difference. These are our most endearing resources for which we can feel proud of.