Reviving folk music and culture in Bengal

Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture is going to present a unique programme on Loksangeete Mahajani Pad at the Vivekananda Hall of the Institute on March 30. The programme will be presented by Tapan Roy, an outstanding scholar of Lok sangeet or folk sangeet besides well-known theatre personality Bibhas Chakraborty.

Folk music and culture have played an important role in Bengal's varied and diverse cultural world. In undivided India, East Bengal was very rich in folk culture and music and there were great lyricists who had composed the songs in the local language. The folk songs spoke about communal harmony.

It was Lalan Fakir who became the leader of folk music and culture owing to his great work. Along with him, there were a host of great lyricists and composers like Gagan Harkara, Fikir Chand, Radharaman, Hasan Rajashah, Panju Shah, Durbin Shah, and Bijoy Sarkar among others.

Over the past three decades, Tapan Roy has been carrying out intense research on folk music and culture and has held workshops and took part in programmes to make people aware of Bengal's rich culture and heritage.

Roy has directed music in dramas like 'Lala Fakir' by Iswar Chakraborty, 'In the land of Chinopatra' by Saibal Mitra and some teleserials. He has also composed music for group theatres like 'Bahoorupi', 'Theatre Workshop', 'Samakalin Sanskriti' among others.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken an initiative to bring back folk culture and music in Bengal. Over 2 lakh folk artists are getting month stipend and are taking part in regular programmes organised by various departments of state government. Folk artists are regularly visiting foreign countries where Bengal folk music is becoming increasingly popular.