The music of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

includes multiple

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

musical genres such as

Baul The Baul ( bn, বাউল) are a group of mystic minstrels of mixed elements of Sufism, Vaishnavism and Tantra from Bangladesh and the neighboring Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley and Meghalaya. Bauls constitut ...

, Ramprasadi, Bishnupuri Classical,

Kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...

Shyama Sangeet Shyama Sangeet ( bn, শ্যামা সঙ্গীত ) is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or Kali which is a form of supreme universal mother-goddess Durga or parvati. It is also known as Shaktagiti ...

Rabindra Sangeet ''Rabindra Sangeet'' ( bn, রবীন্দ্র সঙ্গীত; ), also known as Tagore Songs, are songs from the Indian subcontinent written and composed by the Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Li ...

Nazrul Geeti Nazrul Sangeet ( bn, নজরুল সঙ্গীত), also Nazrul Geeti ( bn, নজরুল গীতি; ), refers to the songs written and composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul Geeti incorporate revolut ...

, Dwijendrageeti,

Prabhat Samgiita Prabháta Saḿgiita (Bengali: প্রভাত সঙ্গীত ''Probhat Shongit'', ), also known as Songs of a New Dawn or Prabhat's Songs, are the collection of songs composed by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar. Sarkar composed a total of 5,018 songs ...

Agamani-Vijaya Agamani ( bn, আগমনী গান ''Āgōmōni gān'' "Songs of advent") and Vijaya (বিজয়া গীতি ''Bījōyā gīţi'' "Songs of parting") are genres of Bengali folk songs celebrating the return of the Goddess Parvati to ...

Patua Sangeet Patua Sangeet or Poter Gan is a cultural tradition of Bengal Patachitra. It is performed by a Patua. It is famous in the village part of West Bengal like Birbhum, Jhargram, Bardhaman and Murshidabad as a folk song of West Bengal. Classificati ...

Gambhira Gombhira (or gambhira or gamvira) is a type of song originating in the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, what is today northeastern West Bengal, India and northwestern Bangladesh. In West Bengal (India), gombhir ...

Bhatiali Bhatiali or ''bhatiyali'' ( bn, ভাটিয়ালি) is a form of folk music in both Bangladesh and West Bengal. Bhatiali is a river song mostly sung by boatmen while going down streams of the river. The word ''bhatiyali'' comes from ''bh ...

Bhawaiya Bhawaiya is a musical form or a popular folk music that originated in Northern Bengal, especially the Rangpur Division in Bangladesh, Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India, and the Undivided Goalpara district of Assam, India. It has recu ...

, Bengali Rock.

Classical music

Ragapradhan Gaan

Bengali classical music is based on modes called ''

ragas A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as a ...

''. In composing these songs, the melodies of ''North Indian ragas'' are used. As far as the ''Charyagiti'' (9th century), ragas have been used in Bengali music.

Jaydev Jayadeva (; born ), also spelt Jaideva, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem ''Gita Govinda'' which concentrates on Krishna's love with the '' gopi'', Radha, in a rite of spring. This poem, which prese ...

's ''

Gita Govinda The ''Gita Govinda'' ( sa, गीत गोविन्दम्; ) is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna, Radha and ''gopis'' (female cow herders) of Vrindavan. The ''Gita G ...

'', ''Padavali Kirtan'', ''Mangal Giti'', ''Shyama sangeet'', ''Tappa'', ''Brahma Sangeet'' and ''Tagore songs'' have been inspired by Ragas. The use of ''North Indian ragas'' in Bangla songs began in 18th century. This trend gathered momentum during the 19th and 20th centuries. The pioneers of these trend were Ramnidhi Gupta of

North Kolkata North Kolkata encompasses the northern part of Kolkata, including the city's oldest neighbourhood. Shyambazar, Bagbazar, Kumartuli, Shobhabazar, Posta, Jorasanko, Rajabazar, Phoolbagan, Maniktala, Kankurgachi, Ultadanga, Chitpur, Belgachia, ...

, Kali Mirza of Hooghly, Raghunath Roy and the founder of the Bishnupur Gharana, Pandit Ramshanker Bhattacharya of

Bankura Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district. Etymology In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word or (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced af ...

. Nawab of Lucknow,

Wajid Ali Shah Mirza Wajid Ali Shah ( ur, ) (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856. Wajid Ali Shah's first wife was Alam Ara who was better k ...

played an important role in this trend. He was dethroned by the

British empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

in 1856 and banished to Metiaburuz,

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

in present-day

. During his 30-year exile, he patronized music, specially

dhrupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...

tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its specialty is a rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious and sweet, and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappe (plural) were sung mostly by ...

thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dra ...

and

kheyal Khyal or Khayal (ख़याल / خیال) is a major form of Hindustani classical music in the Indian subcontinent. Its name comes from a Persian/Arabic word meaning "imagination". Khyal is associated with romantic poetry, and allows the perfor ...

. And, thus made a lasting impact on Bengali music. All traditional Bengali music tend to be based on various variations of

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

had a deep appreciation for north Indian ragas, successfully introduced ragas in his songs. He was followed by

Dwijendralal Ray Dwijendralal Ray (19 July 1863 – 17 May 1913), also known as D. L. Ray, was an Indian poet, playwright, and musician. He was known for his Hindu mythological and nationalist historical plays and songs known as ''Dwijendrageeti'' or the ''So ...

Rajanikanta Sen Rajanikanta Sen, also known as Kantakobi, (26 July 1865 – 13 September 1910) was a Bengali poet and composer, known for his devotional (bhakti) compositions, as well as his patriotic songs. Early life, education and profession File:Guruprasad ...

and

Atulprasad Sen Atul Prasad Sen ( bn, অতুল প্রসাদ সেন; 20 October 1871 – 26 August 1934) was a Bengali composer, lyricist and singer, and also a lawyer, philanthropist, social worker, educationist and writer. Early life Atul Prasad ...

Bishnupur Gharana

The Bishnupur Gharana is the sole Classical (''

Drupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...

'') ''

gharana In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a ''gharānā'' is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent, linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and more importantly by adherence to a particular mus ...

'' of

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

. It originated in

Bishnupur, Bankura Bishnupur is a city and a municipality of Bisnupur district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bishnupur District. It is famous for its terracotta temples built by the Malla rulers, historic Radha Krishna temple ...

by the court musicians of the

Malla Kings Malla may refer to: Places ;Bolivia *Malla, Bolivia, a locality *Malla Jawira, a river * Malla Jaqhi, a mountain *Malla Municipality *Malla Qullu, a mountain ;India * Mallapuram, Tamil Nadu *Malla (tribe), an ancient republic, one of the sixte ...

. Bahadur Khan of Delhi, a descendant of the

Tansen Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pra ...

, was the father of Bishnupur Gharana. Bahadur Khan was brought to Bishnupur by Malla King Raghunath Singha II.

Rabindra Sangeet

Rabindra Sangeet ( bn, রবীন্দ্রসঙ্গীত ''Robindro shonggit'', ), also known as Tagore Songs, are songs written and composed by

. They have distinctive characteristics in the

music of Bengal Bengali music ( bn, বাংলা সংগীত) comprises a long tradition of religious and secular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium. Composed with lyrics in the Bengali language, Bengali music spans a wide variety of ...

, popular in India and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. Rabindra Sangeet has been an integral part of Bengal culture for over a century. Indian social reformer

Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intro ...

became an admirer of Rabindra Sangeet in his youth. He also composed music in the Rabindra Sangeet style, for example ''Gaganer Thale'' in Raga Jaijaivanti.

Shyama Sangeet

( bn, শ্যামা সঙ্গীত ) is a genre of

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

which is a form of supreme universal mother-goddess Durga or parvati. It is also known as Shaktagiti or Durgastuti.

Ramprasadi

'' Ramprasadi'' (

: রামপ্রসাদী) is a category of

composed by eighteenth century

saint-poet ( bn, রামপ্রসাদ সেন; c. 1718 or c. 1723 – c. 1775). They are usually addressed to Hindu goddess

and written in

Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second m ...

., p. 162Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal, Ramprasad Sen, Translated by Rachel Fell McDermott ()History of Bengali Literature, Dr. Dulal Chakraborty, July – 2007, Bani Bitan. (Bengali) Ramaprasad_Sen

Ramprasad Sen ( bn, রামপ্রসাদ সেন; c. 1718 or c. 1723 – c. 1775) was a Hindu Shakta poet and saint of eighteenth century Bengal. His '' bhakti'' poems, known as Ramprasadi, are still popular in Bengal—they are usually ad ...

was the first

Shakta Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti (Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, all ...

poet to address

Goddess Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this tradit ...

with such as intimate devotion and to sing of her as a tender loving mother or even as a little girl. Ramprasad is credited with creating a new compositional form that combined the Bengali folk style of ''

'' music with classical melodies and ''

kirtan Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...

''. The new style took root in Bengali culture with many poet-composers combining folk and raga-based melodies, mixing every common style of music from classical to semi-classical and folk. His songs are sung today, with a popular collection—''Ramprasadi Sangeet'' ("Songs of Ramprasad")—sold at ''Shakta'' temples and ''pithas'' in Bengal. After him, a school of

shakta Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti (Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, all ...

poets continued the Kali-bhakti tradition. Krishna Chandra Roy,

Siraj ud-Daulah Mirza Muhammad Siraj-ud-Daulah ( fa, ; 1733 – 2 July 1757), commonly known as Siraj-ud-Daulah or Siraj ud-Daula, was the last independent Nawab of Bengal. The end of his reign marked the start of the rule of the East India Company over Beng ...

Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam ( bn, কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম, ; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, Bengali literature, writer, Bangladeshi music, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul is regarded as one ...

were immensely inspired by the songs of Ramprasad. Many of his songs have been sung by renowned Shyama sangeet singers of

Dhananjay Bhattacharya Dhananjay Bhattacharya (September 10, 1922 – December 27, 1992) was an Indian Bengali singer and composer. He was a versatile Shyama Sangeet singer. Career He started his career by singing modern Bengali as well as Hindi songs. His first s ...

Pannalal Bhattacharya Pannalal Bhattacharya (c. 1930 – 27 March 1966) was an Indian singer of Bengali music. Most of the songs he sang were written by Ramprasad Sen and Kamalakanta Bhattacharya, both of whom were Shakta poets of Bengal. He was eight years younger th ...

and Anup Ghoshal as well as popular Indian singers like

Manna Dey Prabodh Chandra Dey (May 1, 1919 − October 24, 2013), known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an internationally acclaimed and celebrated Indian playback singer, music director, and a musician. As a classical vocalist, he belonged to the Bhen ...

Hemanta Mukherjee Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (16 June 1920 – 26 September 1989), known professionally as Hemant Kumar and Hemanta Mukherjee, was a legendary Indian music composer and playback singer who primarily sang in Bengali and Hindi, as well as other Indian ...

Kumar Sanu Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), better known as Kumar Sanu, is an Indian playback singer. He is known as the King of Melody in Bollywood. He is famous for singing thousands of Bollywood Hindi songs. Apart from Hindi, he has al ...

Srikanta Acharya Srikanta Acharya is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer . Acharya is one of the most prominent exponents of Rabindra Sangeet. Early life Srikanta Acharya was born in Kolkata, India and is the son of Rohini Nandan Acharya and Kana Acharya. ...

Anuradha Paudwal Anuradha Paudwal (born 27 October 1954) is an Indian playback singer who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. She has been described in media as one of the most prominent Bhajan singer and also as one of the most successful playback singers ...

, and

Sadhana Sargam Sadhana Sargam (née Ghanekar, born 7 March 1969) is an Indian singer known for her playback career in Indian cinema predominantly in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu and Tamil language films. She is a recipient of the National Film Award and Filmfare Awa ...

. These songs are still very popular in

Agamani-Vijaya

Agamani ( bn, আগমনী গান ''Āgōmōni gān'' "Songs of advent") and Vijaya (বিজয়া গীতি ''Bījōyā gīţi'' "Songs of parting") are genres of

folk songs celebrating the return of the

Goddess Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...

to the home of her parents on the eve of the Bengali autumn festival of

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

. The ''Aagamani'' songs describe the return of Parvati to her home in rural Bengal, not as Goddess but as daughter, and are followed by ''Vijaya'' songs which describe the sorrow of separation three days later as Parvati returns to her husband

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

Atulprasadi

Atulprasadi ( bn, অতুলপ্রসাদী) or the Songs of

(1871–1934), one of the major lyricist and composers of early-modern period, is also widely popular in Paschimbanga. Atul Prasad is credited with introducing the ''

Thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dra ...

'' style in Bengali music. His songs centred on three broad subjects – patriotism, devotion and love.

Dwijendrageeti

''Dwijendrageeti'' ( bn, দ্বিজেন্দ্রগীতি) or the Songs of Dwijendra Lal Roy (1863–1913), which number over 500, create a separate subgenre of

Bengali music Bengali music ( bn, বাংলা সংগীত) comprises a long tradition of religious and secular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium. Composed with lyrics in the Bengali language, Bengali music spans a wide variety of ...

. The patriotic songs of Dwijendra Lal Roy are very popular in

Prabhat Samgiita

Prabhat Samgiita (

: প্রভাত সঙ্গীত), also known as Songs of a New Dawn or Prabhat's Songs, are songs composed by

Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (21 May 1921 – 21 October 1990), also known by his spiritual name Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (Ánanda Múrti="Bliss Embodiment"), and known as Bábá ("Father") to his disciples, was a spiritual Guru, philosopher, so ...

. Sarkar composed a total of 5,018 songs, including the lyrics and the tune, in a period of eight years from 1982 until his death in 1990, making using of eight different languages: Bengali, Hindi, English, Sanskrit,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Magahi The Magahi language (), also known as Magadhi (), is a language spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states of eastern India, and in the Terai of Nepal. Magadhi Prakrit was the ancestor of Magahi, from which the latter's name derives. ...

, Maithili and

Angika Angika (also known as ''Anga'', ''Angikar'' or ''Chhika-Chhiki'') is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in some parts of the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, as well as in parts of Nepal. It is closely related to languages such as Mai ...

Patua Sangeet

or Poter Gan is a cultural tradition of Bengal Patachitra in

. It is performed by the

Patua The Patua (Bengali: পটুয়া, ''paṭuẏā'') are an artisan community found in the state of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha in India and parts of Bangladesh. Some Patuas are Hindus, while others are Muslims. Hindu Patuas are ...

s. It is famous in the southern and south-western districts of

Birbhum Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impor ...

Jhargram Jhargram is a city and a municipality in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jhargram district. It is a popular tourist destination known for its forests, ancient temples and royal pala ...

Bardhaman Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...

and

Murshidabad Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. During ...

as folk song. There are three types of Patua Sangeet according to the difference of

Patachitra Patachitra or Pattachitra is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. Patachitra artform is known for its intricate details as well as mythol ...

and the mythological stories associated with it. This lyrical drama written about the ''Krishno leela'', ''Gourango Leela'', ''Ram Leela'', ''Shib-Parboti Lila'' etc., is called ''Leela kahini''. Gopalan or Cattlefarming story is another type of Patua Sangeet.

Gombhira

gombhira Gombhira (or gambhira or gamvira) is a type of song originating in the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, what is today northeastern West Bengal, India and northwestern Bangladesh. In West Bengal (India), gombh ...

performances are centred around the

Malda District Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha (, , often ), is a district in West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Mango, jute and silk are the most notable products of this district. ...

in Northern part of

. It is performed with a particularly distinctive rhythm and dance with two performers, always personifying a man and his maternal grandfather, discussing a topic to raise social awareness. The Gambhira dance along with Gambhira Song is performed all over the

Malda district Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha (, , often ), is a district in West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Mango, jute and silk are the most notable products of this district. ...

of North Bengal during the festival of Chaitra Sankranti. For this festival Gambhira masks are made out of neem and fig trees by the local '' Sutradhar community''. Sometimes the masks are also made out of clay. Gambhira dance is performed along with Gombhira song wearing these masks. The songs of

originated among the Hindu community of

Maldah Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha (, , often ), is a district in West Bengal, India. It lies 347 km (215 miles) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Mango, jute and silk are the most notable products of this district. ...

, completely in its theme formation.

Bhadu Gaan

Bhadu is a social festival of South-Western part of

. The festival starts from the first day of

Bhadro Bhadro ( bn, ভাদ্র ''Bhadrô'') is the fifth month in the Bengali calendar. Bhadro marks the beginning of Sharat or Autumn. According to the modified calendar developed by the Bangla Academy, the month of Bhadro has 31 days from 18 Augus ...

, the fifth month in

Bengali Calendar The Bengali Calendar or Bangla Calendar ( bn, বঙ্গাব্দ , , Baṅgābda), colloquially ( bn, বাংলা সন, Baṅgla Śon), is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. A revised version of t ...

and continues till the end of the month. Bhadu gaan, an inseparable part of Bhadu festival reflects the colours of rural society. It is popular in

Purulia Purulia is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Purulia district. It is located on the north of the Kangsabati River. Geography Location Purulia is located at . It has an average elev ...

Paschim Bardhaman Paschim Bardhaman district is a predominantly urban mining-industrial district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Asansol. It was formed on 7 April 2017 after bifurcation of the erstwhile Bardhaman district as the 23rd district o ...

Paschim Midnapore Paschim Medinipur district or West Midnapore district (also known as Midnapore West) is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal, India. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the Partition of Midnapore into Paschim Medinipur and Purba M ...

and

districts of

. Bhadu songs are composed extemporaneously and sung on each night of the festival, depicts the Goddesses as young girls. They describe Bhadu and tell in loving detail how they will be entertained. Since Bhadu is unmarried, her songs are sung mostly by unmarried girls. Dancing and playing drums accompanies Bhadu.

Tusu Gaan

Tusu is a folk festival held on the last day of the Bengali month of

Poush Poush ( bn, পৌষ; ne, पौष) is the 9th month of both the Bengali calendar and the Nepali calendar. It overlaps December and January of the Gregorian calendar. It is the first month of the winter season. This month marks the start of Wi ...

. It is a unifying form of local common faith and the joy of the harvest. Tusu is a cosmic goddess and conceived as a virgin girl, who imagined as a young girl and is worshipped by Tusu song improvised by womenfolk, based on popular beliefs as well as rituals associated with harvesting. At the end of the festivities, the immersion of the image of Tusu is done vividly and with Tusu songs which have a melancholic ring. Tusu puja is practised and Tusu songs are sung in the rural areas of

and Hooghly districts of

Jhumur

This type of folk song is very popular in

, Purba Midnapur and

districts of

Bolan Gaan

''Bolan'' or ''Bolan Gaan'' is a type of folk song of

which was once very popular in large areas of

Nadia Nadia is a female name. Variations include Nadja, Nadya, Nadine, Nadiya, and Nadiia. Most variations of the name are derived from Arabic, Slavic languages, or both. In Slavic, names similar to ''Nadia'' mean "hope" in many Slavic languages: Uk ...

Burdwan Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...

and

districts of

.''

Bhawaiya

is a musical form or a popular folk music that originated in

Northern Bengal Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

, especially in

Cooch Behar Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in the ...

district of

, India,

Goalpara Goalpara, Pron: ) is the district headquarters of Goalpara district, Assam, India. It is situated to the west of Guwahati. Etymology The name Goalpara is said to have originated from the word "Gwaltippika" meaning Guwali village, or The villa ...

district of

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

, India and

Rangpur Division Rangpur Division ( bn, রংপুর বিভাগ) is one of the Divisions in Bangladesh. It was formed on 25 January 2010, as Bangladesh's 7th division. Before that, it was under Rajshahi Division. The Rangpur division consists of eight di ...

in Bangladesh. A "working class" music, with the recurring figures of ''mahouts''(মাহুত) (elephant trainers and catchers), ''mahishals'' (মইষাল)(buffalo herders) and ''gariyals''(গাড়িয়াল)(cart drivers) the lyrics of these songs express pangs of separation and loneliness of their womenfolk, with elongated tones accentuating pain, longing and "deep emotion". Generally believed to have originated in the 16th century under the Koch king

Vishwa Singha Biswa Singha (1515–1540) was the progenitor king of the Koch dynasty of the Kamata kingdom. He was able to unify different Bodo-Kachari tribal groups, replace the Baro-Bhuyans of Kamata kingdom, and establish a dynasty the remnant of which ...

, it has evolved into stage performances since the 1950s and more widely since the 1990s. The lyrics of Bhawaiya songs are non-denominational.

Bhatiali

or ''bhatiyali'' ( bn, ভাটিয়ালি) is a form of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

in both

and Bangladesh. Bhatiali 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.

Alkap

Alkap Alkap ( bn, আলকাপ) is a Bengali folk dance popular in the districts of Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum in West Bengal and Chapai Nawabganj, Randajshahi in Bangladesh. It has also spread to the adjoining areas of Jharkhand and Bihar such ...

( bn, আলকাপ) is a form of

folk performance popular in the districts of

, Malda and

Band music and Bengali rock

Popular Rock Bands

Rock at Someplace Else (Kolkata)

Someplace Else is a pub in Kolkata which features daily performances by live bands. Since 1994 it has been promoting different kinds of music, and established artists share the space with aspiring performers. The pub is situated inside the Park Hotel, and regarded as a heritage spot of the city. Famous bands like Skinny Alley, Hip Pocket (a regular band), Lou Majaw, Prestorika,

Parikrama Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indic religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only to the path along ...

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

, Soulmate, Cassini's Division,

Underground Authority Underground Authority is an alternative rock and rap rock band from India. Formed in early 2010, in Kolkata, their music is flavoured by a blend of protest poetry, reggae, alternative rock, rap rock and hard rock. The band is noted for their ...

, The Supersonics and many international musical acts have performed in this pub. International artists like

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...

Laura Marling Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit A ...

QED (band) QED were an Australian new wave trio, whose lead singer, Jenny Morris, went on to achieve commercial success as a solo artist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo'Jenny Morris' Retrieved 4 January 2010. The band had a top twenty hit single, ...

Dub FX Benjamin Stanford (born 11 June 1983), better known by his stage name Dub FX (stylized as ''Dub Fx'' or ''DubFx''), is an Australian musician and worldwide street performer. Born in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia,Moses, Allan (2010)Dubbing in ...

and many more have performed in this pub. The pub hosts 3285 hours of live music every year, the most anywhere in India (approximately nine hours of live music daily).

Daily Bands

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{cite journal , last1=Sarma , first1=Simona , last2=Monteiro , title=Contemporary 'Folk' Dynamics: Shifting Visions and Meanings in the Goalpariya Folk Music of Assam , journal=Folklore , year=2019 , volume=130 , issue=4 , pages=331–351 , doi=10.1080/0015587X.2019.1622923, s2cid=213283007 Bengali music Culture of West Bengal

Classical music

Ragapradhan Gaan

Bishnupur Gharana

Rabindra Sangeet

Shyama Sangeet

Ramprasadi

Agamani-Vijaya

Atulprasadi

Dwijendrageeti

Prabhat Samgiita

Patua Sangeet

Gombhira

Bhadu Gaan

Tusu Gaan

Jhumur

Bolan Gaan

Bhawaiya

Bhatiali

Alkap

Band music and Bengali rock

Rock at Someplace Else (Kolkata)

Daily Bands

See also

References

Bibliography