The Baul Musicians
Osho Says “A Baul is a flowering. A Baul is a flowing energy. The Baul is not a seeker, the Baul is one who has found. The Baul is a SIDDHA: one who has looked into life and realized that all is available and there is no need to seek. One has just to participate in this mystery called life. He dances, he sings, he enjoys, he is blissful for no reason at all.”
Bauls are mystical musicians from Bengal. They sing from the Heart and pour out their feelings and emotions in their songs. Their music reflects bonds of the heart, subtly revealing the mystery of life, the laws of nature and the ultimate union with the divine. Baul is a mystic nomad dealing with human relations, emotions and spontaneously expressing their spiritual ideology through music & dance.
The music of the Bauls, Baul Sangeet, is a particular type of folk music. Its lyrics carry influences of the Hindu bhakti movements and the songs of Kabir. Their music represents a long heritage of preaching mysticism through songs in Bengali. Their lyrics intertwine a deep sense of mysticism, a longing for oneness with the divine. They seek the divinity in human beings. Metaphysical topics are dwelt upon in a humble fashion and in simple words. To them we are all a gift of divine power and the body is a temple, music being the path to connect to that power.
Bauls use a number of musical instruments: the most common is the ektara, a one-stringed “plucked drum” drone instrument, carved from the epicarp of a gourd, and made of bamboo and goatskin. Others include the dotara, a long-necked fretless lute (while the name literally means “two stringed” it usually has four metal strings) made of the wood of a jackfruit or neem tree. Drums like the duggi, a small hand-held earthen drum, and and khol; small cymbals called khartal and manjira, and the bamboo flute are also used. Ghungur and nupur are anklets with bells that ring while the person wearing them dances.
Talk:
There will be talk on Bauls in which Madhusudan will explain the Life of Bauls, their spirit, thinking and lifestyle. Baul music celebrates celestial love, Madhusudan will explain the value of music in their lives and how it is an easy source of meditation and devotion for them. We will learn the aim and object of their lives, how Yoga forms an important aspect of their daily lives and facts about their master-disciple heritage. Madhusudan will give tips on recognizing the transcendental quality in people and methods to control the desiring mind. He will explain briefly about the tantric practices used amongst Bauls, but will not be able to divulge the details, as these secrets are allowed to be transmitted only in a close communion between Master & Disciple. The talk will be followed by a question & answer session.
Concert:
The songs will highlight the essence of Tantra in many ways. They will have a dialogue with the six psychic centers in the subtle body to the primal memories of the soul wandering in the mother’s womb. One song will communicate the dormant state of cosmic energy-The kundalini and another will portray the immortality of the soul by analogies.