Bhatiyali
The term "bhatiyali" mean the downstream or ebb. But the term Bhatiyali in its literal sense signifies the particular type of folk music sung by the boatman during his up-journey across down streams of the riverine districts of Bengal. The song begins with an endearing address to a person who remains at a distance. So the voice takes a loud flight of top notes in the beginning. Gradually, the tune slides down to lower notes.
Bhatiyali traditional boat song of eastern Bengal, sung in a specific mode, noted for its long-drawn notes. In riverine Bangladesh, boatmen spent a lot of time in their boats. While sailing downstream, they had plenty of leisure to sing comfortably in the drawn out and elevated notes characteristic of the bhatiyali. In course of time, this song gained popularity particularly in mymensingh and sylhet districts.
At one time, there were five types of bhatiyali in Bangladesh. But some of these forms are extinct at present. The songs known as murshidi and bichchhedi are also forms of the bhatiyali. Strains of bhatiyali can be found in Bangla folk drama, especially in the form known as gazir gan.
In many instances, the word bhatiyali is used in a song to point out the note of a specific verse. Usually in 'Pala' or panchali, the first verse of the bandana or hymn is referred to as the ujan (upstream) and the second verse as bhaital (downstream), for example: 'In the east, I salute the sun god/ When the sun arises from one side, light penetrates all sides'.
There are also references to bhatiyali songs and tunes in different texts. sekhashubhodaya refers to bhadu songs which are sung in the classical mode of bhatiyali. Bhatiyali songs are also mentioned in srikrishnakirtan. [Sambaru Chandra Mohanta]
There is a difference between folk music of Bengal and folk music of most of the other kinds. Usually, folk music employs five to seven notes in all for a particular piece and goes on permuting them. That is why it becomes repetitive after a while. In folk songs of of Bengal, there are different styles. In one such style, called Bhatiyali (Boatman's song ), sometimes even twelve notes are used. And the range usually covers two and half octaves.
In this particular style of singing, we see something very close to a Chord playing. While the singer sings
g.p.s'.....
the accompanying instrument DOTARA (literally meanns: two-stringed instrument) plays
ssr ssg p,p,
[p, means PA of the MONDRO Saptak (lower octave)]
In 1964 in Calcutta, a group of committed scholars and folklorists had gathered together to form the Folk music and Folklore Research Institute at Khaled Choudhury's house, out of a growing "awareness of an impending crisis in folk music" compounded by "commercial distortion" and the consequential falsification of the folk genres. The commercial distortion has grown more and more macabre over the years, and one is pained to hear cosmetic bauls who sing pseudo melodies in a "heritage park" in Calcutta, forming just one of the trappings that make up India; or the lofty notes of a bhatiyali melody just serving a background score in a film - the rich earthy song of the soil decontextualised and deconstructed to serve the selfish ends of modern urban civilisation. The neglect that has ravaged folk music has been most evident in the glitzy packaging of the folk to sell as exotica abroad. The folk traditions of Bengal have died a slow death, despite the laudable efforts of Gurusaday Dutt, Dinesh Chandra Singha and other scholars and revivalists. What we require today is a serious and committed research which can save whatever is left of the fast depleting forms of folk music in Bengal. The rivers are ridden with the politics of water sharing. Where are the boatmen who can sing out into the blue heavens: "You've set me adrift..." ?
A Bhatiyali song in Bengali script:
Reference : Folk Music of Eastern India, Sukumar Ray
Chk the topic of baul. https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/273413 thy r basically sung by a nomadic group which is more of a religious sect. thy call themselves baul. hence the name baul song.
Bhatiali is the song sung by boatman of bengal. It is originally frm eastern bangladesh. it is said tht the boatmans sings these song while thy r rowing through the rivers.
both the genre of songs r folk music of bengal.
Thanks barnali di, I will read it.
Chk the topic of baul. https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/273413 thy r basically sung by a nomadic group which is more of a religious sect. thy call themselves baul. hence the name baul song.
Bhatiali is the song sung by boatman of bengal. It is originally frm eastern bangladesh. it is said tht the boatmans sings these song while thy r rowing through the rivers.
both the genre of songs r folk music of bengal.
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Musical Patterns in Bengal folk music |
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The musical structure of Bhatiali, Bhaoaia and Baul are classed as the standard music of the popular type. Songs have been collected and popularised, notations made available and tunes have infiltrated in common music, film tunes and lyrical songs of the poet-composers. Bhatiali is a standard folk music of urban type popularised greatly within half a century. Its subject matter with specific themes, based on definite form of tune and mode of performance, is familiar to a section of composers and artistes of the urban areas. Bhatiali literally means a song of the boatman going down the stream. It is a music of the wide field where the singer just sings and where the presence of no listener is presumed. He starts at once with an exclamation of endearing poignancy, addressed to his love at a distance in the high pitch-note and gradually descends over the seven notes until the tune stops at a point. A simple and plain voice with full throated ease can create wonder in this type of song. Bhatiali is generally described as a sad tune. Originally it was not supposed to be accompanied on musical instruments. The use of Dotara, the string instrument now played with strokes or strummings, making for a few combinations of notes for accompaniment to Bhatiali, Bhaoaia and other types of songs, is a stage in the evolution of this music. North Bengal (Rajsahi and Cooch-Behar) music, namely, Bhaoaia, is but a variety of Bhatiali tune. Bhaoaia is sometimes called a song on Dotara. Both Bhatiali and Bhaoaia are free from religious bias. These songs depict longings and pathos of love and some other similar feature like those of relationship of the mother-in-law and the sister-in-law and so on. Therefore, softness and gracefulness are some of the important features exposed in the tune. One of the most colourful, rhythmic songs of the Bhatiali group is Sari, sung during boat-race in East Bengal. The song is initiated by a leader standing in the midst of a party of boatmen pulling the oar on the water with beats. Series of sounds in water with rhythmic strokes on the flanks of the boat in a quick tempo. They repeat the leader's loud song in chorus along with beats. Series of sounds in water and on the boat-side get mixed up with occasional yelling. The subject-matter of Sari is a down-to-the earth thing. As regards the structure of Bhatiali tune, it may be explained in terms of two modes; firstly, it is in Bilawal That. This means the music starts from the note F (m) of the higher octave with address or exclamination and gradually descends to the lower notes in a drawl. Secondly, the tune starts from the top C (Sa) and D (Re) and gradually descends over the notes of the middle octave in a similar manner to the tonic C (Sa) and then it gradually goes down to the lower octave below tonic C and finally, touching B flat (n) the tune would stop at A (Da) of the lower octave. In the latter case the tune belongs to Khamaj That. For use of the notes below C (Sa) and for some other characteristics the tune is considered to be Raga Jhinjhoti familiar in Bengal. Suresh Chandra Chakraborty refers to the latter as raga Kasauli-jhinjhit. Thus, the tune on the medium and top octaves represent feature of composition of basic notes of Bilwal and appears to be a blending of ragas like Behag-Pahadi-Jhinjhoti etc. On the whole, it does not satisfy the condition of the structure of a raga. Therefore, Bhatiali maintains an individuality of its own in tune pattern. The alankara-s (graces) include a few groups of trembling notes which look like Taans, may be these are in tune conformity with certain Tappa Taans, spontaneously developed. Sources of these are not know. If the old run of the tune and its local peculiarities are examined, then it would be conceded that Bhatiali was not influenced byTappa or vice versa. A Geetkari, as used in most medieval music, is used in many types of songs as the only decorative element. Bhatiali has extended its influence on all types of songs of East and North Bengal. Further, its influence on the rhythmic-patterns of various music-types of those regions is manifest. Some rhythmic patterns and stray fragments of tunes are combined to build songs in full. Occassional break in the voice and in syllables of words, pronounced with rhythmic break in tune, make these songs colourful. Bhatiali was brought to the metropolis roughly by 1930s and some songs were composed in the same mould. Later Abbasuddin Ahmed, Sachin Deb Burman, Girin Chakraborty and some other folk singers introduced Bhatiali - Bhaoaia tunes in popular music. After 1947 singers from East Bengal have stationed themselves in Calcutta. All sections of Bhatiali have been widely popularised through commercial records and radio. But personal touch-up on the original tunes by artistes produces distortion in the form. Singers often lack the sense of the need to preserve original of local colour. This is no doubt harmful to the form of music. Another form of folk music which influenced the general lyrical songs of Bengal was Baul. It is a sectarian type of composition arising out of a peculiar religious faith, which has its principal expression in songs only. The Baul-lyrics attracted the poets of Bengal because of their simplicity of expression, use of common phrases and common imageries. The Baul sects maintain God or the Lord to be the husband of beings with whom one should unite and get supreme satisfaction of revelation, the world and the life being unreal and deceptive. The conception was mingled with Gurubad (master worship) at a later period. This means that there should be a master of Guru who would act as the medium between the Lord and devotee. The poetic language used for this mystic faith sung in common rural tune in swinging rhythmic patterns. Some of the songs which address 'Guru' have become popular for the mode of expression, tune and metre. Baul-song is known to have extended its features in songs like Dehatattva (significance of this bodily existence), Marfarti, Murshidya Sariyati and Hakiyati - all a blending of Islamic faith. Bauls have two sections. The classification is made in respect of their religious faith and the nature of songs: The types of composition and method of musical performance of these groups differ in nature and colour. The songs are differently influenced by some Bhatiali group of tunes, popular ragas like Behag-Khamaj group and Bhairavi and typical tunes from keertan-music. The nature of presentation, the rhythmic elements and the composition give them a distinctive identity. Some of the tunes and the rhythmic patterns of Baul songs were widely utilised by Rabindranath Tagore in his songs. This attracted notice of other composers of Bengal. Bauls find the most perfect bliss in a complete projection of their thoughts and philosophy in tune and mode of performance in dance style. Tunes, remarkable in their simplicity of devotional expression, are inseparable from the dance movements of a true Baul. Some sections of singers are peculiarity known for their throwing of voice to the top-notes. The tunes utilised in Baul conform to the patterns common with Bhatiali in the first instance. Secondly, there are tunes in ragas Bhairavi and Bilawal type which are also familiar. Bauls are seen to use varied types of instruments like Khamak and Dotara. The third group of the songs may be classified as folk music based on mere recitation in tune. These are sometimes partial exposition of some notes in monotonous rhythmic design. It may be observed that Tala or rhythm makes the basic support of the recital of these tunes. Somewhere drumming and metal percussion accompaniment constitute the major show with vocal recitals. Ceremonial music is sometimes covered by a few continuous notes presented in a singsong manner. Lullaby of every country gives the same impression of solo hum-music. Of all other types, Gambhira is a group-song of Malda district consisting of some dance elements in it. It takes place during Chadak festival in the month of March-April. The big durm Dhak is sometimes used as the principal accompanying instrument and the song, sung in eulogy of Lord Siva, produces an unearthly atmosphere. Tunes are loud and coarse having no variations. Jhumur of Purulia is a peculiar musical expression influenced by Vaishnava faith and some external tribal features are found to be combined with it. Some swinging notes, two or three together, make it colourful. Bhadu, more or less a ceremonial distinction to a story of popular appeal. It combines some of the peculiar tunes imported from Bihar. Similar is Tusu, festival-song of the western part of the river Bhagirathi sung by womenfolk in December-January. The tune-patterns in fragment are joined together making these a complete whole. For comprehension of folk music of Bengal the different aspects of tunes to be noticed are the models of some phrases simply formed by a combination of a few notes of almost similar nature as utilised partially in ragas like Bilawal, Behag, Khamaj, Behag-Khamaj, Jhinjhoti, Pahadi, Maund, Bhairavi, Piloo, Kafi, Kalingada, Bibhas etc. We refer to these ragas for proper understanding of the nature of phrases. It should be remembered that these phrases, similar to those of base parts of Bilawal group, upper part of Khamaj group and middle portions of Kafi and Kalingada groups, do not indicate the true character of the ragas in any way. It is not also of any use to connect musical forms of these folk songs with raga sangeet excepting some references to That-s or portions of ragas as appear in the songs. As folk song is plain and spontaneous, it is futile to discern in it an element of direct connection with ragas. Influences, if any, were sporadic. A Prabhati-sangeet or a rural morning-hymn may represent a few phrases from the Bhairav That or raga Kalingada performed in a monotonous manner, but such individual composition should be considered as an item of sporadic type having nothing to do with the conception of these raga frames. It might be that there was same influence of a raga somewhere in the past. Similar is the case of raga Bibhas often referred to be in use in folk song. A raga does never take shape in a few fixed and monotonous patterns. As a raga delelops, it moves, it creats variations. Combinations of some group-notes do not make a raga. A folk singer is generally ignorant of raga forms. The name of the tunes goes by the type of the songs which represents a locality or a sect or grup. So, for folk music, it is idle to established any relationship with raga music, as is often done. |
