A TERMPAPER ON

FOLK MUSIC OF BANGLADESH

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

GROUP 14 Brig. Gen. Shafaat Ahmad

Members: PhD, NDC, PSC (Retd)

1. Sadia Noor Professor

Roll- 06 Bangladesh University
2. Maisha Bente Ziad Tazvi of Professionals.
Roll- 86
3. Wassima Nikkhat Moumita
Roll- 80

Section- B

Department of Business Administration

In Marketing-2020

Bangladesh University of Professionals

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGE NUMBER

1. INTRODUCTION 03

2. AIM OF THIS PAPER 04

3. BODY OF THE PAPER

 Bangladeshi Folk Music 05

 Categories of Bangladeshi Folk Music 05

 Instruments 09

 Steps Taken to Preserve Folk Music 12

 Legends of Bangla Folk Music 13

4. CONCLUSION 14

5. REFERENCES 15

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 INTRODUCTION
Music is an art form, and cultural activity, whose medium is sound. Music can be divided into
different genres in many different ways, such as jazz, classical music, folk music, rock, pop etc.
of these genres folk music holds a special position.
Folk music is the music the people sing, not music that is made in a studio or performed on a sta
ge. People learn to sing these songs along with others. The songs are transmitted from generation 
to generation, and are also modified as they are transmitted. Folk music is in reality any music
form that reflects a culture and that can be sung or played by people who may or may not
practice using the means at their fingertips.

Folk music has evolved toreflect6 the times as times have changed. Many of the old songs of
labor and protest are still being sung today, but with new lyrics added to reflect the context in
which the songs have been revived.

"Folk music" is more commonly used outside of musicology to define a type of music that has 
developed rapidly over the last century. You'll hear critics and fans alike calling an artist "folky," 
since folk musicis best described by the people who make it, it's important not to ignore the fact t
hat terms like "folk singer" or "folky" have come to mean something different than they did 50
years ago.
A community’s folk music songs and music are uninfluenced by any complex musical laws or
traditional music styles. It can be defined as that form of ancient music that springs from a
community’s heart based on their natural style of speech, uninfluenced by the rules of classical
music and modern popular song. Any form or mode that is created by combining song, and
dance maybe described as music. So it may be called folk music which is the mixture of folk
song, folk dance and folk melody. BAUL songs for example, are a mixture of melody, rhythm
and dance.
Bangladesh has a rich folk music which includes both religious and secular songs.
Here folk music has a 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. Folk music is formed and
develops according to the environment.

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 AIM OF THIS PAPER

Our generation has a variety of musical possibilities to explore as personal taste evolves.
However, we prefer to ignore the century old practice that has influenced countless generations
before us in the search for the band or genre that will help shape our identity: Folk Music.
But what does “folk music” mean? It is a specific concept that has existed without a clear
description for decades, encompassed a diverse array of music. Despite its scope, folk music is
linked to the human experience because of its inseparable connection. Folk is the music of the
people, for the people and by the people.
Folk music is important because it is a straight forward and understandable way of describing a
society. And there is no better way to learn than through music. If it’s about real people, or a
metaphorical hero, folk songs seem to be make you want to know more in detail. A lot of times,
certain folk songs tell of a history or an accomplishment. 
Bangladesh is known for being a music destination. The folk music of Bangladesh, in particular,
is profoundly linked to the country’s psyche and resonates through Bengal’s villages. The Folk
music of Bangladesh can be classified into several subgenres. But most of the people of our
generation don’t have any idea about these categories. In fact, many people are not even aware of
“What are the famous folk songs of our country?” or “What kind of instruments are used or
played in folk music?”
This paper depicts the different categories of the folk music of Bangladesh, how the songs under
those categories are related to the day to day life of the different communities of our society, the
special instrumental appearance in folk music and what those instruments are.
This paper also represents the importance of folk music of our motherland. As this generation
has the lack of knowledge of folk music, it might help them to know about this significant
category of music in detail. Moreover, nowadays various steps and measures are taken to
preserve the folk music and convey it to the general public. This has been discussed in this paper
too.

This paper ends with some renowned personalities who have immense contribution to the folk
music of this diversified land.

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 BODY OF THE PAPER

Bangladsehi Folk Music: Bangladeshi folk music spans a wide variety of styles. Folk music has
served the purpose of documenting the lives of the people and was widely patronized by the
rulers. It comprises a long tradition of religious and regular song-writing over a period of almost
a millennium.

In Bangladesh, 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.
Again, the culture and the lifestyle of the different tribes have also influenced folk music. Tribes
like the Saotal, 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.

Catagories of Banglaeshi Folk Music: There are a number of different categories within the folk
music genre of Bangladesh. Those can be classified like this:

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As Bangladeshi folk music varies from region to region, thus there are the northern
BHAWAIYA, the eastern BHATIYALI and the southwestern BAUL songs. 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. The spirituality of Bangladeshis is outpoured in Marfati and Murshidi songs.

Some of the most popular Bangladeshi folk music genres are stated below:

BAUL: BAUL is the most commonly known category of Bangladeshi folk songs. It is
mostly performed by hermits who are followers of Sufism in Bangladesh. Present day
Sufis earn mainly from performing their music. BAUL songs incorporate simple words
expressing songs with deeper meanings involving creation, society, lifestyle and human
emotions.

The songs are performed with very little musical support to the main carrier, the vocal.
Instruments used include the Ektara ("one-string"), Dotara ("two-strings"), bashi
(country flute made from bamboo) and cymbals. In recent times, BAUL geeti has lost
popularity, due to urbanization and westernization.

BHANDARI: The BHANDARI genre is mainly performed in the south of the country,
to be very précised, in Chittagong and is a form of devotional music

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 GAMBHIRA : GAMBHIRA is more popular in the north region, specifically in Rangpur.
It is always performed by two artists, representing a man and his grandfather. This genre
is a vehicle to discuss social issues with the audience.

Kutubul Alam, Rakibuddin, Biren Ghosh and Mahbubul Alam of Nawabganj have made
the gambhira song popular in Bangladesh by introducing new subjects and characters and
interesting and' witty dialogue.

BHATIYALI : BHATIYALI (ভাটিয়ালি) is a form of folk music in

both Bangladesh and WestBengal. BHATIYALI is a river song mostly sung by boatmen
while going down streams of the river. The word bhatiyali comes from bhata meaning
"ebb" or downstream.

It is mostly sung in several parts of greater riparian Bengal delta. Researchers have claimed

Mymensingh district along the Brahmaputra river or the Bhati (lower region of a river) area as its
place of origin. BHATIYALI lyrics traditionally consist of metaphorical and emotional verses
about the waters and the situation of boatmen and fishermen. Between the 1930s and 1950s,

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BHATIYALI has seen its golden age, when most of these personalities were contributing to the
genre. Singer Abbas Uddin made the genre popular singing "Amay bhashaili re, amay dubaili re"
and other popular numbers. In the 2000s, Malay Ganguly and Bari Siddiki were two most
prominent BHATIYALI singers.

BHAWAIYA : BHAWAIYA (ভাওয়াইয়া) is a musical form or a popular folk music in

Northern Bangladesh., especially Rangpur district. BHAWAIYA is the genre of bullock-
cart drivers. Low-lying land with shrub and other vegetable are called Bhawa. Buffalo
keepers used to sing this song while ploughing. Hence the name BHAWAIYA came to
exist. As BHAWAIYA or the 'cartman's song' are sung in northern Bangladesh. There, the dusty, rugged,
muddy roads take the place of rivers; bullock carts replace boats, and BHAWAIYA and CHATKA take the

place of BHATIYALI.  

LALON GEETI : The most popular folk songs fall under the Lalon genre. The greater
parts of the songs within this genre were written by Lalon Fokir, a spiritual composer and
writer. The sub-genre to Lalon is Baul. Baul was also influenced by Lalon Fokir, but
more specifically by his way of life, known as Sufi, and this genre is mostly performed
by hermits.

Best known of all folk songs and the most important subgenre of Baul songs, almost
entirely attributed to spiritual writer and composer, Lalon Fokir of Kushtia. He is known
to all in West Bengal of India too.(Western Bangladesh, near the border with West
Bengal).

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There are also JARI gaan, KAVI gaan, and PALA gaan, which keep the listeners and audience
spellbound for nights together in Bengal villages.

INSTRUMENTS : Musical instruments produce melodic sounds and may accompany vocal
music. In the Indian subcontinent, archaeological excavations and ancient texts reveal a highly
developed musical culture.

Folk Musical Instruments accompany folk and devotional songs like BAUL, BHATIYALI,
BHAWAIYA, MURSHIDI etc. Prominent among them are the ektara, dotara, sarinda and tubri.

The one-stringed ektara (one-string) is made of the dried shell of gourds, wood-apples, or
coconuts and has only one string. It is generally used by bauls, vairagis and fakirs as an
accompanying instrument.

The dotara (literally two-strings) is made of coconut-shell and has four strings. Though it is an
accompanying instrument, it can also be played by itself.

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Anandalahari (Khamak), Lau (Nandin), Gopichand and Thunthune are similar instruments. The
bansi or flute is very ancient wind instrument made of bamboo. There are different types of
flutes, such as the saral bansi, ad bansi or murali, tipra bansi or venu and laya bansi. Sanai
belongs to the flute group. In shape it closely resembles the Dhutura (thorn-apple) flower.

The kalija khauri is made by hollowing out a dried gourd. It is played by plucking the string
with a finger. The esraj is a string instrument, also known as ashuranjani. It is an amalgam of the
sitar, the sarengi, and the sarinda. Its sound is melodious, and it can be played by itself or used to
accompany vocal music.

The sarinda is another old string instrument made of wood. It is an accompanying instrument,
but can be played solo. Its sound is very sweet.

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The tubri is a flutelike wind instrument with two pipes. One pipe plays different notes while the
other plays one continuous note. The tubri is the snake charmer's instrument.

The dhak is an ancient instrument. It is very large, with both ends covered with skin. It is played
by striking each end with bamboo sticks. It is usually played at auspicious ceremonies like Hindu
pujas and festivals.

Many of these instruments are now extinct. Some of them have assumed new names. To preserve
our folk music, preservation of these musical instruments is necessary.

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STEPS TAKEN TO PRESERVE FOLK MUSIC : There was a time during the 1950s and
1960s when folk music festivals were held every year in Dhaka for several days during winter,
and original and authentic folk songs were presented by the singers who came from different
parts of the country. This got vanished for a time being because of the distortion of the original
folk songs, Folk singers have naturally fallen on hard days while folk songs are sidelined by the
electronic media and rarely presented on prime time. But the preservation of our folk music is
now being taken with seriousness. The very first step of this journey started in 2013 with
‘Bauliana’, a TV reality show in search of talented folk singers across the country. The best
performers of the show get to share the same stage of Asia’s biggest folk music festival ‘Dhaka
International Folk Fest’ along with national and international folk legends. And this wonderful
initiative was taken by “SUN Foundation”.Now the euphony of folk music from around the
world has come back to its’ abode; to the land of Lalon, to the rivers of BHATIYALI, to the
sound of BHAWAIYA.

‘Dhaka International Folk Fest’ is a celebration of sheer musical brilliance where myriads of folk
artists from home and abroad perform on a single platform. It is a popular three day musical
celebration of folk music, with artists from Bangladesh, the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

From the very beginning, in 2015, this journey has been bestowed with more than 500 artists
from 17 countries and made it the biggest folk music festival of Asia. ‘Dhaka International Folk
Fest 2019’ was the 5th edition of this three magical nights of world folk music.

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Last year, the festival was dedicated to six legends of Bangla music: Fakir Abdur Rob
Shah, Subir Nandi, Bari Siddiqui, Shahnaz Rahmatullah, Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul and Ayub
Bachchu.

A total of 200 artistes from six countries around the world shared the stage at the three
day festival.

LEGENDS OF BANGLA FOLK MUSIC : Folk has come to occupy the lives of
Bangladeshis almost more than any other genre of Bengali music. Among the luminaries of the
different folk traditions are LalonFokir, Shah Abdul Karim, Radharaman Dutta, Hason
Raja, Khursheed Nurali (Sheerazi), Ramesh Shil, Kari Amir Uddin Ahmed and Abbas Uddin. 

Abbas Uddin Ahmad

Late legend Abbasuddin Ahmed, the king of folk songs -- collected these songs, brought them to
Calcutta and convinced HMV to record them, about 60 years ago. The folk songs that had
remained the preserve of villages so far became a hit in the cities.
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 Kangalini Sufia Fakir Alamgir

A number of artists, including Kangalini Sufiya, Fakir Alamgir, Kuddus Boyati, Momtaz and
Firoz Shai, have taken it upon themselves to bring new life to folk music in Bangladesh.

CONCLUSION
The diverse cultures have made it possible for us to have a great number of folk music,
traditional, classical forms. Tradition and culture of a country are generally seen in the art of the
state. Folk music has always been a vehicle to communicate new ideas on politics and rebellion.
Labor unions have traditionally used folk music as a way to mobilize and energize their
membership. The folk music has become the anthem of the poor and troubled person. Folk songs
are the traditional form of music that exists in any culture. They are usually story songs or
ballads that pass along the history of the culture. The songs are not meant for the printed page;
they are meant to be sung. As they are handed down, they evolve and reflect the culture that they
are a part of.

Folk music is a beautiful form of expression. It is that form of art that evolves continuously. Folk
music is an art form which triggers our feelings in different ways. The soul of music comprises
of rhythm, pitch, texture, timbre and dynamics. Until now, the world has not seen anything better
than music to heal the inner soul and the body alike. It is right to say that folk music helps in
washing away all the stress. It has the power to heal people and can relieve you of your tensions.
Man’s history cannot be fully written without the impact of folk music on our lives. Folk music
has contributed a lot to our society. Folk music is to be respected and adored for its beauty.

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Innumerable folk songs are found scattered over the length and breadth of Bangladesh. The joys
and sorrows, the smiles and the tears of everyday life of common people reflect on folk music. In
order to know Bangladesh properly, to be able to form some idea of the thoughts and aspirations
that animate this, we have to establish contact with its bearers in rural pockets. As cultural
heritage, our folklore and as intangible cultural heritage, our folk songs preserve the minutest
details of history and evaluation of thought and civilization of our country and people for social
mobility. So, a cultural survey by the government or information department from Bangladesh
Government is very essential to investigate of inner core of people and their culture. It is fine to
say that folk music has a great influence over the entire communities of Bangladesh. So to make
them alive again is our solemn duty.

REFERENCES
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Bangladesh
2. https://www.bangladesh.com/blog/the-folk-music-of-bangladesh/
3. https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/music/folk-songs-bangladesh-73961
4. https://dhakainternationalfolkfest.com/
5. https://www.bangladesh.com/blog/the-folk-music-of-bangladesh/
6. https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=ektara

The termpaper is divided into five parts. Among these parts the introduction has been
written by Wassima Nikkhat Moumita, roll-80. The ‘Aim of This Paper’ has been
written by Sadia Noor, roll-06. And the Conclusion part has been written by Maisha
Bente Ziad Tazvi, roll-86. The Body of This Paper has been written by all of the
group members.

There are a huge number of people in our country who are really stupid
have no idea about right and wrong. All they want is to go to the

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shopping mall and buy thousands of dresses because dress is more
important than life.

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