The Evolution of Assamese Songs: a Cursory Inquest
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International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science Society and Culture(IJIRSSC) Vol: 1, No.:1, 2015 ISSN 2395-4335, © IJIRSSC www. ijirssc.in ________________________________-________________ The Evolution of Assamese Songs: A Cursory Inquest 1Dr. Sikhamoni Konwar , 2Dr. Anup Kumar Deka Principal, Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia College1 Assistant Professor , Department of English, Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia College2 Guwahati, Assam, India1,2 ABSTRACT : Assamese song has got a glorious history of more than twelve hundred years starting from the Charya geet of 8th century to the grand numbers of Bhupen Hazarika of 21st century. The entire journey of Assamese song is enlightened and enriched with the great like Sankardeva and Madhabdeva with their Borgeet ; the ushers like Satyanath Bora, Padma Nath Gohain Baruah, Nalinibala Devi, Chandra Kumar Agarwala, Laxmi Nath Bezbaruah; and the harbingers of modernity like Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnu Rabha. Over the ages Assamese songs and music have gone through different phases of evolution and transformation marked by the national, humanitarian and aesthetic spirit of the Assamese people. And now the Assamese songs have broken the confinement of time and place, and claimed a universal pedestal. Keywords: Assamese song, Borgeet, Folk songs, Lyricists, Ojapali. ____________________________________________________________________ I.Introduction: The development of Assamese song can be traced back to Charyapada in terms of the fact that they were the first written specimens of Assamese song and literature. Charyapadas were written between 8th and 12th century under the influence of Buddhism. The first illustration of Assamese language can be found in the Charya geet of Buddhist Sahajani Monk. [1]. Referring to the Charya geet Dr. Banikanta Kakoti says, ―Certain phonological and morphological peculiarities registered in the Buddha Dohas have come down in an unbroken continuity through early to modern Assamese …modern Assamese in certain respects shows a closer approximation to the forms and idioms preserved in Dohas‖ [2] . Charyapadas were technically better composed and thematically more sublime. Through we don‘t know much about the musical notation and features of ‗Charyapada‘, yet its external texture is equivalent to the Borgeet and other lyrical composition of its class in the later period[1]. Lui Pa, a Buddhist Monk, used ―Patmanjari Raga‖ in his first song. Despite being thematically profound and complex, the texts of Charyapadas have got exquisite musical touch. II.Discussion: After Charyapada the musical trends of Ojāpāli is worth reckoning. During the period between the later half of 15th and the first half 16th century there emerged a number of poets (Pitamber Kabi, Durgabar Mankar and Xukabi Narayan Dev were prominent among them) who were not much influenced by the Vaishnavite movement.The theme and the style of their composition also did not imbibe any trace of Vishnavite ideology. The literature by those poets may be called Pānchāli or Ojāpāli. In Ojāpāli there are five singers and musicians. Its song also got five parts- Malita, Rag, Diha, Bana and Thoka[3]. The Raga used in Ojāpāli bears the proof of the practice of Raga music even before the emergence of Sankardeva (the pioneer of Vaishnavite movement in Assam). www. ijirssc.in Page 169 International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science Society and Culture(IJIRSSC) Vol: 1, No.:1, 2015 ISSN 2395-4335, © IJIRSSC www. ijirssc.in ________________________________-________________ But the oldest trend of music that overwhelms the people‘s mind and soul over the ages, that takes listeners to the utmost spiritual depth, that enchants them with its divine tone is Borgeet. Borgeets are acknowledged to be that special trends of song and music pioneered by Sankaradeva. It is said that Sankaradeva wrote his first Borgeet ‗Man Meri Ram Saranahi Lagu‘ in Badarikashram during his first pilgrimage .Following the foot step of his Guru Sankardeva, Madhavdeva earnestly tried to spread the spirit of Bhakti through his Borgeets among the common people. Borgeet has its own unique spiritual divine-melody, fertile self revealing diction and very magnanimous sublime thought and theme. Banikanta Kakoti, Kaliram Medhi etc. scholars has termed Borgeet as Songs Celestial, Noble Numbers because of its spiritual greatness and sublimity[4]. The post-Sankardeva period was a latent period. Satyendranath Sarma said that during that period nothing new is noticed in the composition of songs and dramas [3]. There is a long stagnancy further lulled by social and political turmoil. And it resulted in a radical social change. Assamese society and culture got shrunk under the oppression of the British Empire. There was an utterly changed atmosphere. Assamese song and literature sank into oblivion and Bengali songs and music started to make its presence felt. Bengali Khemta song, Nidhibabu‘s Tappa and the songs of Shyamlal and Dwijendralal were getting popular. Even the most pioneering Assamese personality like Anandaram Dhekial Phukan brought Bengali artists to perform in a marriage ceremony at his place[5][6] . Satyanath Bora in the year 1888 made an attempt to revive the Assamese song with the publication of his collection of songs Geetawali. However, his songs did not have much to offer in terms of poignant thought and expression. From 1888 to about 1928 people like Satyanath Bora, Lakhiram Baruah, Bhakat Ram Choudhury, Benudhar Rajkhowa, Padmadhar Chaliha, Durlav Chandra Daroga etc. tried their every way to revive the Assamese song. Satya Nath Bora‘s Geetawali was an effort to put an end to the dominance of Bengali song in the state. In the introduction to Geetawali Mr. Bora said that this work of his was an endeavour to retrieve and reinstate the lost past glory of the Assamese song In the year 1924 Prafulla Baruah got four Assamese songs recorded by HMV Gramophone Company in Kolkata. All the songs were sung by Mr. Baruah himself. It was the first of its kind in the history of Assamese song. In the mean time, people like Padma Nath Gohain Baruah, Nalinibala Devi, Chandra Kumar Agarwala and Laxmi Nath Bezbaruah put their best effort in composing Assamese song. Their works really infused life and force into it. Especially the songs by Laxmi Nath Bezbaruah own the peoples heart and soul. In addition to Bezbaruah‘s national song ‗O Mor Āpunār Dex…‘ the other five songs are popular even today. They are ---‗Prem Prem buli‘, ‗Parbator Dhekiā‘, ‗Lorā Burhā Kāk Kai, ‗Xakhi He Kikame Dukhare Kathā‟, ‗Kone No Bajāise Bāhi‘. Bezbaruah was a composer of great caliber. The following extract from his song ‗Lorā Burhā Kāk Kai‘ is an example enough of his thought and excellence: www. ijirssc.in Page 170 International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science Society and Culture(IJIRSSC) Vol: 1, No.:1, 2015 ISSN 2395-4335, © IJIRSSC www. ijirssc.in ________________________________-________________ ― Purani Ākāx Phulām Tarāre Lorāt Koio Lorā Purani Prithibi Phutuki Phulare Tāt Koi Je Sarā‖ Here, Bezbaruah has achieved great depth of thought with so common place diction, images and tone. With great musicality and ease he juxtaposed the ―old past‖ and ―the new present‖-the bright and colorful present is in fact rooted in grand and expansive past. Thus, in a very soft yet convincing tone and style Bezbaruah welcomes the new. Bezbaruah also wrote a few songs which has got close proximity to the folk songs and ballads in terms of style and tone. In this respect, citation can be made of his song on historical character Badan Barphukan who invited in Maan (The Burmese) to invade the state of Assam: ―Kiyano Ānili Manoi Badan Toy, Kiyono Ānili Māān? Jāuti Jugaloi Khyāti Rākhili, Katāli Axamar Kān. Xonare Axamat Dakāit Meli Dili, Nandanat Melili Hāti. Bargharar Majiyāt Fetigom Erili, Bhardupariā Rāti” This song also gives vent to his passionate patriotic spirit. Besides this type of song, Bezbaruah wrote some so musically rhythmic and melodious poem that they are better sung than read. In the latter period they are further enriched with great musical notation by some able singers and composers. Of them ‗Eketi Xurat Bāhiti Bāndhā‟ ; ‗Prem Prem Buli Jagat Ghurilo‟ ; ‗Koi Jowā Dākowāl Khoj Kiya Kobal‟ etc. are the songs which are musically composed and sung by Bhupen Hazarika. Anandi Ram Das is another important name who made special contribution towards enriching the course of Assamese song with his Bon-geet. His application of pure Assamese words and common expression had reasserted the possibilities and potentialities of Assamese language in musical composition. His songs like ‗Keko Bāo Keko Bāo Keko Kile Sore‟; ‗Upaja Xonar O‟ etc. are reflection of his experimentations with tones and words of native common folk. These songs bear a pastoral touch in their music, diction and thought. It was a new facet in the Assamese song. Love and nature were the primary themes of the Bongeets. Anandi Ram Das was honoured with the title Bon Knowar by the people of Assam. Kamala Nanda Bhattacharyya, Kritinath Sarma Bardoloi and Purusuttam Das were also the personalities making contribution in this direction. After 1920 there are many poets and lyricists who had taken to writing and composing songs. With regards to the writing of patriotic songs, Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, Padmadhar Chaliha and Umesh Ch. Choudhury had curved a niche. Most of the songs by Ambikagiri Raichoudhury are result of his deep rooted love for his country and his vehement desire for social change. As a social reformer his ‗Dhar Jaru Dhar Bhāi‟ is always remembered by the people of the state. His another song ‗Bando ki Chandere‘ was the opening song of Pandu Congress convention. According to Atul ch. Hazarika this is one of the five best national songs www. ijirssc.in Page 171 International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Science Society and Culture(IJIRSSC) Vol: 1, No.:1, 2015 ISSN 2395-4335, © IJIRSSC www. ijirssc.in ________________________________-________________ of Assam (Das, Jogesh; Kakati, SatishCh.; Ali, Tafajjul; Goswami, Ram[ed]: An article by Atul Ch.