Reflection of Boul Folklore on Rabindra Sangeet - a Review
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International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X Reflection of Boul Folklore on Rabindra Sangeet - A Review Sumana Bhattacharyya 1, *Sumanta Bid 2 1 Guest Lecturer, Department of Music, Rampurhat College, Birbhum, West Bengal, India. 2 Assistant Master, Govt. Model School, Hirbandh, Bankura, West Bengal, India. Email: [email protected] Abstract: Rabindranath Tagore, popularly known as Great Poet and Rabindra Sangeet both are exceedingly relevant still twenty first century society, worldwide. In one hand he established himself as poetry, novelist, critique, story writer, dramatist, painter, phonetic and as a great lyricist on another. Even he concentrates on different folklore such as Boul . Rarh Bengal and a broader part of present Bangladesh are the mother land of Boul folklore and later it begins to spread. Rabindranath Tagore was deeply influenced by the folklore in his childhood and applies this particular tradition on his song popularly known as Baulanga Rabindra Sangeet. A number of music ( Rabindra Sangeet) is influenced by the thought of Boul and many of these are yet very popular such as Tomar khola hawa lagiye pale, Amar sonar bangae, Bhenge mor ghorer chabi etc. In this research work authors represent a review on the reflection of Boul folklore on Rabindra Sangeet . Keywords: Folklore, Boul Folklore, Rabindra Sangeet , Baulanga Rabindra Sangeet * Corresponding author Introduction: Tagore himself once wrote in ‘Sangeetchinta’ on what he considered the static, institutional character of Hindustani classical music: “Music must have so much life in it, as to enable it to grow with the growth of society, change with the changes in society, to influence Volume 7, Issue 8, 2018 382 http://dynamicpublisher.org/ International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X society and to be influenced back by society. .” (Tagore, 1373; Dasthakur, 2010). In this context Tagore try to give life in his music by incorporating different folk tradition such as Boul, Tappa, Tarja, Bhatiali, Sari etc. Tagore wrote in his book ‘Religion of Man’ (2012): “ Baul means madcap, from bayu in its sense of nerve current, and has become the appellation of a set of people who do not conform to established social usage. This derivation is supported by the following verse of Narahari: That is why, brother, I became a madcap Baul . No master I obey, nor injunction, canons or custom. Now no men-made distinctions have any hold on me, And I revel only in the gladness of my own welling love. In love there’s no separation, but commingling always. So I rejoice in song and dance with each and all. These lines also introduce us to the main tenets of the cult. The freedom, however, that the Bouls seek from all forms of outward compulsion goes even further, for among such are recognized as well compulsion exerted by our desires and antipathies. Therefore, according to this cult, in order to gain real freedom, one has first to die to the life of the world whilst still in the flesh – for only then can on be rid of all extraneous claims. Those of the Bauls who have Islamic leanings call such ‘death in life’ f ana , a term used by the Sufis to denote union with the Supreme Being”. Discussion: Rabindranath Tagore was deeply influenced by the Boul folklore in his childhood and applies this particular tradition on his song popularly known as Baulanga Rabindra Sangeet. He starts to incorporate this tradition in his music from 1890 at Purbabanga . Tagore also includes the dress code and decoration of Boul singes in his book ‘Religion of Man’ (2012): “Most Indian sects adopt some distinct way of keeping the hair of head and face as a sign of their sects or order. Therefore, so as to avoid being dragged into any such distinctions, the Bauls allow hair and bread and moustache to grow freely. Thus do we remain simple, they say”. Songs, those are affected by the Boul in the first phase are: Ogo tomra sobai bhalo (in the drama Gorai Golad), Amare ke nibi bhai sanpite chai apanare (in the drama Bishorjon ). A Volume 7, Issue 8, 2018 383 http://dynamicpublisher.org/ International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X number of songs are used in the period of Swadeshi movement which are basically composed by the tune of Boul such as Amar sonar Bangla, Aji bangladeshar hridoy hote, Ebar tor mora gange ban eseche, O amar desher mati, Khapa tui achis apan, Tor apan jone, Nishidin bhorsha rachis, Jodi tor dak sune keo, Je tomai chre charuk etc. (Basu, 1978; Ghosh, 1349; Tagore, 1373; Dutta, 1978). The songs influenced by Boul folklore and included in the Puja Parjay are: Ami kan pete roi, Ami tarei khuje berai, Se je moner manus, O amar mon jokhon jagli na re, Ami taei jani, Jani tomar preme, Tomar khola hawa, Ami jokhon chilam andho, Mon re o re mon (Basu, 1978). Tagore emphasizes on ektara in his songs repeatedly and uses it as symbol of Boul . Songs related with ektara are : Ekmone tor ektarate ekti je tar seiti baja, Amar dosor je jon ogo tare ke jane, Amar bela je jai sanjh belate, Amar mon cheye roi mone mone here madhuri, Badal boul bajai re ektara etc . (Basu, 1978). Tagore not only uses the Boul tune in his Boulango Rabindrasangeet but also uses kirtan tune and raga ragini tune such as Bajramanik diye gatha, ashar, tomar mala. Here he includes desh ragini in third tune. Tagore also uses Pilu ragini in the songs Ami tarei jani tarei jani amai je jon apan jane and Rangiye diye jao go ebar jabar age (Ghosh, 1349). The other songs written by Rabindranath Tagore which are related with Boul folklore directly or indirectly are given in table 1 (Basu, 1978): Conclusion: On the basis of the above discussion we can conclude that Tagore was intensely influenced by the Boul tune and the reflection has been noticed in his different songs known as Baulanga Rabindra Sangeet . At present this new tradition is not only confined in India but it extends abroad the country and becomes too much relevant in the present context of society. Though this tradition of song achieves a great popularity yet, Tagore observes an alarming condition and writes down a note about Boul of Bengal in his work ‘Religion of Man’ (2012): “In the Bauls of Bengal, there is to be found a freedom and independence of mind and spirit that resists all attempt at definition. Their songs are unique in courage and felicity of expression. But under modern conditions they are becoming extinct, or at best holding on external features bereft of their original speciality. It would be a greater pity of no record of their achievements should be kept before their culture is lost to the world”. Volume 7, Issue 8, 2018 384 http://dynamicpublisher.org/ International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X Table 1: List of Rabindra Sangeet related with Boul Sl No. Songs 1 Amar ki bedona 2 Amar praner majhe sudha ache 3 Anmona anmona 4 Eso eso o go shamochhayaghono din 5 O to r firbe na re 6 Dakbona dakbona 7 Fire fire dak dekhi re 8 Ja chilo kalo dholo 9 Hridoyer ekul okul 10 Amare dak dilo ke bhitor pane 11 Eai sraboner buker bhitor 12 Pagla hawar badal dine 13 Poush toder dak diyeche 14 Faguner suru hote 15 Basante ki sudhu kebol 16 Megher kole kole jai re chole 17 Sakal janom bhore o mor daradiya 18 He asashobihiri nirodobahono jol 19 Utal hawa laglo amar 20 Ogo dakhin hawa 21 Ore shikal tomay kole kore 22 Kothao amar hariye jawar nei mana 23 Gogone gogone dhai hanki 24 Diner pore din je gelo 25 Eai to bhalo legechilo 26 Ogo tora ke jabi pare 27 Kothin loha kothin ghume 28 Jokhon porbe na mor payer chinho Volume 7, Issue 8, 2018 385 http://dynamicpublisher.org/ International Journal of Scientific Research and Review ISSN NO: 2279-543X References: 1. Basu A. Bangla Kavyasangit O Rabindrasangit. 3 rd ed. Dey’s Publishing: Kolkata; 1978; 549-558. 2. Dasthakur S. Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities - Special Issue on Rabindranath Tagore. Edited by Amrit Sen. 2010; 2(4), ISSN 0975-2935. 3. Dutta D. Sangeet Tatta. 10 th ed. Brati Prakashani: Kolkata; 1978; 106-109. 4. Ghosh S. Rabindrasangeet. 5 th ed. Visva-Bharati Granthanbibhag: Kolkata; 1349; 98-106. 5. Tagore R. Religion of Man, Niyogi Books: New Delhi; 2012; 209-214. 6. Tagore R. Sangeetchinta. Visva-Bharati Granthanbibhag: Kolkata; 1373; 8, 229-232. Author’s Profile: Sumana Bhattacharyya has received her B. Mus. and M. Mus. degree in Rabindra Sangeet from Visva-Bharati University, Bolpur, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India. She has achieved National Scholarship in the session 2009-2010 from Government of India, Ministry of Culture, New Delhi, India under the supervision of prof. Swastika Mukhopadhyay. She is an admirable All India Radio singer in Rabindra Sangeet and achieved a number of degrees in the practical field. At present she is working as Guest Lecturer in Rampurhat College, Birbhum and has 4 years of experience in teaching. She has qualified UGC-NET July, 2018 with JRF in Rabindra Sangeet. She has many research papers and her fields of interest include impact and relevance of Rabindra Sangeet in the present context of society, Rabindra Sangeet and folklore, Nature and Rabindra Sangeet, Feminism in Rabindra Sangeet etc. Sumanta Bid is a research scholar of the University of Burdwan. He is working as an Assistant Master in the Govt. Model School, Hirbandh, Bankura, West Bengal, India.