The word 'Baul' refers to three terms- betul meaning 'out of rhythm', vayu meaning 'air' or the inner flow of energy which gives life and harmony to all living beings ; and auliya, a term of Arabic origin, which means 'saint' or 'holy man'.
This is music rooted in the sheer bliss of being alive, perfectly in keeping with the philosophy of the nomadic Baul musicians, who espouse a kind of ecumenical, all-men-are-brothers religiosity.
The singer or the bauls, as they are popularly called wears a saffron robe and a saffron head gear and wanders in the villages from home to home entertaining everyone with their beautiful lyrical songs. In return some offer food and some also offer money. The bauls themselves compose the songs and perform them through acting and dancing to their own tunes. They wander the countryside, singing their songs. Their beliefs are a mixture of many influences and traditions, and break away from many common Indian beliefs.
The Bauls mostly live in small huts. They live in couples but are not supposed to have children. The living space of Bauls is called akahra, it is somehow like an ashram, with the difference that men and women live together, who consider themselves as spiritual partners. They are just simple human beings and don't belong to any society, religion, philosophy, institution, family, friends, strangers and even fellow Bauls. They totally belong to themselves only.
Earlier the bauls mainly spread the message of love and goodwill through their songs and were mainly religiously attached but these days the lyrics of these songs mainly comprises from day to day contemporary happenings of life, which are presented in a satirical form, which are very melodious and high-pitched.
The lyrics are very simple which can be understood from a kid to a elderly. They don't posses anything but an ektara and a duggi, two musical instruments. Music is their life and their god. A Baul mystic Lalan Fakir sings: "What form does caste have? I have never seen it, brother, with these eyes of mine!"
Bauls are true individuals. It is difficult to find two identical Bauls or even two who have few similarities with each other. They don’t follow any faith and by doing so they follow all the faiths. They have inspired so many Indian masters, writers, poets, philosophers and saints. They never compose their songs, but just sing it and create it as it comes out of their heart. and believe that nothing is permanent in this world but change. So we don’t know much about who created these songs. They just sing and dance and enjoy life.
They have influenced Bengali folk music for centuries. Their love of music is of the celestial form and they worship sky as a whole. They worship their body as if god is nothing but the body. They dance and sing and move from village to village, always traveling and enjoying whatever situation they come across.
The Baul is still very popular in rural Bengal especially in parts of Bolpur, Birbhum, Shantiniketan and other places. It has been patronized by famous singers like Purna Das Baul and Lalon Fakir. Purna das baul has also spread the baul in the west in the sixties. These days there are many singers carrying on their legacy who also sing these songs in trains and buses to entertain people and earn their livelihood.
In the olden days when mechanical and electrical instruments were out of reach for the villagers, the bauls were a major source of entertainment for them and it still lives on in these advanced and modern times.
This is a translated lyrics of a very popular baul song:
How does the unknown bird come within the cage and go away from it?If I could catch hold of it, I could chain it with my mind.The cage has eight chambers and nine doors are affixed on it.It is carved here and there, above these there is the main room- within which there is the hall of mirror.Oh mind, you remain illusioned with the desire of the cage,Your own cage is made of tender bamboo,Who knows when will it collapse?
To feel a bit of the culture and the style of a baul, you can watch this video captured in Shantiniketan. It beautifully depicts the dress of a baul, the instruments used and the way of presenting the songs as well as listen to a song to experience the mysticness & rythm of a baul song.
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