Chants mystiques bâuls du Bangladesh (dans la tradition de l'ordre Lâlan Shâhî)

Baul gaan is the song tradition of the Baul mystic minstrels of Bengal, now spanning Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a syncretic devotional-folk practice that blends Sufi and Vaishnava Bhakti ideas with a humanist, anti-ritual stance. Performed by itinerant singers, Baul songs typically feature a lean, earthy instrumentation: the ektara (one‑string drone lute), dotara (plucked lute), khamak/khomok (tension drum), small frame drums like duggi, and hand cymbals such as kartal/manjira, with occasional khol/dhol. Melodies are raga-tinged but folk-rooted, often set to lilting cycles like kaharwa or dadra. Lyrically, Baul gaan is philosophical and intimate. It explores deho-tattva (the body as the site of the divine), the quest for the ‘Moner Manush’ (the person of the heart), social equality, and ecstatic love, using everyday metaphors drawn from rural life. The delivery is direct, participatory, and trance-inclined, inviting chorus responses and communal singing.

Bengali folk music is the traditional song culture of the Bengal region, today spanning Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It encompasses a family of styles that carry the spiritual, pastoral, and riverine life of Bengal into song. Signature substyles include Baul (mystic minstrel songs), Bhatiali (boatmen’s songs of the rivers), Bhawaiya (pastoral songs from the north), Jari/Sari (processional and work songs), Murshidi/Marfati (Sufi devotional songs), and Gambhira and Kavigan (festive and narrative forms). The music is marked by simple, memorable melodies, strophic forms, and poetic lyrics that blend everyday imagery with devotional and philosophical themes. Typical instruments include the ektara and dotara (plucked lutes), khamak and khanjani (percussion), dhol/dholak and khol (drums), bansuri (flute), harmonium, and kartal/mandira (cymbals). Vocal delivery favors ornamentation (meend, subtle vibrato), a steady drone, and call-and-response refrains.