I Baul del Bengala

The Baul are mystic wandering mastersingers and musicians caming from West Bengal, India. Probably “Baul” comes from Sanskrit “Vayu” meaning “Wind” and such as the wind moves on earth never being still, so the Baul wander from village to village such as a foolish “Batul”, dancing on extasis an singing joy and love coming from the mystic union with Divine. Their philosophy, born from different religious expressions such as Tantrism, Buddhism, Sufism, Vaishnavism, puts man at the very centre of universe. The Baul infact consider human body such as the sacred dwelling of Absolute which can be reached only trough a continuos interior search bringing to discover of the Man living inside man, the Divine which dwells in man, “Maner Manush”, the Man of heart. Mankind is sacred, so Baul profess universal brotherhood and refuse every difference of races, casts, religions, living free and detached from material things. The music of Baul expresses the inner joy, the happiness of love spreading from oneself trough old gesture and moving melodies arousing a pure and absolute meeting of hearts. This way the Baul live a free existence, without discrimination and rules, a life that makes of them forever foolish Baul.
These wandering mastersingers of Bengal, play musical instruments made by themselves to accompany their songs:
EKTARA, an instrument with one string.
DUGI, a little drum.
DOTARA, a long necked instrument with four strings.
KHAMAK, a strange percussion and string instrument.
KOROTAL, Indian cymbals.
GUNGUR and NUPPUR, ankle instruments.

The Baul of Bengal are:

NARAYAN CHANDRA ADHIKARY: voice, dotara, khamak, nuppur, sarinda
RAMAKRISHNA DAS BAUL: voice, duggi, ektara, harmonium, gungur
PABITRA LOHAR: voice, flauto, korotal
ALOY GHOSAL: tabla