Kamala sundori Nache - Ancient Folk Song of Bengal www.jasimuddin.org

Folk songs of Bengal

In Bengal from ancient times, kirtan was sung in praise of the divine. Buddhists sang charya, which is in fact another form of kirtan. While all songs which glorify God and describe his different names and attributes are kirtan, Chaitanya gave a specific form to kirtan and divided it into two types: kirtan which names God and kirtan which describes the doings of God. There are five parts of kirtan: katha, donha, akhar, tuk and chhut. Another part of kirtan is jhumur. The influence of jhumur can be seen in Bangla folk songs as well as in modern songs. nazrul islam used jhumur in a number of songs such as 'Churir tale nurir mala', 'Tepantarer mathe badhu he', 'Ranamatir pathe lo', etc.

The age of the mangalkavya or mangal gan, ie panegyrics or songs in praise of deities, lasted from the 15th to the 18th century. These songs were based on ragas such as basanta, mallar, sri, kaushiki and sung to a specific tune known as mangalsur. The mangalkavya record the names of many instruments that were used during that period: Sahnai, Bansi (flute), Mrdanga, shankha, karatal, Mandira, rabab, dotara, Sitar, dampha, Khamak.

The pala or ballad, written between the 16th to 18th centuries, forms an important folk genre. Some of the most well known ballads of Bengal are the maimansingha gitika and purbabanga-gitika.

• Gombhira: song (originating in Chapai Nawabganj, in the North) performed with a particular distinctive rhythm and dance with two performers, always personifying a man and his grand father, discussing a topic to raise social awareness
• ke banilo re hason raza re
• Hason Raja: devotional songs written by music composer Hason Raja (from Sylhet near Assam) that was recently repopularised as popular dance music
• Jaari: song that involves musical battle between two groups
• Jatra Pala: songs associated exclusively with plays (performed on-stage) that usually always involve historical themes presented in a very colourful way
• Kirtan: devotional song depicting love of Hindu god Krishno and his (best-known) wife, Radha
• Pala: songs from the haor (lake) area in Sylhet, Kishoregonj, and Netrokona usually performed on stage live,

Jqasim Uddin writes:

Folk-song is the collective creation of a whole people.
In the old days the life of our country had been one integrated whole. There was no clear-cut line between the outlook and enjoyments of the rich and the poor, and there was give-and-take between the songs and stories of the scholars and those of literate villagers. The song of the poorest peasant, playing his one-stringed instrument in a remote corner of the village .might echo through the seven stories of a great man's house and bring delight there. A prince or a landlord would not hesitate to join the small knot of people who collected in the market-place to listen to .a ragged, wandering teller of tales. Before passing on he might even pay tribute to the artist's skill by hanging some rich gem round his neck.

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Music

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• www.jasimuddin.org

[basuuddin]

traditional song of bengal

[randominitializer]

@basuuddin well someone must have composed the song! the accent in all version of this song is of east bengal. and as far as i knew it was jasimuddin's lyrics and music? many of Jasimuddin's songs were used by various local bauls, for understandable reason! are you sure it's not Jasimuddin? can you elaborate bit more please.

[randominitializer]

didn't Jasimuddin compose this song?

[nazbites]

oh man that guy looks amazing in the beginning