The music and dance styles of Bangladesh may be divided into three broad categories: classical, folk, and modern. All folk songs in the world usually involve the pentatonic scale, which is found in Bangla folk songs as well as in Santal and Garo-Hajang songs.įolk music has a very strong base and popularity, thanks to the immense contributions by great mystic bards of our country such as Fakir Lalan Shai, Siraj Shai, Hason Raja, Abbasuddin, Khursheed Nurali (Sheerazi), Radharaman Dutta, Durbin Shah, Arkum Shah, Shah Abdul Karim, Bijoy Sarkar, Pagla Kanai, Ramesh Shil, Kangal Harinath, Kangalini Sufia, Miraz Ali, Ukil Munshi, Rashid Uddin, Jalal Khan, Jang Bahadur, Umed Ali, Shah Alam, and many other unsung composers.įolk has come to occupy the lives of Bangladeshis almost more than any other genre of Bangla music. Folk music has a basic style of composition and can be classified into four groups - firstly, tunes consisting of: 'Sa Re Ma Pa', secondly: 'Sa Ga Ma Pa', thirdly: 'Sa Re Ga Pa' and finally: 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'.įolk music abides by this pattern, as does classical music – the latter originates from folk music. This genre is different from other music genres not only because of its distinctive mode but also because of the richness of its seventh note.
In Bangladesh, folk music showcases a great variety, with songs being composed on the culture, festivals, view of life, nature, and social issues. The simple yet deeply philosophical lyrics, tunes and natural rhythm of Bangladeshi folk music contain a strong emotive expression and eternal appeal of love, joy and sorrows. Enlisted in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Baul songs originated from the Bauls - a mystical and unorthodox community of mostly itinerant singers and musicians whose music and way of life have a significant influence on Bangali culture. Baul songs, predominantly composed by Fakir Lalon Shai, are a mixture of Vaishnaism and Sufism. Generations of rural poets and composers have enriched the tradition of Bangla folk music, of which Baul songs are the most remarkable. Thus, the combination of folk song, folk dance, and folk tune may be called folk music. Any mode or form created through the combination of tune, voice and dance may be described as music. Such folk songs also revolve around several other themes, including love and melancholy.įolk music may be described as that type of ancient music, which springs from the heart of a community, based on their natural style of expression, uninfluenced by the rules of classical music and modern popular songs. Baishakh brings with it a whole new flurry of festivities and celebrations, the biggest of which are Chhayanaut's Borshoboron at Ramna Botomul and Charukala's Mongol Shobhajatra.īangladesh has a rich tradition of folk songs, with lyrics rooted in the vibrant tradition of spirituality, mysticism, and devotion. Every year, the Bangalis living around the world shake off the previous year's gloom and hail the New Year with renewed vigour. Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, is the largest secular festival of the country. The culture of Bangladesh is composite and manifests itself in various creative forms, including music, dance, drama art and craft folklore and folktale languages and literature philosophy and religion distinct cuisine and culinary tradition and of course festivals and celebrations. During the Bengal Renaissance of the 19th and early 20th centuries, noted Bengali writers, saints, authors, scientists, researchers, thinkers, music composers, painters, and filmmakers played a significant role in the development of Bangali culture. The diverse culture of Bangladesh has evolved over the centuries.