I have an essay on the Bauls, with specific reference to Nimai Chand Goswami, who died earlier this year. Do read friends, would love to know what you think. One must question the recognition, the urban setting, the electric sounds, the so-called glamorisation..of the Bauls. How much has it really helped the preservation of simple Baul music and its cultural ethos? Given the fact that there are many such Baul singers who face oblivion because they do not sound ‘modern’ or are not more attuned to urban tastes, will the traditional Baul be forced to change? Gour Khepa was a celebrated figure in life and death, and counted the likes of Bob Dylan among his friends. He may have been labelled a rock star had he been anywhere else but Bengal. The balancing act required for a Baul to retain his Baul identity while producing music that is popular is perhaps a tough one.. Nimai Chand Goswami died in June this year. He was well-known for his beautiful songs and his expertise on the dotara. His death went largely unreported. One wonders whether obscurity in death would matter for Nimai, who once sang: Ke ba badshah ke ba fakir…shobai toh insan re…char dine er ei asha jawa…jhogra bibad korishnike… allah r dorbare jeno shokale shoman…bhalo monder bichar koren khuda meherban .. * Click on page numbers at the bottom of the page to read the entire essay
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 04:16:35 +0000
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