Jasim Uddin#s favourite Bhatiali: Majhi Singer: Abbasuddin video

Folk songs Bangla folk music has a long history. Several people contributed to what has become one of the most important musical influences in lives of Bengalis on both sides of the (West Bengal-Bangladesh) border. Among these are Lalon Fokir, Hason Raja and Ramesh Shill. Abbas Uddin was a key player in popularising folk music later on. Folk music can clearly be distinguished and classified into several sub-genres: • Baul: mainly inspired by Lalon Fokir and his Sufi way of living and almost exclusively performed by hermits who have adopted such (Sufi) life style • Bhandari: devotional music from the South (mainly Chittagong) • Bhatiali: music of fishermen and boatman, almost always tied by a common raga (mode), sung solo • Bhawaiya: song of bullock-cart drivers of the North (Rangpur) • Gajir geet: tradition song from the North (Rangpur) • Gombhira: song (originating in Chapai Nawabganj, in the North) performed with a particular distinctive rhythm and dance with two performers, always personifying a man and his grand father, discussing a topic to raise social awareness • Hason Raja: devotional songs written by music composer Hason Raja (from Sylhet near Assam) that was recently repopularised as popular dance music • Jaari: song that involves musical battle between two groups • Jatra Pala: songs associated exclusively with plays (performed on-stage) that usually always involve historical themes presented in a very colourful way • Kirtan: devotional song depicting love of ...