Folk music at a glance

Dr. Mridul Kanti Chakrobarty

Photo: Amirul Rajiv

BANGLADESH is crisscrossed by innumerable rivers and rivulets. These rivers with their might and whims continue to shape the land mass of the country, the largest delta on earth. The vast expenses of water in tranquility or in fury also shape the lives of its people. Water is their life. They sing with passion in praise, fear, love for the creator or his creation, nature included. They sing in funfare or mundane pains. Depending on the composition and tune, we term these outbursts form the core of their hearts as Baul, Bhatyali, Bhawayea, Jari-Shari, Murshidi-Marfati or by the very name of the composer.

Folk music of a community, uninfluenced by any sophisticated musical rules or any standard music styles. Bangladesh has a rich folk music which includes both religious and secular songs.

Folk music may be described as that type of ancient music which springs from the heart of a community, based on its natural style of expression uninfluenced by the rules of classical music and modern popular songs. Any mode or form created by the combination of tune, voice and dance may be described as music. Thus, the combination of folk song, folk dance, and folk tune may be called folk music. For example, Baul songs are a combination of tune, music and dance.

Folk music has the following characteristics: (i) It is composed by rural folk on the basis of ancient rules transmitted orally; (ii) These ancient rules of music have not been influenced by classical or modern music; (iii) Folk songs may be sung in groups or individually; (iv) No regular practice is required for folk music; (v) It is composed and performed by illiterate or semi-literate people; (vi) It is a spontaneous expression in easy language, local dialect, and simple tune; (vii) Both words and tune are appealing; (viii) Despite its universal appeal it uses local dialect; (ix) It depends upon nature and the rural environment; (x) It is an explicit manifestation of the joys and sorrows of daily life; (xi) It uses simple and natural rhythms; (xii) It contains a strong emotive expression of human love and separation.

In Bangladesh folk music has great variety, with songs being composed on the culture, festivals, views of life, natural beauty, rivers and rural and riverine life. These songs are also about social inequality and poverty, about the material world and the supernatural. Mystical songs have been composed using the metaphors of rivers and boats. Since the country is basically riverine, the Bhatiyali forms an important genre of folk music. Folk music is formed and develops according to the environment. Differences in the natural environment are reflected in the people of the different regions. The dialects too vary across the different regions. Bangladeshi folk music therefore varies from region to region. Thus there are the northern Bhawaiya, the eastern Bhatiyali and the southwestern Baul songs.

The culture and the lifestyle of the different tribes have also influenced folk music. Tribes like the Santal, Garo, Hajong, Chakma, Manipuri, Tripuri, Marma, etc., have interacted with ethnic Bengali culture and lifestyle over the years. The interaction has been clearly reflected in the richness of folk music.

Folk songs may be sung individually or in chorus. Folk songs sung individually include Baul, Bhatiyali, Murshidi, Marfati, while songs sung in chorus include Kavigan, Leto, Alkap and Gambhira. Some songs are regional in character, but others are common to both Bangladesh and West Bengal. Similarly, some songs belong distinctively to one religious community, Hindu or Muslim; others cross religious boundaries. Some songs belong exclusively to men, others to women, while some are sung by both men and women. Thus only women compose and sing vratagan and Meyeli Geet, but both men and women participate in the 'roof-beating' songs that are sung while beating down and firming rooftops.

Different folk songs belong to different regions of Bangladesh and West Bengal and are listed below:

Baul and spiritual songs: Birbhum and Kushtia.

Jarigan: Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Faridpur, Murshidabad.

Bhawaiya: Cooch Bihar, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Pabna.

Gambhira: Rajshahi, Malda.

Gajan: West Bengal.

Nil Puja: Bangladesh.

Wedding songs: all regions.

Roof-beating songs: the northern regions of Bangladesh, Birbhum and Bankura in West Bengal.

Sari: the lower marshy regions of Sylhet and Mymensingh.

Bhatiyali: nearly all regions of Bangladesh, the regions of Tripura and Shilchar.

Pastoral songs: Dhaka, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Sylhet, Habiganj.

Vratagan and Meyeli Geet: both Bengals.

Bhadu Gan: Bankura, Purulia, southern Birbhum and western Bardhaman.

Basically Bangla folk music is divided into two broad divisions - rhythmic and arhythmic commonly known as Sari and Bhatiyali, respectively. They have also been termed as `indoor' and `outdoor' music. But these epithets do not reveal their real inner character. Rhythmic songs are generally group songs represented mostly by work songs though there are rate cases of arhythmic group songs also. The marriage songs sung by women in groups are arhythmic. Songs sung solo or individually without dance, without any manual work integrated integrated into or without any musical instrument in the hand of the musician or any of his associates, are arhythmic in the real sense of the term. Unlike `outdoor' songs which are sung in group, Bhatiyali, which is considered to be in the `indoor' category of songs, is sung individually in loneliness. It reveals the inner self most faithfully with warmth and fidelity and as such has not only been the very best specimen of Bangla folk song, but also the very basis of it. It expresses the intensity of emotions like love and devotion and its love songs were the feelings of frustration in love, rather than joy in it. It also covers religious folk songs, absolute mental and physical relaxation for the villagers, especially of the boatman on the river holding the helm straight without any effort while going downstream. The word Bhatiyali literally means going down the tide. Rhythmic song in Bangla is known as Sari which is generally group song and is integrated into some sort of manual work or rhythmic dance. Sari is an action song. Bhatiyali is slow and without any action but Sari is fast. The best specimen of Sari is that which is sung during boat races by those who pull the oars, keeping time (Tala) by beating on the raised edges of the racing boats. Bhatiyali is the solo and Sari the group song of boats.

In textual and compositional variety Baul forms the richest stream of Bangla folk-music. Baul is a mystical cult pertaining to a spiritual discipline which relates to philosophical thoughts about a system of its own. Baul is popularly described as a folk religion where the proponents speak everything in songs. The greatest Baul poets, like Lalon Shah (1774 to 1890) of Kusthia, have left behind excellent Baul songs on metaphysical thoughts, rich both in textual wealth and music. There have been countless other Bauls all over the different regions of Bangladesh and west Bengal in India, each belonging to his own regional musical style.

The aim of life as conceived by the mystic poets and reflected in their songs is to reach God through love and devotion. This has little to do with rituals and ceremonials observed in orthodox society. A mystic is best defined as one who has intimate spiritual experience of the divine being. The mystical element found in their songs may be explained by reference to the influence of Persian sufism. The three types of mystics, Baul, Marfati and Musshidi, have much in common. Towering poets like Radha Raman (1834-1915) and Hason Raja (1854-1922) of Sunamganj in Bangladesh have left behind excellent mystic songs on metaphysical thoughts, underpinned by divine love, rich both in textual wealth and music.

Folk music has a basic style of composition and can be classified into four groups: First, tunes consisting of 'Sa Ra Ma Pa', secondly, 'Sa Ga Ma Pa', thirdly, 'Sa Ra Ga Pa', and fourthly, 'Sa Ra Ga Ma Pa'. Folk music strictly follows this pattern which is followed only in classical music. Suresh Chandra Chakraborty has observed two aspects of folk songs such as: (i) lyric songs such as Bhatiyali, Baul etc, and (ii) songs like Bhater Gan which cannot even be properly termed as poetry. All folk songs in the world usually involve the pentatonic scale, which is found in Bangla folk songs as well as in Santal and Garo-Hajang songs.

The folk music of Bangladesh is different from other music not only because of its distinctive mode but also because of the richness of its seventh note. Apart from its tunes, Bangla folk music is also distinct in its rhythm. Many of the ragas in the classical tradition like Abher, Saveri, Malavi, Kanadi, Pahadi, Madh and Vangal have been named after folk music. Classical ragas like Jhinjhit, Desh, Bhairavi, Bhupali, Vibhas, etc., resemble Bhatiyali which involves the use of a tune belonging to classical tunes such as Khamvaj and Pilu. Quite often it is similar to classical ragas like Bhimpalashri and Patadip. With regard to its style, Bhatiyali comes close to the classical tunes of Khamvaj and Kafi. The traces of Khamvaj or Pilu are also found in the Jhumur. Baul songs resemble the musical ragas of Vehag, Khamvaj, Bhairavi, Vilaval, etc. In some folk songs both Bhimpalasri and Khamvaj ragas may be noticed. Two modes of Jhinjhit have been recognised. The first goes only up to the seventh pitch of Dhaivat in classical music. In the second the scale is as follows: Sa Ra Ma/ Pa Ma Ga Ra Sa Na Dha Pa/ Pa Dha Sa Ra Ga Ma Ga/ Dha Sa. In folk music Jhinjhit varies slightly: Sa Ra Ma/ Pa Ma Ga Ra Sa Na Dha/ Dha Sa Sa Ra Ga, Ra Ga Ma.

It should be remembered that in most folk songs the tune of the constant stave and the middle staves is nearly identical. For example, the first few lines of a famous song composed by Gagan Harkara, ami kothay pabo tare/ amar maner manus ye re (Where shall I find him, the man after my heart?), illustrates the use of seven pure notes and sometimes the use of soft melody. The tune mostly used in the Bhatiyali, called Kashauli Jhinjhit, is as follows: Sa Ra Ma, Pa Ma Ga Dha Sa Na Dha, Dha Sa Sa Ra Ga, Ra Ga Sa. An analysis of folk songs shows a variety of rhythms and tempo. Sari and Jhumur are sung at a quick tempo, and Bhatiyali and Bhawaiya at a delayed tempo.

In conclusion, it may be said that each category of Bangla folk or traditional songs has a peculiar characteristic tune. Nonetheless, the tunes of all folk songs ultimately smack of a folk air which is distinct from modern or classical music. The fact of the matter is that forms of folk music are different. Strands of the tunes find adequate expression. This reminds one of the several kinds of laboratories in which different branches of science are pursued. And just as results of experiments of the several laboratories are eventually brought together and synthesised, so a synthesis occurs in the field of tunes.

The writer is Professor, Department of Music, Dhaka University.