Traditional music from India: River of Happy Souls – Bapi Das Baul.
Bapi Das Baul.
The first mention of the name ‘Baul’ came from a literary piece from the 15th century. It comes from ‘Batul’, which means ‘crazy’. The ‘Bauls’ from West Bengal and Bangladesh are actually itinerant minstrels who travel from village to village promoting their philosophical views through ‘Baul’ music. It is in this way that they -among other things- also communicate and distribute the village news, taking on the messenger role within society. The lyrical songs often describe subjects such as the mysteries of life, the earthly soul, the spiritual world, eternal love and the ultimate union with the divine. These songs are accompanied by a variety of indigenous instruments such as the ‘ektara’ (a one-stringed instrument) made of bamboo, the ‘gourd’ (or pumpkin) and the ‘dugi’ (a small hand drum).
Cd. River of Happy Souls – Bapi Das Baul.
Label: Arc Music (2021), code: EUCD2926 | VIDEO
