Saturday, January 29, 2011

Music of BENGAL

Bangladesh and West Bengal, India are traditionally very rich in its musical heritage. From the ancient times, music documented the lives of the people and was widely patronized by the rulers.

Bangla music in ancient times was mostly linked to prayer. Due to the immense influence of Hindu mythology, most folk songs are related to some sort of praise of the gods and their creation. songs were associated with particular groups of people, such as fishermen, cart-drivers, hermits and so on. Most songs were based on classical themes.

Modernisation of Bangla music occurred at different times and most of these modernisation processes happened independently of western influence. Most notable of these changes were:
Popularity of folk music of Sufi genres: introduction of non-Hindu notions and philosophy in music
Works of Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Laureate poet: introduction of variations of classical music to music
Works of Kazi Nazrul Islam: introduction of complicated musical composition and use of music as a revolutionary tool
Modernisation of folk music: bringing folk music into mainstream
Fusion work: fusion of traditional music with electronic instruments and Western work to revitalise and re-popularise Bangla music in a society increasingly overwhelmed by the West

Rabindranath Tagore wrote thousands of songs that are cherished even today. A famous writer of Bengal whose music was very popular in Bangladesh is Kazi Nazrul Islam. Lalon Fokir is a popular Bangladeshi mystic poet, famous for his spiritual tunes. Bangladesh is not wealthy in money, but is a culturally rich country
.

No comments:

Post a Comment