When night falls, in the peaceful and luxurious countryside
of West Bengal, India, the sound of a bewitching music
rises slowly from the villages. It is the time when Bauls,
these mystic Bengali minstrels, gather in ashrams or at
home and start playing untill late in the night. Sometimes
lit only by a single candle, drums (tablas, dugis),
harmonium, Ektaras and Dotaras (string instruments),
accompany the poetry of beautiful male voices, while the
villagers gather around the musicians. While the music
comprises traditional texts and instrumental improvisation,
that comes from various religious origins (Hindu, Buddhism,
Sufism), it is also socially committed, such as in its
opposition to the caste system or to the separation of
Hindu and Muslim communities, which does not please
everybody.
For the Bauls, music is a way of life. Although many earn a
living through agricultural labour during the day, it is at
night that they fulfill their passion and engage their soul
and heart into music. Baul songs are transmitted between
generations by Gurus who teach young disciples.
Lyrics, which have influenced the famous Bengali poet
Tagore, touch on human and celestial love, the importance
of the physical body, messages of peace and brotherhood, as
well as on the discovery of divine in man’s heart.
Given the current social changes going on, notably the
impoverishment of rural areas and exodus to urban areas,
the practice of this traditional music is on the decline.
But the action of local heritage preservation associations,
as well as Baul’s inclusion by UNESCO in 2005 in the list
of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of
Humanity", participate in its conservation and diffusion.
