Celebrate Bengali New Year 2023 with Baul Music at Red FM’s Poila Baithak
Red FM has introduced another season of ‘Poila Baithak’ to mark the beginning of the Bengali New Year
Of folk music, it is rightly said that it transcends all borders - be it cultural, linguistic, or geographical. In Red FM’s endeavour to breathe life into the unsung forms of music and cultures, they have introduced another season of ‘Poila Baithak’ to mark the beginning of the Bengali New Year and celebrate its rich relationship with Rabindranath Tagore and Bengal’s baul.
Baul music, developed by a group of mystic minstrels from Bengals, has its own raw and mystic charm. In 2005, the Baul community was declared the ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO. Unfortunately, due to the lack of support and recognition of Baul artists, the Baul tradition is faltering. However, to infuse life into this dying art form, Red FM is bringing it to the forefront for more people to enjoy the beauty of this rustic, oral form of art through Poila Baithak. Much like the music, the festival aims to transcend boundaries by bringing together baul artists from India and Bangladesh together on one platform on 22nd April 2023 at EZCC. The event will celebrate the Bengali ethos with baul music across espaar and opaar bangla, food, and adda. The event will be hosted by the cities' most beloved voices RJ Nilam and RJ Niel.
Eternalizing the very spirit of the Bengali New Year, Red FM’s Poila Baithak emulates the ethnic Bangladeshi decor as the new year celebrations pop open. The earlier editions of Poila Baithak have witnessed incredible baul artists like Kartik Das Baul, Tirtha Bhattacharya, Folk Diaryz, Poushali Banerjee, Fakira, and many more. The simple, heartfelt lyrics, and use of earthly metaphors which largely point towards essential life truths, have left imprints on the likes of Rabindranath Tagore himself, whose writing and songs hold a whiff of Baul gaan as well.
Nisha Narayanan, Director & COO, RED FM, and Magic FM, said, “The festival is a consistent promise by Red FM to create regional experiences that are more visible, and distinguished on a larger platform.” So, with the grounds abuzz with melodies of the baul minstrels, laughter, and food, the festival aims to give the cause of baul and celebration of the new year a larger-than-life stage.
Celebrating the roots baul music has in Bengal’s rural culture and celebrating celestial love, along with the Bengali new year, Red FM is all set to explore variations in Baul music. With the theme ‘Baul Beyond Borders,’ Bangladeshi artists such as Joler Gaan (An independent folk band from Dhaka roughly translates into a water song, claim to be the children of the soil where the river purifies. They whisper the symphonies of the genre in soft and soothing voices), and Bengali artists including Karthika Das Baul (Also known as ‘The New Generation Baul’ he is a renowned Baul singer who has worked with various world music organizations in Japan, Berlin, and the US), and Fakira (The musical band consists of Timir Biswas, Bunty, Kunaal Biswas, Chayan Chakraborty, and Apurba Das. The band is inspired from various baul akhras, and blended with elements of rock). All the artists will enliven the event with their soulful performances. The event will also offer an experience zone including the best of mixed cuisines, handicrafts, folk art, and fashion stalls including nail art and mehendi, and much more.
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